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 Texas in October 2026: 1175 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, covers or supply are shown in a separate "services near you" band on city pages.
2. Licensing — what Texas does and does not register
Texas has no state license for swimming pool contractors, so there is no register to match a pool builder against. Instead, for each business I recorded whether its own website states that the company is licensed or insured, and I explain on every profile what is licensed: the plumber (Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners) and the electrician (TDLR), plus the city contractor registrations Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio require before permits. A listing shows "Details confirmed" when at least eight service facts were confirmed on its website; 513 of 1175 builders carry it as of October 15, 2026.
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. 7,696 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
| Details confirmed | At least eight service facts were confirmed on the company’s own website. |
|---|---|
| States licensed/insured | The company’s website claims licensing or insurance. Recorded, not verified — ask for certificates. |
| 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: websites are re-read for the licensing/insurance statement quarterly; business records are re-pulled twice a year; a verified business can update its own facts at any time.