Pool News
The $62 Billion Paradox: New Pool Construction Has Halved, The Industry Has Never Been Steadier
New in-ground pool starts are down roughly 50% from their pandemic peak. So why is the U.S. pool industry one of the most durable consumer markets in the country? The answer is hiding in the numbers, and it isn’t construction.
Builders will tell you the pool business is in a slump, and on one measure, they’re right: new in-ground construction has fallen by about half since 2021. But ask a route operator how business is going, and you’ll get a very different answer. That gap, between the headline most people see and the economics that actually run the industry, is the most important thing to understand about the pool market in 2026.
Here’s the short version. The U.S. pool, hot tub, and spa industry is worth roughly $62 billion, according to the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance. Building new pools is the part everyone watches, and it’s the part that swings hardest with interest rates and housing. But it’s a minority of the money. The majority comes from keeping the pools we already have running, and that spending doesn’t care what mortgage rates are doing.
By The Numbers
- $62 billion: total U.S. pool, hot tub & spa industry
- ~$15 billion: annual pool and spa care aftermarket
- 14 million+: pools, spas, and hot tubs in the U.S.
- ~125,000: pool service and retail businesses
- ~60,000: new in-ground pools built in 2025, down ~50% from peak
- 1 to 2%: annual growth in the installed base of pools
Maintenance Is The Engine
Pool Corporation, the industry’s largest wholesale distributor, moves about $5.3 billion in product a year, and its own breakdown of where that money goes is the clearest window into the market’s structure. By Pool Corp’s accounting, maintenance accounts for roughly 64% of sales, renovation about 22%, and new construction just 14%.
Read that again. Nearly two-thirds of what flows through the largest distributor in the business is the recurring, non-discretionary stuff: chlorine, replacement pumps, filters, the parts and chemicals a pool consumes, whether or not its owner is feeling flush. Leslie’s calls this the “aftermarket,” and pegs it at about $15 billion a year on its own. It is the closest thing the industry has to a subscription business, except no one has to remember to renew, because a green pool renews the contract for you.
That single fact explains why the industry shrugs off downturns that would flatten a more discretionary market. A homeowner can postpone building a pool. They cannot postpone maintaining the one in their backyard without consequences that show up fast and visibly.
The Installed Base Only Goes One Direction
The other half of the resilience story is arithmetic. The U.S. has somewhere north of 14 million bodies of water that need ongoing care: Leslie’s counts roughly 8.8 million residential pools, about 5.5 million residential spas and hot tubs, and around 300,000 commercial pools. Pool Corp puts the in-ground share at about 5.4 million.
Crucially, that base grows 1% to 2% every year, even with construction down. Every pool that goes in is a permanent maintenance customer: it doesn’t churn, it doesn’t get returned, and it needs service for decades. As Pool Corporation CEO Peter Arvan has put it, each year new pools go into the ground and create growing demand for the products needed to maintain and improve them. New construction can fall by half, and the serviceable market still expands, because the denominator never shrinks.
Equipment cycles compound the effect. Pumps, heaters, and filters typically need replacing every 8 to 11 years, which means today’s installed base is also tomorrow’s replacement demand, a predictable wave of spending baked in years in advance.
Construction Cooled, And It Mattered Less Than You’d Think
The decline itself is real and worth naming. Pool Corp’s data shows new in-ground starts running near 120,000 at the 2021 peak, falling to about 61,000 in 2024, and landing just under 60,000 in 2025, roughly a 50% drop. High rates and elevated build costs did exactly what you’d expect from a big-ticket, financed purchase.
Geography stayed concentrated throughout it. The Sunbelt “Sand States” (Florida, California, Texas, and Arizona) account for about 54% of total industry sales and roughly two-thirds of new pool starts, even as the national figure fell. Population continues to migrate toward exactly these pool-heavy markets, which keeps regional demand sturdier than the national construction number alone suggests.
The point isn’t that the construction slump is fake. It’s that, given where the money actually lives, a 50% cut to the smallest slice of the pie does far less damage than the headline implies.
A Field Of 125,000, And No One Owns It
If the demand side is durable, the supply side is wide open. Pool Corp serves roughly 125,000 professional pool service and retail customers, and the defining feature of that group is how small each one is. Most have fewer than 10 employees; a large share are the classic one-truck, owner-operator outfits. Leslie’s counts more than 8,000 independent retailers on top of that, and the PHTA lists around 4,000 member organizations.
Leslie’s is the largest national specialty retailer with more than 1,000 stores, and it still holds under 10% of the care aftermarket. There is no dominant national service brand. In an industry this large, that’s unusual, and it’s the structural reason the field remains so accessible to small independents and so interesting to anyone thinking about consolidation.
The 2026 Outlook
The forward read is steady-to-modestly-up. Distributors are guiding to low-single-digit sales growth, and equipment manufacturers like Pentair are projecting roughly 3 to 4%. PHTA’s own sentiment data found that about 69% of companies expect revenue growth over the next year.
The brightest spot is the service sector, specifically. In PHTA’s Q3 2025 pulse survey, service and maintenance companies were the only segment to report higher bottom-line profits, a direct echo of everything above. When the discretionary categories soften, the recurring one holds, and the operators closest to that recurring revenue feel it least.
The Takeaway
The $62 billion figure makes the pool industry sound like a construction story. It isn’t. It’s a maintenance story wearing a construction story’s clothes. Strip away the part everyone watches, and you’re left with a $15 billion aftermarket, 14 million pools that need year-round care, and 125,000 mostly small businesses serving them: a market that’s large, fragmented, and remarkably indifferent to the economic cycle.
For the people who actually run routes, the implication is the one that’s been true all along: the base is growing, the field is wide open, and the work doesn’t stop when the economy does.
Landmark Aquatic is pleased to announce that three of its aquatic facility projects received 2026 PHTA Awards of Excellence from the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA), one of the pool and spa industry’s premier design competitions.
- Doris Roznovak Aquatic Center, Taylor, TX — Merit Award, Commercial Aquatic Facilities
- Danville High School Natatorium Danville, IN — Merit Award, Commercial Aquatic Facilities
- Astra Tower Apartments, Salt Lake City, UT — Silver Award, Elevated Pool and Spa Structures
PHTA is the trade association representing the swimming pool, hot tub, and spa industry. Its annual International Awards of Excellence is one of the industry’s largest and most respected design competitions, recognizing the most creative and innovative pools, spas, hot tubs, and water features built each year. Hundreds of entries are submitted annually by professionals across the U.S. and around the world.
“PHTA is proud to recognize our members for their craftsmanship, inspired design, and dedication to elevating the industry,” said Sabeena Hickman, CAE, President and CEO of PHTA.
“These awards reflect what it takes to design, build, operate, and maintain a truly successful aquatic facility,” said J. Ryan Casserly, Chief Executive Officer of Landmark Aquatic. “That level of commitment shows up in the work of everyone on our team, and we’re proud to keep investing in serving our customers and the communities who enjoy these facilities.”
About Landmark
Landmark Aquatic is a nationwide provider of commercial aquatic facility design, construction, and maintenance services, with more than six decades of industry experience. Landmark supports clients across most of the U.S. through construction-led solutions and its AquatiCare maintenance program — delivering excellence “for the life of your pool” and building long-term partnerships through exceptional service and forward-thinking solutions. Learn more at www.landmarkaquatic.com
NORRISTOWN, Pennsylvania – Women in the Industry (WITI), an initiative of the Northeast Spa & Pool Association (NESPA), is proud to host its 3rd Annual WITI Walk on Sunday, October 11, 2026, beginning at 10:00 a.m. at scenic Norristown Farm Park in Norristown, Pennsylvania.
Participants may also join virtually from anywhere in the country, allowing supporters nationwide to walk, run, or donate in support of a shared mission: ensuring every child has the opportunity to learn the life-saving skill of swimming.
The walk benefits Every Child a Swimmer (ECAS), a national nonprofit dedicated to preventing childhood drowning by providing swim lesson scholarships to children from low-income families, promoting water safety education, and advancing legislation that expands access to drowning prevention resources. Drowning remains the leading cause of death for children ages one to four, making access to swimming lessons and water safety education more important than ever.
The partnership between NESPA, WITI, and Every Child a Swimmer reflects the pool industry’s unwavering commitment to safety. While WITI exists to empower, mentor, and elevate women throughout the industry, its members also recognize the important role they play in protecting families and promoting the safe enjoyment of water. Together, these organizations help educate communities, expand access to swim lessons, and work toward a future where every child has the opportunity to learn to swim.
“We are incredibly proud to partner with Every Child a Swimmer,” said WITI leadership. “As women in the pool industry, we understand that our work extends beyond building and maintaining pools, it includes educating communities, promoting water safety, and helping save lives. Together, we can make a meaningful difference.”
Leading Every Child a Swimmer is Executive Director Casey McGovern, whose commitment to drowning prevention is deeply personal.
After losing her 19-month-old daughter, Edna Mae (“Em”), to drowning in 2009, McGovern dedicated her life to ensuring other families never experience the same tragedy. Today, her leadership has helped grow Every Child a Swimmer into a national network of more than 430 participating swim school locations across 46 states, providing nearly $1 million annually in swim lesson scholarships for children in need.
“Our mission is simple,” said McGovern. “Every child deserves the opportunity to learn this life-saving skill, regardless of their family’s financial circumstances. Through partnerships like WITI, we’re expanding access to swim lessons, measuring outcomes, and helping ensure more children gain the skills they need to stay safe around water.”
Participants of all ages and abilities are encouraged to register, walk, run, sponsor the event, or donate. Those unable to attend in Pennsylvania can participate virtually from anywhere in the country by walking in their own communities while supporting the cause online.
Register Today
https://nespa.users.membersuite.com/events/683a8c52-0078-ce39-202f-0b49bfa98b74/details
Event Information:
2026 WITI Walk
Sunday, October 11, 2026
10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Norristown Farm Park
2500 Upper Farm Road
Norristown, PA 19403
Virtual participation is available nationwide.
Every registration, sponsorship, and donation helps provide life-saving swim lessons to children who otherwise could not afford them. Thanks to generous matching support, every dollar donated will be quadrupled, significantly increasing the impact for children and families.
About Women in the Industry (WITI)
Women in the Industry (WITI), an initiative of the Northeast Spa & Pool Association (NESPA), is dedicated to empowering, connecting, mentoring, and supporting women throughout the pool, spa, and outdoor living industry. Through education, networking, philanthropy, and leadership opportunities, WITI fosters professional growth while giving back to communities through charitable initiatives such as the annual WITI Walk.
About the Northeast Spa & Pool Association (NESPA)
The Northeast Spa & Pool Association (NESPA) is a regional trade association serving the pool, spa, and outdoor living industry throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. For more than 65 years, NESPA has supported its members through education, advocacy, professional development, networking, and consumer outreach while promoting the highest standards of safety, professionalism, and industry excellence.
About Every Child a Swimmer
Every Child a Swimmer is a national nonprofit dedicated to reducing childhood drowning by providing swim lesson scholarships to children from low-income families, promoting water safety education, and advocating for legislation that expands access to drowning prevention initiatives. The organization believes every child deserves the opportunity to learn the life-saving skill of swimming.
Media Contact
Phone: 609.689.9111
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.nespapool.org
Drone delivery may be the future of getting everyday purchases to your doorstep, but apparently Amazon still has a few kinks to work out — particularly when swimming pools are involved.
A video making the rounds on social media this week shows what should have been a routine Amazon drone delivery going very wrong. Instead of safely depositing the customer’s order on dry ground, the package winds up in the backyard swimming pool.
The incident is funny enough when viewed through the lens of an unexpected pool delivery. But it also highlights a very real challenge Amazon faces as it prepares to dramatically expand its Prime Air drone delivery program across the United States.
And remarkably, this isn’t the first time an Amazon drone has put a customer’s package in the pool.
Amazon Has Already Made This Mistake Before
In July 2025, Arizona resident Daniel Muniz decided to try Prime Air after seeing drone delivery available for his order in Avondale.
The delivery was captured on video.
Amazon’s drone successfully reached the property and released the shoebox-sized package over the designated area. There was just one problem: the downward force generated by the drone’s propellers pushed the package several feet across the yard and directly into Muniz’s swimming pool.
Fortunately, the contents weren’t particularly vulnerable to water. Muniz had ordered vitamins.
The incident was especially notable because Amazon’s delivery system is designed to identify suitable drop locations around a customer’s property. Amazon explains that its mapping technology identifies “delivery zones” free of obstacles and establishes appropriate delivery points within those areas.
The company even specifically acknowledges swimming pools as something the technology needs to recognize.
According to Amazon, a swimming pool can appear to be a flat surface in satellite imagery despite obviously being an unsuitable location for a package delivery. Once the drone reaches the designated location, the aircraft descends to approximately 13 feet above the ground, checks that the area is clear and releases the package.
In the Avondale incident, the package wasn’t intentionally dropped into the water. It initially landed on dry ground before the drone’s prop wash sent it into the pool.
Amazon apologized to the customer at the time, characterizing incidents like it as rare.
A year later, however, another swimming pool has clearly managed to intercept an Amazon delivery.
Pools Aren’t the Only Problem
Swimming pools haven’t been the only unexpected destinations for Amazon’s drones.
In another widely reported incident, an Amazon delivery drone came down in a residential garden after experiencing problems during operation. Other incidents have been considerably more serious than a wet package.
In February 2026, an Amazon Prime Air drone struck the exterior of an apartment complex in Richardson, Texas, before the damaged aircraft fell to the ground.
Amazon’s drone program has also faced scrutiny following collisions involving infrastructure. These episodes underscore the complexity of operating autonomous aircraft at scale in residential environments where drones must contend with buildings, trees, utility infrastructure, changing weather conditions and other obstacles.
Amazon says its latest MK30 drones use a sophisticated perception and “Detect-and-Avoid” system designed to identify obstacles and make navigation decisions autonomously.
That technology is going to become increasingly important because Amazon isn’t backing away from drone delivery.
It’s doing the opposite.
Amazon Plans a Massive Drone Delivery Expansion
Amazon announced this week that it intends to expand Prime Air to nearly 500 U.S. cities and towns by the end of 2026, a dramatic increase from the 11 locations where the service currently operates. New markets are expected to include areas around Chicago, Atlanta, Cleveland, Syracuse and Boise.
The company says each Prime Air location can serve communities within roughly a 7.5-mile radius. Its MK30 drones can transport eligible packages weighing up to five pounds, with Amazon targeting delivery times of roughly an hour or less.
Amazon has already completed hundreds of thousands of drone deliveries this year, according to Prime Air Vice President David Carbon.
The long-term ambitions are considerably larger.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has said the company believes drone delivery could eventually reach 30 million customers and handle as many as half a billion packages annually by 2030.
The appeal isn’t difficult to understand.
For small, lightweight purchases, a drone potentially eliminates much of the traditional last-mile delivery process. Instead of waiting for a delivery van to work its way through dozens or hundreds of stops, an individual aircraft can carry an order directly from a nearby fulfillment facility to a customer’s home.
Need sunscreen before heading outside? Batteries for a poolside speaker? A replacement part or bottle of test strips?
Amazon envisions those types of purchases arriving from the sky in less time than it might take someone to drive to a store and back.
The company says more than 60,000 products are already eligible for drone delivery in supported markets, ranging from household necessities to electronics.
That’s a compelling vision of where residential delivery could be headed.
The technology just needs to become consistently boring.
Right now, the occasional drone crash, unexpected landing or package taking a swim makes for an entertaining viral video. As Amazon expands Prime Air from a relatively limited program into hundreds of communities, however, the margin for these mistakes becomes increasingly important.
Delivering a bottle of vitamins into someone’s swimming pool is inconvenient and a little funny.
Doing the same thing with a smartphone probably isn’t.
Judging by the occasional package ending up at the bottom of a swimming pool, there are still a few bugs left to work out first.
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