Why a Pool Inspection Is Not Optional
Pools and spas in the DFW area face a unique combination of punishing summer heat, sudden winter freezes, and highly expansive clay soil. Each of those forces works against the pool's structure, plumbing, and equipment over time. A standard home inspection may note that a pool is present, but it does not evaluate equipment function, structural integrity, or life safety compliance the way a dedicated pool inspection does.
🏠 Buying a Home with a Pool
An existing pool can have deferred maintenance, expired safety equipment, or structural movement you will not see during a showing. Know exactly what you are buying before you close.
📅 11-Month Warranty Inspection Add-On
Many new Celina homes include a pool. Builder defects in the shell, equipment, or plumbing must be documented and submitted before your one-year warranty expires. We catch them first.
🔒 Annual Maintenance Baseline
Even if you are not buying or selling, a periodic pool inspection gives you a documented baseline of equipment condition, chemical health, and structural integrity before problems become emergencies.
💰 Protect Your Investment
Pool repairs in North Texas commonly run from a few hundred dollars for a failed pump seal to tens of thousands for a resurfacing or plumbing replacement. Early detection is far less expensive.
The North Texas Clay Soil Problem: What It Does to Your Pool
Celina and the broader DFW region sit on some of the most expansive clay soil in the country. This is the number one structural threat to any in-ground pool. Clay soil absorbs moisture and swells dramatically, then contracts as it dries, behaving like a slow-motion earthquake beneath the pool shell year after year.
Most people focus on the water inside the pool. We focus equally on what is happening outside and underneath it. During every inspection we specifically look for the following soil-induced warning signs:
⚠️ Coping and Deck Joint Separation
The joint where the pool deck meets the coping should be filled with a flexible mastic sealant. When soil movement causes separation or the mastic dries out and cracks, water channels directly beneath the shell, accelerating further movement and potential undermining of the pool structure.
📈 Waterline Tile Assessment
The waterline tile is one of the best diagnostic tools an inspector has. An uneven or tilted tile line is often the first visible sign that the pool shell has settled unevenly. We measure and document any differential to establish a baseline or flag an active movement concern.
🕐 Underground Plumbing Stress
Ground movement does not just affect the shell. It places stress on the underground PVC supply and return lines. A sheared pipe fitting causes a hidden leak that can silently saturate the surrounding soil, worsening movement over time. We look for evidence of this at the equipment pad and in the yard.
🔍 Efflorescence and Shell Cracking
White mineral deposits on the pool shell or surrounding concrete can indicate water is migrating through cracks. We identify efflorescence and surface cracking that may point to structural stress rather than simple cosmetic wear.
Texas Weather Extremes and What They Mean for Your Pool
North Texas pools must survive conditions that pools in most of the country never face: sudden hard freezes in winter and sustained heat indexes over 110 degrees in summer. Both extremes cause damage, and both require specific inspection attention.
❄️ The Winter Freeze Risk
We rigorously test automated freeze guards and temperature sensors on every inspection. A freeze guard that has failed silently is not just an inconvenience. During a sudden Celina ice storm, a non-functioning freeze guard can result in burst PVC pipes, cracked pump housings, cracked heater headers, and a repair bill that can exceed several thousand dollars.
☀️ The Summer Bake
Extreme UV exposure and sustained high temperatures in Collin County destroy chlorine far faster than pools in milder climates. This accelerates interior finish wear and chemical imbalance over time. We inspect the pool's interior surface (plaster, pebble, or quartz) for signs of scale buildup, delamination, and etching caused by long-term pH and alkalinity problems that often go unaddressed in Texas summers when chemical consumption spikes.
Equipment Pad Deep Dive: What We Actually Check
Telling a homeowner "the pump works" is not an inspection. High-end pools in Celina frequently include variable speed pumps, saltwater chlorination systems, gas heaters, and automation controllers. Each component has specific failure modes. Here is how we evaluate them.
🔌 Variable Speed Pumps (VSPs)
VSPs are the workhorse of a modern pool. We inspect beyond verifying that the pump starts. We listen for motor bearing noise that signals impending failure, check that the pump is properly programmed for appropriate speed profiles across its filtration, cleaning, and feature cycles, and verify that the prime and flow rate are appropriate for the pool volume and plumbing configuration.
☀️ Saltwater Chlorine Generators
Salt pools are the dominant choice in new Celina construction. We inspect the salt cell for calcium calcification and scale buildup on the plates, which is the leading cause of reduced chlorine output and premature cell failure. We also verify the control board's salinity reading against a physical test of the water to confirm the sensor is accurate and the system is producing chlorine at the target rate.
🔥 Gas and Electric Heaters
For gas heaters, we check for soot buildup on the burner assembly, which indicates an improper gas-to-air mixture or spider web obstructions in the burner tubes. We inspect the heat exchanger for signs of chemical corrosion (a common result of low pH water), test the high-limit and pressure switches, and verify proper exhaust draft. For electric heat pumps, we test operation across the heating cycle and inspect refrigerant line insulation and coil condition.
📢 Filtration Systems
We identify the filter type (DE, cartridge, or sand) and evaluate its current condition. For DE and cartridge filters, we check the pressure gauge reading against the clean baseline to assess internal grid or cartridge health without a full teardown. A filter operating at elevated pressure is cleaning at reduced efficiency and is headed toward failure. We note filter age, backwash or clean history where visible, and any signs of a cracked tank or compromised multiport valve.
🔬 Automation and Controls
We test automation system response across circuits: lights, water features, spa jets, blowers, and temperature setpoints. We verify that the weir gate inside the skimmer moves freely and is not cracked or warped, and that the skimmer throat is intact and pulling surface water correctly.
🛡️ Hydrostatic Relief and Return Jets
We check the hydrostatic relief valve at the main drain for evidence of ground water pressure issues, and inspect return jets for proper eyeball fitting orientation and flow. Air bubbles at the return jets are a key diagnostic indicator of a suction-side air leak at the equipment pad, often a failing pump lid O-ring or a cracked suction line fitting.
Code Compliance and Life Safety: Zero-Tolerance Items
Pool safety deficiencies are not flagged as "monitor and maintain" items in our reports. They are documented as immediate action required. We treat code compliance with the seriousness it deserves because the consequences of a failure are irreversible.
⚠️ VGB Anti-Entrapment Drain Covers
The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act requires that all main drains be fitted with compliant, unexpired anti-entrapment covers. These covers have a rated service life and must be replaced on schedule. We check for VGB-compliant covers, confirm they are not cracked or missing fasteners, and note the manufacture date to flag approaching expiration.
⚡ Electrical Bonding vs. Grounding
Grounding and bonding are two different things that serve two different purposes. Grounding routes fault current safely to earth to protect equipment. Bonding connects all metallic components into a unified equipotential system to prevent stray voltage from accumulating in the water around swimmers. We inspect for bonding wires connected to the pump motor, heater, handrails, light niches, and any other metallic elements within the pool environment.
🚪 Barriers, Fences, and Gates
Texas code establishes a minimum fence height of 48 inches around pool enclosures, though many Celina-area jurisdictions and HOAs require 72 inches. Gates must be self-closing and self-latching, and must open outward away from the pool area. We inspect latch height and hardware condition, verify there are no footholds or horizontal members on the outside of the fence that could assist a child in climbing, and document any gaps at the base or between pickets.
💡 GFCI Protection and Lighting
All receptacles within the pool area require GFCI protection. We test GFCI outlets for proper trip and reset function. We also check underwater lighting fixtures for a watertight lens seal, verify the light transformer voltage rating is appropriate, and look for condensation inside the light niche that could indicate a failed gasket.
Is It a Leak or Just Texas Evaporation?
One of the most common anxieties for North Texas pool owners is watching the water level drop and wondering whether they have a leak. The honest answer is that in July, you might simply have a very hot, dry, windy week. Understanding the difference is one of the most practical things an inspection can do for you.
That said, true leaks do exist, and they cause serious secondary damage if left unaddressed. During our inspection we look for the indicators that separate a leaking pool from an evaporating one:
- Soggy or perpetually wet areas in the yard near plumbing runs
- Autofill valve that runs continuously even during cool overnight periods
- Air bubbles blowing from return jets (suction-side air intrusion)
- Pump losing prime repeatedly without explanation
- Unusual lush or green grass directly above underground plumbing
- Coping or decking that has shifted or sunk in one area
- Water staining or mineral deposits below the waterline tile
- Equipment pad area that stays wet between rain events
If our inspection identifies indicators consistent with an active leak, we document the findings thoroughly so you have the evidence needed to engage a leak detection specialist before or after closing.
New Celina Pool? Do Not Let Your Builder Warranty Expire
Celina is one of the fastest-growing communities in the country, and a large percentage of new homes come with a pool installed by the builder. Builder warranties on pools and pool equipment typically run one year. After that, repair costs fall entirely on the homeowner.
Common builder warranty items we catch in new Celina pools include improper saltwater generator programming, missing or improperly torqued bonding connections, undersized or mismatched equipment, missing mastic at coping joints, and VGB drain covers that were not installed to spec.
Pool and Spa Inspection: Full Scope
🏗️ Structure and Shell
- ✓ Interior surface condition (plaster, pebble, quartz)
- ✓ Coping condition and mastic joint integrity
- ✓ Waterline tile level assessment
- ✓ Deck surface, expansion joints, and drainage
- ✓ Steps, benches, and tanning ledges
- ✓ Efflorescence and visible cracking
- ✓ Hydrostatic relief valve at main drain
⚙️ Equipment Pad
- ✓ Pump operation, prime, and bearing noise
- ✓ Filter type, pressure, and condition
- ✓ Heater operation and heat exchanger condition
- ✓ Salt cell calcification and controller accuracy
- ✓ Freeze guard and temperature sensor function
- ✓ Automation system circuits and controls
- ✓ Backwash and waste line routing
🔌 Electrical and Plumbing
- ✓ GFCI outlet protection and testing
- ✓ Bonding wire connections at all metallic components
- ✓ Underwater light fixtures and lens seals
- ✓ Return jet flow and eyeball orientation
- ✓ Skimmer weir gate and throat condition
- ✓ Suction and return line air leak indicators
- ✓ Autofill valve operation
🚪 Safety and Code Compliance
- ✓ VGB-compliant anti-entrapment drain covers
- ✓ Fence height and picket spacing
- ✓ Gate self-closing and self-latching hardware
- ✓ Gate swing direction (outward from pool)
- ✓ No climbable footholds on fence exterior
- ✓ Spa suction fittings and cover condition
- ✓ Emergency shutoff accessibility
Frequently Asked Questions
A standard home inspection may note that a pool is present and visible equipment appears functional, but it does not constitute a dedicated pool evaluation. Pool inspections require specific knowledge of hydraulic systems, salt chemistry, bonding requirements, and structural behavior in North Texas soil. We recommend adding a pool inspection as a standalone or add-on service whenever a pool is part of a property transaction.
The expansive clay soil in Celina swells significantly when wet and contracts when dry. Over time this creates ground movement beneath the pool shell that can separate the coping from the deck, tilt or settle the shell unevenly (visible at the waterline tile), and shear underground PVC fittings causing hidden leaks. We specifically inspect for all of these soil-induced failure patterns on every pool inspection.
A North Texas pool can lose up to a quarter inch of water per day in summer through evaporation alone. True leak indicators include soggy ground near plumbing runs, an autofill that runs continuously even at night, air bubbles from return jets, or a pump that repeatedly loses prime. We evaluate all of these during the inspection and document findings that warrant further leak detection.
Grounding directs fault current safely to earth and protects equipment. Bonding connects all metallic components into a unified equipotential system so that stray voltage cannot build up in the water where swimmers are present. Both are required by code and both are inspected on every evaluation. Missing or improperly installed bonding is a life safety deficiency we treat as an immediate action item in our reports.
Yes. We inspect attached spas as part of the pool inspection and can evaluate standalone above-ground or in-ground hot tubs as well. Spa inspections include jet pump operation, blower function, suction cover VGB compliance, heater performance, and all electrical and bonding requirements specific to the higher water temperatures and voltage demands of spa systems.
Serving Celina and Surrounding North Texas Communities
We perform pool and spa inspections throughout Celina's active new construction communities and surrounding areas:
Light Farms, Mustang Lakes, Creekside, Villages of Walnut Grove, and other Celina developments, plus Prosper, McKinney, Frisco, and the broader Collin County area. If you are unsure whether we cover your location, call us and we will confirm same day.
Schedule Your Pool and Spa Inspection Today
Whether you are buying a home, approaching your builder warranty deadline, or simply want a professional evaluation of your pool's current condition, we are ready to help.
Call (972) 640-5861 for same-day scheduling availability