Why Pool Businesses are Considered Essential Businesses

ByMatt Gohlke March 26, 2020 Gohlke Pools Blog Reading Time: 3 minutes

Recently, Denton County (as well as many other DFW area counties) issued a “Stay at Home” order. Obviously this is a very unique situation right now that is a first for all of us.

We have been getting calls from clients about how the “shelter-in-place” affects them and their pool: Is the Retail Store open? Are you going to clean/repair my pool? Are you stopping construction on our pool? As you can imagine, this is going on all over the country and according to the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance, the pool industry has been considered an “essential” business by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) & the US Department of Homeland Security.

Following is my understanding of what it means for Gohlke Pools as well as others in the pool industry:

Pool Service & Repair

Exempt from the “Stay at Home” order are:
- ..Plumbers, electricians, exterminators, and other service providers who provide services that are necessary to maintain the safety, sanitation, and essential operation of residences…
Reasoning
- The maintenance of properly sanitized swimming pools and other artificial bodies of water is necessary to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases and help maintain community health.
- Without proper pool maintenance (which includes circulation and treatment of water) various pathogens can grow, such as Pseudomonas, Cryptosporidium, E. Coli, Shigella, etc. It can also create a breeding ground for mosquitoes, other pests and the diseases they may carry. This presents a risk not only to bathers but to the entire community at large.
- In addition, we all know the danger of a green, cloudy pool and that it is not extremely uncommon for children to drown in them.

Retail

Exempt from the “Stay at Home” order are:
- …distributors of cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting, or sanitation supplies.
- ..those who provide services that are necessary to maintain safety, sanitation, and essential operation of residences.
Reasoning
- If you are attempting to treat your own pool, necessary chemicals can be and should be purchased.
- Many of the chemicals retailers sell can also be used for surface disinfection, drinking water treatment, and more.
- Retailers are making accommodations to service customers like curbside pick-up, ship-to-home, in home appointments and the like.

New Pools & Renovation

Exempt from the “Stay at Home” order are:
- …construction, including housing construction.
Reasoning
- Projects under construction
  - It is critically important that active inground pool and spa projects be completed. Unfinished projects pose significant public safety risks as potential issues such as cave-ins and pool popping, as well as the dangers posed by an active construction site.

We do believe that our work is essential and important to our community’s safety and well-being. We are fortunate to be able to work and provide a valuable service during this time.

Stay safe & healthy,

The Gohlke Pools Team

Matt Gohlke

Matt has been around the pool business since he was born. When he graduated college in 1984, he joined the family business working for Gohlke Pool Supply. The following year Matt and his father formed a partnership, Gohlke Custom Pools, and started offering pool construction.

Gohlke Pools Blog

Winter Is On the Way!
ByMatt Gohlke September 30, 2014

The 100 degree days appear to be over for this year. Soon it will be getting cold, and I have heard several weather forecasters call for a winter that is colder and wetter than normal. That doesn’t bode too well for pools if preparations aren’t made, especially in the Denton area. If you have ever viewed a Google satellite image of Denton or have flown over Denton in a small aircraft, something is very noticeable: there are many trees in most areas of Denton. During pool season, these trees provide so much for the pool owner in the way of beautifying the pool environment, providing a cool spot near the pool, and providing shade for those that need sun protection. On the other hand, this…

Read More Winter Is On the Way!
Gohlke Pools Blog

Buying a House with a Swimming Pool
ByMatt Gohlke April 17, 2019

We are now entering the time of year when people move. On average more than 40 million people move each year in the United States, and it is estimated that 80% of those moves occur between April and September (movinglabor.com). An inordinate amount of these moves are occurring right here in north Texas. Many of these moves will be to homes that have existing swimming pools. I am often asked, “Is purchasing a house with an existing swimming pool a good idea?” The answer is Yes. No. Maybe. First, you should determine if a swimming pool would be a good fit for your situation. If you do not use the pool or could use the money elsewhere, then purchasing a swimming pool is probably not…

Read More Buying a House with a Swimming Pool
Gohlke Pools Blog

Spring Cleaning: How to Dispose of Old or Unneeded Pool Chemicals
ByMatt Gohlke March 7, 2013

As the weather warms up and spring cleaning begins—you might run across some old or unneeded pool chemicals that you need to get rid of. It is unlawful to dispose of them in your trash—landfills will not accept hazardous che Following are some of the methods of properly disposing of old pool chemicals. Use them in your pool—Although you might have to purchase another chemical to counteract the effect of the old chemical, it is still a very effective way to rid yourself of the old or unneeded chemical. If you do use them in your pool—remember to not mix them with any other chemicals and be sure to follow label instructions. Give the old or unneeded chemical to another pool owner—Water from one pool…

Read More Spring Cleaning: How to Dispose of Old or Unneeded Pool Chemicals
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Gohlke Pools Named Top 50 Pool Builder for 7th Consecutive Year
ByMatt Gohlke March 7, 2025

For the 7th consecutive year, Gohlke Pools has been named as one of the Top 50 Pool Builders in the United States by Pool and Spa News. Nathan Caldwell, Construction Superintendent, who has been with the company for 25 years, had the following to say: “With almost 17,000 pool builders in the United States, we are certainly pleased to be recognized and be included on this prestigious list year after year. It is truly an honor—not only as a company, but especially for our design team, led by Wes Gohlke, and our build team, led by Matt Watson. The team works very hard day in and day out, and to see them recognized for their efforts is great.” Gohlke Pools has been in the swimming pool business…

Read More Gohlke Pools Named Top 50 Pool Builder for 7th Consecutive Year
Gohlke Pools Blog

The Dog Days of Summer
ByMatt Gohlke July 7, 2026July 7, 2026

Most of us at Gohlke Pools are animal lovers. Whether they are our pets or our clients’ pets, we get attached to them and we want them to have the best life possible, especially during the dog days of summer. With that being said, with the hot weather that we are currently experiencing, we sometimes get asked our opinion of whether dogs should be allowed in the family pool. Although it is not recommended by most in the swimming pool industry due to additional chemical requirements and dog hair in the skimmer baskets, pump basket, & filter, we have always felt that dogs that enjoy being in the water should be allowed to do so. The exception to that would be vinyl-liner pools, as a dog’s claws could…

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Gohlke Pools Blog

Will Winter Ever Arrive?
ByMatt Gohlke February 1, 2016

It sure seems to have been a mild winter thus far. After our first freeze on November 22nd, it has fell to freezing or below approximately 13 times at DFW airport. We are slightly behind our average of 24.2 freezes thru January. WFAA recently reported that January daily temperatures were above normal 14 times and below normal 17 times, which was a surprise. But remember, winter is not over. Although we are unlikely to hit our average number of freezes (33), rest assured that we will have more freezes. Our average last freeze is March 13th, and our latest last freeze is April 13th (occurred in 1957 & 1997). What about snow? As of today (February 1, 2016), we have only received a trace (at…

Read More Will Winter Ever Arrive?

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 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Albert did a great job communicating throughout... from swinging by before repair to ensure correct sizing/equipment, through quoting, ordering, scheduling time and completing repair. Top notch, very professional and great experience. Thanks, Albert!
  
 
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 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We recently hired Gohlke Pools to remodel our patio and add on an outdoor kitchen.  An important feature of the kitchen was a large pizza oven I ordered that from delivery to installation added a lot of complexity to our project.  Bill, our project manager, handled every challenge I threw at him with patience and grace.  There was some minor damage to the oven during shipping and before they installed it Bill spent a week hunting down replacement tile to repair the damage so I’d never know the difference.  The oven looks perfect!  Every member of every crew they had at our house were very skilled professionals but I must give a special thanks to their stonemasons, Jesus and Osvaldo.  The fireplace they created for us is gorgeous.  We couldn’t be happier with our new patio and I can’t recommend Gohlke Pools enough.
  
 
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   steve kuzmich 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Gohlke did a great job building us an outdoor kitchen with a pizza oven and remodeling our large patio including resurfacing the concrete.  Always on schedule, all over the worker were a class act. Bill supervising the job was a real pro and great to deal with.  Placing a 3000 pound oven was a challenge and they made it look easy. Real attention to detail. This is a great company!
  
 
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 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Julie and Brittany are amazingly helpful and courteous. Thank you both for your help.
  
 
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 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Travis is the BEST!!
  
 
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   Bryan Beck 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. They go above and beyond to make sure that our pool is running properly. Technicians, service guys, repairs, new construction, and the office staff are all super helpful and friendly.
  
 
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   Rachel Sullivan 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. DFW Hot Tubs made the entire hot tub buying experience easy and enjoyable. Pablo was incredibly knowledgeable, patient, and kind, guiding me through every step and helping my family choose the perfect spa for our needs. He provided clear education on care and maintenance, and his support has continued even after the purchase. I highly recommend DFW Hot Tubs and specifically Pablo for his professionalism and outstanding customer service!
  
 
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 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. WOW! Just WOW! We couldn’t be happier with our first pool! It’s a huge investment, and you want to feel confident and comfortable with your decision. From the first meet-and-greet to Matt and Connor checking in after completion, we are so thankful we chose Gohlke Pools. Communication gets 100 stars! We received regular email updates throughout the project with timelines and progress reports. Connor was extremely helpful with design ideas and changes, and Matt was always present—taking care of anything and everything promptly. Caden did a fantastic job with our “pool school” at the end. He was patient, answered every question, and genuinely wanted us to feel prepared. The entire process was smooth, and they even finished ahead of schedule. We were also impressed with each subcontractor—the quality of their work and the respect they had for our property were outstanding. Subias, the recommended landscaper, was wonderful to work with, and Javier Subias was incredibly helpful in planning our outdoor design. All in all, we were so impressed with Gohlke that we’ve decided to use them for our weekly service as well. THANK YOU, GOHLKE POOLS, for making our experience so positive!
  
 
  
  
 
 
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