A proper inspection, clearly explained.

Book, and you get one certifier the whole way through. The person who answers your call is the one who turns up, makes the call on the day and signs the certificate. Start to finish, you only ever deal with me.

Before I arrive

One thing actually helps before I get there: dig out any history on the pool. An old certificate, a council notice, an occupation certificate, the original approval. Older pools are judged against the rules that applied when they were built, so that paperwork can be the difference between passing and a second visit. Cannot find it? No drama, I can work most of it out on site.

The pool also needs to be on the NSW Swimming Pool Register before a certificate can be issued. If you are not sure it is registered, tell me and I will point you to it before the visit. The free self-service steps are in the register guide.

If you want a head start on the common maintenance issues, walk the fence with the common fails checklist.

What I inspect

This is more than a quick look at the fence. I check the pool and everything around it as one system, because that is how a small child would find their way to the water. The usual figures under the current standard: a fence at least 1.2 metres high measured from the ground on the outside, no gap over 100mm under it or between the verticals, a 900mm non-climbable zone kept clear around the top, and a gate that self-closes, self-latches and opens away from the pool. I work out which standard applies to your pool first, because its age and approvals can change the numbers.

The standard that applies can depend on when the pool was built, the type of property and whether the pool or fence has been substantially altered. I identify the relevant pathway before deciding whether the pool complies. A plain-English overview of those numbers is in the fence rules guide, and the full compliance picture is in the NSW pool compliance guide.

If I find a problem

If something does not pass and it is minor, we work out how to put it right there and then. Often that is something I can take care of on the day rather than send you back for a second visit. Anything bigger, I will tell you exactly what is needed and who to call.

Either way you do not leave empty handed. You get a written list of exactly what needs attention, in the order I would tackle it, and you get your certificate the same day: a certificate of compliance if the pool passes, or a certificate of non-compliance if it does not. For a sale, that non-compliance certificate is a valid document in its own right. It goes in the contract, sets out the work, and the buyer picks it up from there. I will explain what it means for your sale or lease before you are left with it. The two certificate types are compared in the compliance vs non-compliance guide.

When the pool complies

I issue the certificate of compliance and ensure its details are entered on the NSW Swimming Pool Register. The certificate is generally valid for three years, but it can cease earlier if a compliance direction is issued for that pool.

You receive the certificate for your records. If the inspection is connected with a sale or lease, give it to your conveyancer or property manager so they can use the correct documents for the transaction. Timing for a sale is covered in the selling guide; landlord requirements are in the leasing guide.

Selling? A certificate is what the contract needs

Every pool sale in NSW needs a valid certificate in the contract, and that can be a certificate of compliance or a certificate of non-compliance. Both are valid for a sale. If the pool passes you get the compliance certificate; if it does not, a certificate of non-compliance does the same job for the contract, sets out what needs doing, and the buyer generally takes it on after settlement. Plenty of sellers take that route on purpose. So if you are selling, you often do not need to fix everything first: get your certificate, keep the pool looking its best through the campaign, and sort the compliance work when it actually needs doing. Happy to talk through which order suits your sale on the day. The timing is covered in the selling guide.