If you're looking for a pool company that actually pays attention, keep looking. We hired GL Pools in November 2023 to maintain the pool, spa, water rill, and fountain at our Carmel Valley vacation home, explicitly because we are only on-site every 2-3 months and needed a company that would be our "eyes and ears." For this, we have paid materially more than competing services ($4.5-5K/year) plus thousands of dollars in extra clean-ups over time. After an acceptable first year, the quality of service fell off a cliff. High staff turnover meant new technicians constantly cycling through, weekly visits becoming inconsistent, and basic maintenance being missed. The neglect became so bad that we ultimately had to drain and shut down our fountain entirely despite paying for it to be maintained. Since June 2025, our pool, spa, and rill have developed severe calcium buildup that any competent technician should have noticed and escalated early. Their own 10/13/25 "weekly service report" email includes clear photos of the spa and rill with obvious white calcium scale, yet the technician checked the boxes saying the spa had been brushed, the tile brushed, and the rill cleaned. When we asked about cloudy water and visible scale in those same photos, the service supervisor replied that "everything looks good" and blamed the cloudiness on a new phosphate remover, promising to run a full test at the next visit. No one ever told us there was a real problem, and no remediation plan was offered. When we finally returned in late November 2025, we found a pool that clearly had not been properly maintained: heavy calcium rings around the pool, the spa surface caked in white buildup, the rill in terrible shape, and debris sitting undisturbed. That condition forced us to delay serious work and personal plans and triggered an urgent email demanding explanation, immediate on-site management presence, and a plan to fix the situation. The pattern we experienced is consistent and very clear: * They do not proactively communicate problems. Serious issues developed over months, yet every report and email we received said or implied that "everything looks good." * They rely on templated checklists and photos that don't match reality. The checkboxes say the spa was brushed and rill cleaned while their own photos show worsening buildup. * Owners and management appear detached. In two years, no owner has ever visited the property to review the problems firsthand; everything is delegated to a rotating cast of technicians. * Billing is far more reliable than service. We receive aggressive, automated reminders and 30-day advance payment requests with impressive regularity, yet the same rigor is nowhere to be found in how the pool is actually cared for. Online, GL Pools markets itself as "San Diego's #1 pool service" and highlights glowing testimonials about consistency and catching issues early. (GL Pools) Our experience has been the polar opposite: inconsistent execution, serious neglect, and costly downstream damage. Even on employment-review sites, their own technicians describe the company as a "fun place to work, but management is toxic," with biased supervision--hardly reassuring given what we've seen on the customer side. (Indeed) In my opinion, GL Pools is an excellent marketing engine with very poor follow-through. If they invested half as much energy in supervision, training, and quality control as they do in automated billing, they might live up to their own advertising. Until then, I would strongly recommend that homeowners--especially those who are not on-site full-time and/or don't want to waste money and time --look elsewhere. read more

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Similar to other reviews, have had them since 2022 and service has gone way down hill. They also appear to be a little more expensive.

CAVEAT EMPTOR BUYER BEWARE My multi-faceted experience of this company's total failure to perform was very similar to the other people posting 1 star reviews-- Breaking stuff, Not spending any time to do it right, Saying they did stuff that they didn't ... all accompanied with Aggressive billing and Inappropriate Demands (shake downs) for Money (e.g. to show up and just look at something they broke) I would not recommend GL Pools. They are essentially a lip-service revolving door, that does not do what they say they will do. I had several interactions, all of them were mediocre at best, and outrageous at worst. Staff talk to you nicely, but they're all just cogs in a money-making operation, it's all bull****. There's no real customer relationship management. A lot of talk...but nothing is delivered the way they make it out to be. They send you weekly reports claiming they did a bunch of things, but really all you get is a different person showing up all the time (even though they will tell you that you're going to deal primarily with one person), dashing into your yard as fast as he physically can, shoving an all-in-one instant test strip in and dumping a chemical or two. So, the email reports with the list of things they did are just plain lies. The guy is in such a hurry to get in and out as fast as possible it's anxiety-inducing. They sold me on saying that they would give me a report of the chemistry, help balance all my levels with the minimal amount of chemicals, help get my salt cell dialed in, drain my pool and give it a thorough cleaning and some repairs while it was still empty, and then get everything "started up" with the minimal amount of chemicals and having my salt cell dialed in. None of that happened, some dude just showed up with a rusty pump and pumped most of my pool water into my own drain, then ran my garden hose to refill it. They spent all of 15 minutes on the drain/refill and charged $900. I had to actually complete the draining myself, since their equipment was so beat up and improperly placed...when I pointed out that the rusty old pump they used was leaking and not placed where it could get all the water...they just said, "well, it got most of it out." So, I had to finish the job myself. After the drain/refill, no one ever checked my salt levels or adjusted the salt cell afterwards. It just went back to the dude dashing into my house (even though we agreed he would enter through the yard, he would just literally walk into my house without knocking, BTW), and using his quickie test strip and dumping chemicals and dashing away in all of 1 minute. The thorough cleaning never happened, my pool was refilled with a filfthy waterline. They did attempt to acid wash ONE area where there was a chemical deposit area and basically said oh well we tried. None of the equipment was repaired. They were totally unapologetic about not doing anything the way way we discussed...the service manager never responded to my list of issues, they just had a billing person follow-up to get paid and said they "investigated it" and everything was fine. They also broke my auto-fill on my brand new pool (which they claimed they had adjusted every visit, which is totally not true, no one ever looked at it)....and when they turned it back on to finish topping off the pool...it was flooding the whole street behind my house.... when I called and told them what happened, they said would have someone come over right away to take care of it since they broke it....then they called me back a couple minutes later (unexpectedly) and were like...SIKE... the manager actually wants you to pay $500 to have someone show up just TO LOOK AT IT. As it said above, they also told me that they would have the same guy almost every time.... Yet the first guy they sent says it is his last day on the job (he had already quit before they scheduled him). Every interaction I had was with a different person. The people who would come would take things out of my shed to get better room to maneuver around the equipment, and just leave them out in my yard.... dangerous objects that had no place being where my very young children were paying. The whole interaction was just....careless and unapologetic but smothered in B.S. lip service. They definitely don't mess up getting their bills paid, though. Overall, I was super disappointed and feel that no value at all was provided. It was an almost total waste of my time and money. Why go through all that time discussing a plan with a vendor and then just have them send a bunch of random people, who don't do any of it the way you agreed upon? Also, I tried repeatedly to "work things out" and try to have a real conversation about my experience and even asked to speak to the owner. None of it went anywhere. They were only focused only on collecting their money and essentially ignored that they failed to deliver. read more

GHOSTING, Rude!!!! I used them a few years ago when I had tenants, and even recommended GL to my neighbors. My tenants then moved out, and I canceled service ONLY because we moved back in. I was happy with their service. I then contacted GL again, as we are taking a temporary job in another state. They ignored my phone calls, messages, and emails instead of just responding in 2025. Don't do business with ANYONE who deliberately ghosts you!!!! Guy finally responded MANY weeks later that since I canceled service before, they were NOT coming back. Seriously? They clean my neighbor's pool, and refused to simply return to my pool. (Nov 17 update): No I contacted someone else (a guy) who took weeks to respond. Then said he said they wouldn't service my pool ever again (which took like 5-7 minutes), even though you clean the pool of my neighbors that I referred you to. read more

I think GL is a very good pool service company. The repair guy in my area, Ken Hirsch is great. Always explains everything and i can count on the problem being fixed. Their weekly service techs are all very good and personable. The only thing I don't always like is that they change techs in my are frequently. I have had probably 6 or 7 different service guys and gals in the past 3-4 years. Like I said, they are all trained well, but it seems that as soon as we get used to the same person and he/she gets used to our pool, they are gone. Overall, pretty happy with GL Pools! read more

Update: I received a call from Christiana, they offered to comp a month of service and were genuinely apologetic about my experience. GL Pools did the start up of our 200k+ perimeter overflow pool. From the beginning we were unimpressed and I wish I had another company do the startup. They barely brushed the pool during the start up process. This should have been the sign for us to consider another company. Last week one of their techs visited my home and was here for less than a minute. He dumped some chemicals into the pool and quickly proceeded to leave. I checked my cameras to make sure I didn't miss anything and lo and behold he was in and out in less than a min. I realized they weren't even checking the skimmer baskets of my pool. They have been servicing us for over three months and I don't know if they've checked the baskets even one time. I brought this to the attention of the company and they sent that tech back. He proceeded to look at the areas where the skimmer baskets are located, did not empty them out and left my home shaking his head. Very unprofessional! Last week they also scheduled a filter cleaning, without disclosing how much it would be. They proceeded to do the filter cleaning and sent an invoice for $270. Forgivable had we not had a bad experience so far, but just another thing to add to the list. This week they had my usual tech here servicing the pool. She was here for approximately 3-4 mins checking the chemicals. However I noticed she didn't check the skimmer baskets either. I called the office and after waiting 5 mins I got connected to make sure this was part of my plan and they confirmed yes they should be cleaning the skimmer baskets. The individual I was speaking with had horrible phone connection and the call was breaking up. They said they needed to transfer me to the supervisor and alas I was sent to vmail. I will be looking for another pool service who will actually perform the services as rendered by the contract. read more

GL Pools - Pool & Hot Tub Service Near Me - Santee, California

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What I like most about GL Pools, in addition to their reliability and communication to the homeowner after each servicing, is that they have professional trouble-shooters on staff that are able to fix any problems that owning a pool or spa entails. One call to GL pools about an issue results in speaking to someone who knows the intricacies of the equipment and how to repair a problem. They are responsive, so that makes the homeowner feel valued and heard. I highly recommend GL Pools as it takes away the worry and feels like a partnership in our shared goal of maintaining my pool and ensuring that is it is beautiful to look at and enjoy. read more

Called this place today to see if they could come out and give me an estimate on some pool pump repairs. They charge $250 just to come out to give an estimate! Called another place with great reviews and they will be coming by tomorrow to give me an estimate for free. Don't do business with this place. read more

I would not reccomend this company ever !! They require your credit card info and keep it on file even before they come. This is no way to run a business in my opinion Tom C read more

I'm really impressed and happy with the way your team services my pool. I've had the opportunity to watch them, without them knowing, and they are always consistent in what they do and never take any shortcuts. I've had several pool service companies over the years and you are by far the best. Thank you for taking such good care of my pool. read more

When we first bought our home, GL Pools literally saved our pool from having to be drained. They are super professional and responsive. Our pool skimmer became detached and I called to see if they could come out and they walked me through how to reattach it on the spot and that did the trick. Our pool is always sparkling with GL Pools. read more

Find another company. We used GL Pools for a few years. In that time, they twice sent someone out to our working pool for regular maintenance, but when the person left I received an email stating that the pool was no longer working and I needed to pay $150 to have them figure out what was wrong with the pool. It was literally like a ransom note to pay to get my pool working again. My pool WAS working before they came. The first time, we forgave the situation because they fixed it. The second time, after threatening to make them pay the bill for another company to come fix it, they came and fixed it. It literally took minutes and was a simple spring that the technician must have moved when he was cleaning the pool. Now we are with a new pool company! read more

I'm very satisfied with GL Pools. They have kept my pool and spa in great shape and keep me informed with a weekly email detailing the service completed. I would highly recommend their service. read more

I have used GL pools now for over a year. At the start (first few months) our time and service person was in flux. It changed from week to week. Over the last 8 months it seems my person has been the same one. He is very polite, professional and thorough in treating my pool. Chris takes the time in the summer to do everything for our pool. The Winter schedule is different and he again works hard and does all the things I have asked of him to make sure the pool is clean and clear. He shares with me the Cyanuric acid levels with me when I ask and keeping that down has kept the deep dark blue I like from our grey bottom color. Other service providers did poor jobs or didn't take the job because it was a grey bottom. I have the Delux plan in the summer and maintenance plan in the fall. So far very happy with my pool service. read more

April Update: turns out, there are 2 Austins. One is the owner and knows everything. The other, not as much. The filter on the brand new pool equipment had to be opened up and hosed down by junior-Austin, from all the debris that had accumulated already! Seems crazy but it looked like muddy cement when he opened it. So he got the filter clean and finally restored the bubbles in the jacuzzi. The pool is now salinated and fully done. As for the heater not starting, I gave up trying to contact anyone at GL and just ended up having to call my original pool builder, who diagnosed the problem over the phone and fixed it in 30 min! Owner-Austin apologized for the challenging delays/mis-communication and was helpful and kind as usual. Still not sure I would go with them for routine maintenance given all the hiccups on start-up. This company- ugh- the best part is Austin. The worst is everything else. Just got a new pool and their office started harassing me with texts so frequently. The pool wasn't even done yet and they were like "so is it done?" " when will it be done?" "Call us when it's done" "email us when it's done" "is it done now?" " not yet?" "Hey, we are ready when it's done? ". Holy @&$! I didn't even hire them. My pool company didn't tell me about them and my phone was exploding with pings. Why the heck don't they communicate with the pool builder instead of harassing a home owner? So finally when Austin came out he said there was something wrong with the heater and one of the pool lights was out. He said my builder needed to contact Pentair. It took THREE weeks to fix the pool light and they never told Pentair about the heater problem. So when Walt from Pentair came out, he was super annoyed and raging about how GL told him the wrong light size which was on back order while Walt had a truck full of the bulb I actually needed. He also said he would've come out 3 weeks ago to fix the heater if someone from GL had bothered to tell him. Walt from Pentair fixed it all in 30 min. GL prevented him from doing his job for 3 weeks. They take over a day to answer texts when the homeowner initiates an inquiry. Yet they have enough staff to harass me daily before the pool is even ready? Ugh. I already have a new issue with the heater and can't get anyone to call me. I have reviewed their other reviews on a variety of websites and it sounds like they are a rapidly expanding company scrambling to train new techs as fast as they can hire them. They brought 3 separate trainees on each of their visits. They have bought out so many other pool services that it seems like it's turning into a heavy corporate behemoth. Once the pool start-up phase is finished, I am not going to continue with them. As it is- I have a few more weeks to suffer as they wait for the lining to cure before they start salinating the pool. read more

*** NEGATIVE STARS PLEASE READ ALL REVIEWS, This has happened to other customers. Get cameras everywhere to prove how long they're actually on your property & to prove that they aren't FULLY SERVICING your pool... You'll thank me later. Their start-up services were good, however the first month of servicing after that did not go well. I got new techs after the initial start up month. The techs were nice, but the service should have been MUCH BETTER. A skimmer basket was removed from our property & I was told it was broken when I asked where it was. Later they said it was found (in a techs truck) & wanted to charge me $25 for another basket. Because it was gone ( with no warning or instruction from the company) toys were getting sucked into our equipment. If I can tell there's something missing & you can't... That's a problem. Then they tried to clean it up be warning me not to use any toys and objects because they have to bring the basket back. ( They could've messed up our BRAND NEW POOL equipment, because they're allowing untrained, new people to service pools without someone watching them) I had to basically beg to be reimbursed $25 for a basket I had to buy from Amazon, because it would've been Whole 2 weeks without the skimmer basket. I bought a vacuum from GL that was recommended & it was installed & delivered with 4 hoses less than what I needed. It couldn't even reach around the pool to clean. I had to pay extra for more hoses, which I wasn't told would happen. Really?. You can't tell that the vacuum hoses are too short? I was also not told that leaving the vacuum plugged in daily would cause the water to become murky, due to the skimmer being used by the vacuum. After 2 days the pool was YUCKY & CLOUDY! The tree/spacer ( for the vacuum to fit ) they added in the skimmer throat fell through & got lodged & I had to fish it out with a hanger. I was later told that they were having trouble with the sizing of the pipe.( If it doesn't fit. Don't install it). Easy. The final STONE- WE signedUp for weekly tile brushing included in the premier package, but for a whole month the tile was not brushed once. I contacted the company and even though I mentioned what sort of credit or reimbursement or what they would do to make the situation right, GL supervisor didn't respond with any sort of compensation or satisfactory response to while the tile wasn't cleaned and how my monthly bill would be affected. When I asked the tech why he wasn't brushing the tiles that I was being billed for, he said he only brushes if he sees something... So I'm questioning what is actually being done. My tiles LOOK like they haven't been brushed in a month, because they haven't. *** After reviewing my backyard cameras.. The last 3 weeks.. I didn't see any testing or chemicals being used either. They tried to tell me that the pool tech was here averaging over an hour, so I sent times that my CAMERA saw them come and leave). So they lied. Plain & simple customer service only acts to correct issues if you FORCE THEM & are PENNY PINCHERS. They don't like to credit for services that were not done & are not truthful. I will not have someone on my property who are ok billing for things that WERE NEVER DONE!!! I DO NOT RECOMMEND this company as They do not take responsibility for services not provided and constantly want to charge you more for something that is the company's responsibility and they should be paying for. We've found another company thank you. read more

Super clean pool. Great service and very reliable. Might not be the least expensive but you get what you pay for. read more

This company is expensive, but you get what you pay for. Weekly report and pictures of your clean pool and Jacuzzi. My pool has never looked so good consistently. Thank you so much for the awesome work. I really appreciate you and your employees. read more

They have been great Responsive to any repair issues we had and helpful. Pool looks great! read more

We started with GL Pools as part of our intro to new pool program through the pool builder. Well, we LOVED them! Their services are not only consistent but fabulous. They answer any questions they have and are always so kind and responsive. I recommend them to anyone who needs pool service! read more

Very solid pool care company. Great for service and repairs. Their field techs are friendly and knowledgeable. I always get a picture on my phone after they clean and service my pool and spa. Very responsive in an emergency. read more

Always there when they say they will be. They give me ample warning when there's an extra need that we have with our equipment, filters, etc., or when there's a schedule change. And, their technicians are always friendly and communicative - especially to our dogs! I'm out of town a lot and have never, ever wondered whether our backyard is being tended to. Highly recommend GL Pools! read more

They service our rental property. They are very accommodating, friendly and professional. The tenants are happy with them, and that's important. i also like that they forward me a photo every week of the pool after service and a checkpoint of every task completed. I would absolutely recommend GL Pools. read more

Good value, responsive and always reliable. Everyone that we've spoken with has been on the ball and very responsive. We previously had a pool company that did a number in our pool and pumps. Austin and Kyle there are extremely knowledgeable and helped us get back in shape. Thank you guys for your help you have a lifetime customer. read more

Really enjoy the service and the quality of service. Would recommend to anyone who wants a seamless experience

We have had this company a long time they are very good.they communicate and let you know every step of way on how your pool is running keep up the good service read more

We've used GL Pools to service our jacuzzi and fountains for several years. I want to give special recognition to Brock, their Repair Manager, for helping us chase down an expensive warranty claim when our jacuzzi heater failed recently. His positive attitude and advocacy on our behalf were greatly appreciated and are a big part of the value we see in continuing to use GL Pools. Thanks Brock! read more

GL Pools - Pool & Hot Tub Service Near Me - Santee, California

Excellent service, prompt responses to any issues, quality workmanship, good communication

GL took over service of our pool after the previous company folded. The same pool tech provided weekly cleaning which was acceptable. The front office and billing department however, are another story. I get more paper every month from GL than I need. I get redundant invoices, statements, demands for payments on already paid invoices, etc. We have an on-going dispute over what they claim is a past due amount despite my sending copies of bank statements showing the payments made. Indeed, my records show I have overpaid them. We are dealing with pool service not high finance. For the above, I have chosen to go with another pool service company. read more

GL Pools and their staff are friendly, informative, respectful, responsive and keep our new pool sparkling clean and equipment in top working order! Love working with this company! read more

Quoted $5600 for a new heater. Had it done by a Jandy warranty tech for 3500. Also charge $40 more than any other pool co. In the neighborhood. read more

Great company! They're knowledgeable, easy to communicate with, friendly, and reliable. We've been very happy with the service!

GL pools is an excellent pool service company. My pool has never looked better. I would highly recommend them.

I was a bit skeptical when my prior pool servicing company was bought out by GL Pools. Well, my skepticism was unfounded. GL Pools does an amazing job keeping my pool "swim ready" year round. I'm completely satisfied with the service and pricing. Keep up the great work! read more

Very responsive! Reliable! Helpful! Not the cheapest in town but well worth the expense! The pool is always crystal clear! We are new to having a pool and I have called many pool services but GL pools are straight forward with no hidden fees. They are also very responsive in case of emergencies. I had an incident where the pool turned whitish and cloudy at the very beginning over a weekend after a service, I freaked out and they came over on weekend. Great service! read more

GL Pools have been great to work with. They are on top of things and the employees are always super sweet!

We have been using GL Pools for over a year now ever since our pool builder recommended them for our maintenance. They come once a week to clean and service the pool and they are super nice and communicative too. We are on a schedule but they always text when they are 30 minutes away which we appreciate so we can put the dogs inside. When we have off-schedule issues, they are easy to contact and timely in both their response as well as scheduling a service. Everyone at GL Pools is very friendly and genuinely want to do a great job. read more

GL Pools have been taking care of our pool since it was built. Our Pool always looks nice. Great service and very responsive.

Businesses in the service industry can be rightly judged by many factors. I offer the top two factors are the quality of the service provided and responsiveness when addressing the unusual. GL Pools earns well deserved five stars from us. In the current "heat wave," hot by local standards at least, we experienced an unexpected issue with our pool. Upon bringing it to the attention of GL Pools, from the top down they were very responsive and addressed the problem in a very reasonable time. And this occurred on a Friday afternoon. High quality service and timely/positive response to the unusual. Well done one and all. We highly recommend GL Pools. read more

Professional and friendly service. I spoke with Chris an Brock who quickly helped out with a heater repair within a few days. Would highly recommend. Thanks! read more