How we check listings
Written by the editor, dated, and kept current. Every number on this site traces back to one of the steps below.
1. Where the listings come from
I started with public business records for the swimming-pool-contractor category across Florida in October 2026: 1272 businesses after removing duplicates (same phone and address), confirmed closures and listings whose records had not been touched in over a year and could not be re-confirmed. Businesses whose primary category is cleaning, repair, plastering, decking, enclosures or supply are shown in a separate "services near you" band on city pages.
2. Licensing — the Florida DBPR license file
Florida licenses swimming pool contractors statewide through the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). Building or remodeling a pool requires a Certified Pool/Spa Contractor (CPC) or Registered Pool/Spa Contractor (RP) license; pool servicing is a limited scope (subcode C) on the same CPC or RP license. On November 2, 2026 each business name was matched against the DBPR’s public license file. A listing shows "State-licensed" only when an active CPC or RP license matched with high confidence; the profile then shows every license number, its class, the first-issue date and whether the Construction Industry Licensing Board has recorded discipline against it in the last five fiscal years. 694 of 1272 builders carry the label.
3. Service facts from the company's own website
For each business with a website, I read the home page and up to six internal pages and recorded 16 yes/no facts — builds new pools, pool remodeling & resurfacing, spas & spools, gunite / shotcrete pools, fiberglass pools, water features, outdoor living (kitchens, fire, shade), decking & pavers, 3d design, financing offered, warranty stated, commercial pools, equipment & automation, license stated on site, also offers pool cleaning & maintenance, also repairs pools & equipment. "Yes" means the site describes it. "No" means the site rules it out. "Not confirmed" means the site did not say. 7,938 facts were resolved this way. The short description on each profile is written from the same pages and contains no claims the site does not make, no prices and no ratings.
4. What gets indexed
Profiles with fewer than five confirmed facts, no website, or a "No" on the core service stay visible but are marked for search engines not to index until the business verifies the listing. That keeps thin pages out of search results without hiding real businesses from readers.
Labels
| State-licensed · CPC/RP # | Active pool/spa contractor license matched in the DBPR file on the check date shown. |
|---|---|
| License not verified | No active CPC or RP license matched the business name on that date. Not an accusation — confirm at myfloridalicense.com. |
| Verified by the business | Someone at the company confirmed the listing by email from a company address. |
| Premium | The business pays for an enhanced profile (photos, links, hours). It does not change position in the main list. |
| Sponsored band | Paid featured cards. Always labeled, always separate from the main list. |
| branch / owner-builder service | Context labels added where the records show a multi-location company or a design-only service. |
Corrections
Email editor@localguidepress.com or use the "Verify or correct" form on any profile. I reply within five business days and note material corrections on the profile. Refresh cadence: the DBPR license file is re-matched quarterly; business records are re-pulled twice a year; a verified business can update its own facts at any time.