Terms of Service

Effective date: September 8, 2026  ·  Version 2026-09-08

PLEASE READ THESE TERMS CAREFULLY. THEY CONTAIN A BINDING ARBITRATION AGREEMENT AND CLASS ACTION WAIVER (SECTION 17), DISCLAIMERS OF WARRANTIES (SECTION 13), AND A LIMITATION OF OUR LIABILITY (SECTION 14).

These Terms of Service ("Terms") are a legal agreement between you and PoolPad ("PoolPad," "we," "us," or "our") governing your access to and use of poolpad.com and all related content, features, and services, including the Local Pros directory, business listings, community forum, reviews, guides, messaging, and emails (together, the "Services").

1. Acceptance and Eligibility

By accessing or using the Services, creating an account, or clicking to accept these Terms, you agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated by reference. If you do not agree, do not use the Services.

You must be at least 18 years old and able to form a binding contract to create an account or submit content. If you use the Services on behalf of a business, you represent that you are authorized to bind that business to these Terms, and "you" includes the business.

2. Your Account

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activity under your account. You must provide accurate, current information and keep it updated. Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms or that we reasonably believe are fraudulent, abusive, or a security risk.

Email verification. You must verify the email address on your account before you can post, review, ask or answer questions, message other users, claim or edit a business listing, or submit photos, logos, or videos. We send a verification link when you sign up and you can request a new one at any time from the verification page. Until you verify, you can browse the Services and manage your own account settings only.

3. The Local Pros Directory

3.1 What the directory is

The Local Pros directory is an informational resource that lists pool builders, service companies, and related professionals ("Pros"). Listings are compiled from public sources and from information submitted by businesses and users. PoolPad is not a contractor, agent, broker, employer, or partner of any Pro, and is not a party to any agreement between you and a Pro. We do not perform background checks, verify licenses or insurance, inspect work, or guarantee the quality, safety, legality, or timeliness of any Pro's services.

3.2 Your responsibility when hiring

You are solely responsible for evaluating and selecting any Pro, including confirming licensing, insurance, references, permits, and contract terms, and for any agreement or transaction you enter into with a Pro. Any dispute between you and a Pro is between you and the Pro.

3.3 Claiming or adding a business listing

If you claim an existing listing or submit a new business, you represent and warrant that:

• you are the owner of the business or are expressly authorized by the owner to manage its listing;
• all information and documents you submit are truthful, accurate, current, and not misleading;
• the business holds all licenses, permits, registrations, and insurance required by law to offer the services it lists;
• you will promptly update the listing if any information changes.

We may request verification, approve or reject any claim or submission at our sole discretion, and remove, edit, suspend, or transfer a listing at any time, including where we receive a competing claim or believe a listing is inaccurate, fraudulent, or in violation of these Terms. Approval of a claim is not a certification or endorsement of the business.

3.4 Leads and inquiries

If homeowners contact you through the Services, you agree to use their information only to respond to their inquiry, to comply with all applicable telemarketing, anti-spam, and privacy laws, and not to add them to marketing lists without their consent.

3.5 Photos, logos, videos, and other listing media

Verified listing owners can upload photos and a logo to their listing and link videos hosted on YouTube (together, "Listing Media"). Listing Media is User Content under Section 4, and in addition:

• License. You grant PoolPad the license described in Section 4.1 for all Listing Media. That license expressly includes the right to display your Listing Media on your listing page and anywhere we show or promote your business or the directory, including city and state directory pages, search results, comparison and "near me" pages, the community forum, social-media link previews, emails, and our own marketing of the Services, and the right to resize, crop, compress, convert to other formats, generate thumbnails, remove embedded metadata, and pair your media with your listing details.
• Your promises. You represent and warrant that you own the Listing Media or have every right needed to grant this license; that it shows your business's actual work, premises, team, products, or services; that every person who appears in it has consented to its use; that any logo you upload is a mark you own or are authorized to use; and that the media does not infringe any copyright, trademark, privacy, or publicity right, contain false or misleading claims, carry watermarks or contact details of other services, or otherwise violate Section 4.2.
• Stock and third-party images. Do not upload stock photos, competitors' photos, manufacturer images you are not licensed to use, or images copied from other websites or directories.
• Videos. Videos remain hosted on YouTube and play through YouTube's embedded player, subject to YouTube's terms and privacy policy. You may link only videos published by your business or that you are authorized to present as your business's content, and only videos that allow embedding.
• Review before publishing. Listing Media is reviewed by PoolPad before it appears on your listing, and we may reject, remove, crop, or reorder any item at our discretion, including for quality, relevance, or suspected rights issues. Review is not a determination that your media is lawful or that you hold the rights to it; that responsibility stays with you.
• Your control and removal. You can add, reorder, replace, and delete your Listing Media at any time from your dashboard, and it stops displaying when you delete it or when your listing is no longer claimed by you. Copies may persist for a reasonable period in backups, caches, and search-engine or social-media previews we do not control, and we may keep a record of removed media as needed to enforce these Terms.
• Photos from public profiles. Where a listing displays photos or details drawn from a public source, such as a Google Business Profile, those items belong to their respective owners and appear for informational purposes. A verified owner may hide them from the listing at any time.
• Customer photos are separate. Photos that homeowners attach to their own reviews are their User Content, appear with the review, and are not controlled by the listing owner.
• No exclusivity or payment. The license is non-exclusive; you keep every right to use your media elsewhere, and no royalties or fees are owed for any use permitted here.

4. Community Content

4.1 Your content

You retain ownership of the posts, comments, reviews, questions, answers, photos, logos, videos you link, messages, business descriptions, and other material you submit ("User Content"). By submitting User Content you grant PoolPad a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, sublicensable, and transferable license to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, display, and perform your User Content in connection with operating, promoting, and improving the Services in any media. You also grant other users the right to view and share your public User Content within the Services. You waive any moral rights to the extent permitted by law.

You represent that you own or have the necessary rights to your User Content, that it is accurate where it states facts, and that it does not violate these Terms or any law or third-party right.

4.2 Community rules

You agree not to post, send, or do anything that:

• is false, misleading, defamatory, harassing, threatening, hateful, obscene, or invades another person's privacy;
• reviews a business you own, work for, or compete with, or that you have been paid or incentivized to write, without clear disclosure;
• infringes any copyright, trademark, or other right, or discloses confidential information;
• contains spam, unsolicited advertising, affiliate links, or malicious code;
• impersonates any person or business or misrepresents your affiliation;
• scrapes, harvests, or copies content or data from the Services, including directory listings and user information, by automated means or otherwise;
• interferes with, disrupts, or attempts to gain unauthorized access to the Services, other accounts, or our systems;
• violates any applicable law.

4.3 Moderation

We may, but are not obligated to, review, edit, refuse, or remove any User Content at any time for any reason without notice. We are not responsible for User Content and do not endorse any opinion expressed in it. Reviews and forum posts reflect the views of their authors, not PoolPad.

5. Messaging Between Users

The Services may allow you to send messages to other users, including Pros. Messages are User Content and subject to Section 4. In addition:

• Not private in the legal sense. Messages are stored on our systems. We may access, review, or disclose messages to operate the Services, to moderate, to investigate reports of abuse, fraud, or safety concerns, to enforce these Terms, or as required by law. Do not send anything you would not want us to see.
• Use messages only for their purpose. You may use messaging only to communicate about pool projects, services, and community topics. You may not send unsolicited advertising, bulk messages, harassment, or requests for payment outside the Services, and you may not use messages to collect other users' personal information.
• Never share sensitive information. Do not send passwords, full payment card numbers, Social Security numbers, or similar sensitive data through messages. PoolPad will never ask for these.
• We are not a party to conversations. PoolPad does not monitor every message and is not responsible for the content of messages or for any agreement, promise, or representation made in them. Any arrangement you make with another user is solely between you and that user.
• Blocking and reporting. You may block other users and report abusive messages. We may restrict or remove messaging for accounts that misuse it.

6. Editorial Content and Affiliate Disclosure

Our guides, articles, comparisons, and product reviews are based on our own research and opinions and are provided for general information only. PoolPad participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate programs, which means we may earn a commission when you purchase through links on the Services, at no additional cost to you. Affiliate relationships do not influence our editorial opinions, but we may receive products or compensation from manufacturers or retailers.

7. Not Professional Advice

Content about pool and spa chemistry, equipment, construction, electrical or plumbing work, water safety, or health, whether written by PoolPad or by other users, is provided for general educational purposes and is not professional, engineering, medical, legal, or safety advice. Pool and spa work can involve hazardous chemicals, electricity, water, and structural risks. Always follow manufacturer instructions and local codes, and consult a licensed professional before undertaking any work. You act on information from the Services at your own risk.

8. Intellectual Property

The Services and all content we create or license, including text, graphics, logos, design, software, compilations, and the PoolPad name and marks, are owned by PoolPad or our licensors and protected by copyright, trademark, and other laws. We grant you a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and use the Services for personal, non-commercial purposes (or, for Pros, to manage your own listing and respond to inquiries). You may not copy, reproduce, republish, sell, rent, distribute, create derivative works from, or exploit any part of the Services without our prior written permission.

9. Copyright Complaints

If you believe content on the Services infringes your copyright, send a notice to admin@poolpad.com including: your contact information; a description of the copyrighted work; the URL of the allegedly infringing material; a statement that you have a good-faith belief the use is not authorized; a statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information is accurate and you are the owner or authorized to act for the owner; and your physical or electronic signature. We may remove content and terminate repeat infringers.

10. Third-Party Sites and Services

The Services contain links to third-party websites, products, and businesses, including Pros' websites and retailers. We do not control and are not responsible for their content, policies, or practices. Your dealings with any third party are solely between you and that party.

11. Emails and Communications

By creating an account you agree to receive transactional and service emails from us, including notifications about messages, replies, and claim decisions. You may opt out of marketing emails at any time using the unsubscribe link or your notification settings.

12. Termination

You may stop using the Services or ask us to delete your account at any time. We may suspend or terminate your access, remove your content, disable messaging, or delist a business at any time, with or without notice, for any reason, including violation of these Terms. Sections that by their nature should survive termination will survive, including Sections 3.5, 4.1, 7, 8, and 13 through 19.

13. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE SERVICES, ALL CONTENT, ALL MESSAGES, AND ALL LISTINGS ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, ACCURACY, AND QUIET ENJOYMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICES WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE; THAT ANY CONTENT OR LISTING IS ACCURATE, COMPLETE, OR CURRENT; OR THAT ANY PRO OR OTHER USER IS WHO THEY CLAIM TO BE, IS QUALIFIED, LICENSED, OR INSURED, OR WILL PERFORM AS PROMISED. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of certain warranties, so some of the above may not apply to you.

14. Limitation of Liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, POOLPAD AND ITS OWNERS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, AND AGENTS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, REVENUE, DATA, GOODWILL, OR PROPERTY DAMAGE, PERSONAL INJURY, OR DEATH, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE SERVICES, ANY CONTENT, ANY LISTING, ANY MESSAGE, OR ANY PRO OR OTHER USER, WHETHER BASED ON WARRANTY, CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STATUTE, OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

IN NO EVENT WILL OUR TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE SERVICES EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US, IF ANY, IN THE TWELVE MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM AROSE, OR (B) ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS (US $100).

Some jurisdictions do not allow the limitation of certain damages, so some of the above may not apply to you. These limitations are fundamental elements of the bargain between you and PoolPad.

15. Release

If you have a dispute with a Pro, another user, or a third party arising from the Services, including anything said or agreed in messages, you release PoolPad and its owners, officers, employees, contractors, and agents from all claims, demands, and damages of every kind, known or unknown, arising out of or connected with that dispute. If you are a California resident, you waive California Civil Code Section 1542, which says: "A general release does not extend to claims that the creditor or releasing party does not know or suspect to exist in his or her favor at the time of executing the release and that, if known by him or her, would have materially affected his or her settlement with the debtor or released party."

16. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless PoolPad and its owners, officers, employees, contractors, and agents from and against all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees, arising out of or related to (a) your User Content, including messages, (b) your business listing or claim, including any inaccurate or unauthorized information, (c) your use of the Services, (d) services you provide or receive as a result of the Services, (e) your violation of these Terms or any law, or (f) your violation of any third-party right.

17. Dispute Resolution: Binding Arbitration and Class Action Waiver

Please read this section carefully. It affects your legal rights.

• Informal resolution first. Before starting any formal proceeding, you agree to contact us at admin@poolpad.com and attempt in good faith to resolve the dispute for at least 30 days.
• Binding arbitration. Any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Services that is not resolved informally will be resolved by binding individual arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association under its Consumer Arbitration Rules, rather than in court. The Federal Arbitration Act governs this section. The arbitrator may award the same relief a court could award to you individually. Judgment on the award may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction.
• Class action waiver. You and PoolPad agree that each may bring claims against the other only in an individual capacity and not as a plaintiff or class member in any purported class, consolidated, or representative action. If this waiver is found unenforceable for a particular claim, that claim will proceed in court and be severed from any arbitration.
• Exceptions. Either party may bring an individual claim in small-claims court, and either party may seek injunctive relief in court for infringement or misuse of intellectual property.
• Opt-out. You may opt out of this arbitration agreement by emailing admin@poolpad.com within 30 days of first accepting these Terms, with your name and account email and a clear statement that you opt out.

18. Governing Law and Venue

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Texas and applicable U.S. federal law, without regard to conflict-of-laws principles. Subject to Section 17, any court proceeding will be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Travis County, Texas, and you consent to their jurisdiction.

19. General

• Changes to the Terms. We may modify these Terms at any time by posting the revised version with a new effective date and version number. Material changes will be announced on the site or by email. Your continued use of the Services after changes become effective constitutes acceptance. If you do not agree, stop using the Services.
• Entire agreement. These Terms and the Privacy Policy are the entire agreement between you and PoolPad about the Services and supersede any prior agreements.
• Severability. If any provision is held unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full effect.
• No waiver. Our failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver of our right to do so later.
• Assignment. You may not assign these Terms. We may assign them without restriction.
• Force majeure. We are not liable for any delay or failure caused by events beyond our reasonable control.
• Electronic acceptance. You agree that clicking to accept, creating an account, or using the Services constitutes an electronic signature and consent to receive notices electronically.

20. Contact Us

Questions about these Terms can be sent through our contact page or by email to admin@poolpad.com.