How much does a Pool Cleaner Cost?

Before you hire a pool cleaner, you should do some research on typical pool cleaning costs and what to expect a local pool cleaner to charge. That way, you can budget for your pool cleaning service with no surprises! 

A regular sized pool with all the usual cleaning tasks usually costs between $63 - $150, but your pool cleaner might charge more or less. The cost of pool cleaning depends on where you live, how dirty your pool is, any special cleaning equipment and chemicals needed, and how long it’s likely to take. 

This pool cleaning price guide will break down everything you need to know about pool cleaning costs in Australia, based on our data from hundreds of pool cleaners and completed pool cleaning tasks. By the end of this guide, you’ll be familiar with pool maintenance costs and what you can expect to pay a professional, plus you’ll know how to get started with hiring your pool cleaner via Airtasker.

Do I need to hire a pool cleaner?

If you own a permanent in-ground or above-ground pool, it’ll need to be cleaned regularly. Many people take care of regular pool maintenance themselves, but you might want to hire a professional pool cleaner if:

1. You don’t have a couple of hours every week to spend cleaning your pool

2. You aren’t confident with pool cleaning techniques and chemicals

Plus, you’ve got a pool so you can spend more time relaxing, not cleaning! Hiring a pool cleaner will give you more time back to do things you enjoy without your pool turning a suspicious greeny colour.

What are the standard inclusions for pool cleaning?

When you book a pool cleaner to come and take care of your pool maintenance, a standard clean will usually take around 2 hours (depending on the size of your pool and how much cleaning is required) and include the following services:

• Testing pool water for chemical balance

• Adding chemicals as required (note that some pool cleaners price their chemicals separately)

• Vacuuming and scooping to remove debris

• Brushing the sides and base 

• Checking all equipment and pumps are working

• Topping up the water level if needed

• Cleaning out skimmer baskets, lint pots, and filters

• Report on any issues or further maintenance needed

Other Jobs you can give to your pool cleaner

If it’s been a while since you last booked a professional pool cleaning service for your pool, you might need to ask your pool cleaner to do a few more detail-cleaning tasks on their first booking. So aside from the standard task list above, you might add on things like:

• Spa cleaning 

• Sweeping pavers around the pool to remove dirt and fallen leaves

• Pressure clean pavers around the pool

• Cleaning around the pump area

• Pool cover cleaning

• Replacing minor parts (like filters and cracked skimmer lids)

• Emptying old water and refilling with fresh water

What sort of services won’t a pool cleaner do?

While some pool cleaners are skilled in other areas, usually, they won’t do…

• Minor fixes - like regrouting or replacing pool tiles

• Major fixes - like fixing a leak or some kind of electrical/mechanical issue

• Compliance - like setting up or repairing your pool fence

• Landscaping - like trimming trees and shrubbery or watering pot plants near your pool

You’ll need to hire a handyperson, electrician, landscaper, pool fencer, tiler, or gardener for those tasks. But if you’d like one person to take care of it all, you can always specify this when you post your task. You might be lucky enough to get a skilled pool cleaner who’s got a few other qualifications and talents up their sleeve, too.

Pool cleaning costs for different types of services

Pool cleaning prices depend mainly on your type of pool, the tasks, and how much work is involved. We’ve reviewed all our recent pool cleaning tasks posted in the marketplace to give you approximate price guides for each.

What factors affect the cost of cleaning your pool?

As you can see from our price guide above, the cost of different services can vary by hundreds. Here are the factors that might increase or decrease the price of your pool clean:

• If it’s a minor task that’ll take a few minutes, or one that might take a full day

• Whether it’s an indoor or outdoor pool

• How many m2 your pool is

• How deep your pool is

• Whether it’s a pool, a spa, or both

• Whether or not you provide the chemicals and equipment

• How detailed the clean is (expect to pay more if you need a deep clean)

• Any extras (like tile cleaning and parts replacement)

• Your location/suburb

• How challenging it is to access and complete the job

• How urgently you need the job done

• Whether you need the pool clean done on a weekend or weekday

How much does it cost for a pool service?

Wondering how much pool cleaners make an hour? Most pool cleaners are contractors who work in their own business. This means they’ll need to charge enough per hour to cover all their expenses, including:

• Their wage

• Tax

• Superannuation

• Insurance

• Travel expenses

• Pool chemicals

• Cleaning supplies

• Equipment

• Plus more!

In Australia, it’s normal to charge anywhere from $60-$100 per hour. So when you’re deciding on your budget for a pool cleaning job, think about roughly how many number of hours it might take, and then multiply it by at least $60.

Cost of pool cleaning chemicals and parts

Since many pool cleaning services don’t include the cost of chemicals and parts needed to maintain your pool, it’s important to review these prices separately. Here’s what you can expect to pay for pool cleaning chemicals and replacement parts:

Depending on your service provider, you may need to buy all of these parts and chemicals yourself or they may provide some of them as part of the service.

What are other costs associated with maintaining a pool?

One of the biggest costs for pool owners is electricity. Depending on your manufacturer’s instructions, you’ll likely need to keep your pump running for around 8 hours per day to ensure the water from your pool is properly circulated and cleaned. If you have a heated pool, this will also add to your electricity costs, unless you use solar panels for heating. 

Another cost to factor in is a larger water bill when you need to fill or refill your pool.

Plus you may need to budget for maintenance and upgrades to remain compliant with local council laws around fencing, landscaping, and safety. 

The cost of owning and cleaning your pool can really add up, so it’s a good idea to set aside some funds each month towards your pool. Many homeowners find they need to budget at least $1,000/year towards cleaning, maintaining, and upgrading their pool, or at least $100 per month. 

How to create your first pool cleaning task

Ready to hire your pool cleaner and set up your first task? It’s easy! Just write out your task, post your listing, review your offers, choose someone, and they’ll arrange to come and do your pool cleaning at a time that suits you. If you’re curious, read some more about how it works.

Here’s what you might include in your listing:

• Timing and budget

• Location

• Pool and/or spa size

• Deep clean or standard clean? Any extras?

• Any visible issues? (e.g. green or murky water)

• Any challenges with access?

• Is the job likely to be quick or time-consuming?

• Equipment provided? 

• Chemicals provided?

• One-off task or ongoing work?

The more info you include, the easier it’ll be for your pool cleaner to price up the job and make you an offer. Plus, they’ll rely on accurate info in your listing when they arrive to complete the task.

Examples of pool cleaning listings from Airtasker

Need some inspiration to help you create your listing? Here are some examples of tasks our members have posted (and successfully completed).