A house with a pool in the Triad is attractive and the pool is often the reason for the offer. It is also a structure with a finite-life finish, a set of mechanical equipment, and code requirements, and the standard home inspection touches almost none of it. Before the contingency period ends, here is what to look at, or have looked at.
The shell and interior finish
For a gunite pool, look at the plaster or aggregate surface. Roughness, discoloration, visible aggregate, stains that will not brush off and hollow-sounding spots all point to a surface near the end of its life. Resurfacing is a significant cost and a normal part of owning a pool, so the question is when, not whether. Resurfacing and replastering describes the signs.
For a vinyl pool, look for wrinkles, fading, brittleness at the waterline and any sign the liner has pulled from the track. A liner is a replaceable part; find out its age. For fiberglass, look for crazing, blisters and fading in the gelcoat.
On any pool, structural cracks, especially ones that run through tile and coping or that appear on both sides of the shell, need a professional opinion before you buy.
Tile, coping and the joint
Cracked or missing waterline tile, loose or rocking coping stones, and a failed expansion joint between the coping and the deck all suggest the deck has been pushing on the pool. Expansion joints and mastic explains why this small seam matters so much. Scale at the waterline is cosmetic; cracks are not.
The deck
Walk it. Look for heaved sections, cracks with one side higher than the other, and slopes toward the house or the pool. Check where downspouts discharge. A deck that drains badly has probably been soaking the ground around the pool for years. Deck drainage shows what right looks like.
Water level and leaks
Ask whether the pool needs frequent topping off. Look at the equipment pad for wet ground. A bucket test during the inspection period, if the sellers allow it, separates evaporation from a leak. Is the pool leaking or evaporating? describes it. An underground leak is a real repair.
Equipment
Note the make, model and approximate age of the pump, filter, heater, salt cell and any automation. Ask for service records. Run everything: does the pump prime, is the filter pressure reasonable, does the heater fire, does the automation respond. A single-speed pump and an old sand filter are not defects, but they are an upcoming expense. What wears out and when gives typical lifespans.
Electrical
Look for GFCI protection on pool circuits, a bonding wire visible at the equipment, and wiring that looks like it was done by an electrician rather than a weekend. Lights that do not work, or a light niche with water in it, are worth noting. Bonding, grounding and GFCI explains what should be there.
Fence, gates and safety
North Carolina requires barriers around residential pools. Check the fence height, the gaps, and that gates are self-closing and self-latching with the latch out of a child's reach. A pool that does not meet the barrier requirement is your problem the day you close, and your insurer may ask. Pool safety in North Carolina lists the requirements. Check drain covers too.
Paperwork
Ask for the original pool permit and final inspection, any renovation permits, the equipment manuals and warranties, the last liner or resurface date, and the name of whoever services it. A pool with no paper trail is not disqualifying, but it means you know less. Check the survey to confirm the pool sits inside the setbacks and outside any easement.
Chemistry and condition of the water
Clear water on inspection day says little; a seller can clear a pool in a week. Green water or heavy staining says the pool has been neglected, and neglect shows up in the finish and the equipment. Ask about the stabilizer level if you can; a pool run on tabs for years often needs a partial drain.
What to do with the findings
Get the issues in writing with rough costs. Structural and leak problems should be resolved or credited before closing. Finish and equipment are negotiating points. And budget for the ongoing cost; the real cost of owning a pool in NC is the honest picture.
We renovate and repair pools across the Triad, including in Greensboro and Mebane. If you are buying a home with a pool and want a builder's eye on it, reach out.