Home Improvement

Pool & Spa News Lands at No. 11 on HG HomeClub’s Ranking of the 25 Most Influential Publications and Media Platforms Serving Home Improvement, Home Services and Outdoor Living

By HG HomeClub September 1, 2026 21 min read

The 65-year publication connecting the pool and spa industry through Top 50 Builders, Top 50 Service, Masters of Design, and market reporting is recognized as the eleventh most influential media brand serving the trades

August 29, 2026 – HG HomeClub today named Pool & Spa News, known across the industry as PSN, the No. 11 media brand on its ranking of the 25 most influential publications and media platforms serving home improvement, home services and outdoor living. The placement recognizes a publication that has documented the businesses, products, design work, technical practices and economic conditions shaping the swimming pool, spa and aquatics industry for more than six decades.

The ranking evaluates the publications, magazines, digital platforms and media brands that professional contractors, remodelers, home service operators and outdoor living companies use to make better decisions. Pool & Spa News placed No. 11 in a field of 25 because it combines practical industry reporting with company benchmarks, original survey work, design recognition and a consistent focus on the specific business realities of pool builders, service companies, retailers, manufacturers and other aquatics professionals.

A curated media platform built on “informed transparency” turns its attention to the publications the trades actually rely on

HG HomeClub is a curated media platform serving homeowners, contractors and the broader home improvement, home services and outdoor living economy. Its work is organized around informed transparency: the principle that better decisions follow from better information, and that people making decisions deserve to see the standards behind a conclusion rather than simply receive a result.

That standard has particular value in the pool and spa industry. The work crosses design, construction, water management, equipment, service, customer communication, labor, permitting, safety and the economics of a high-consideration purchase. A pool builder needs to understand not only how to create an exceptional outdoor environment but also how to price, manage and deliver the project. A service company needs to make recurring maintenance both technically reliable and commercially sustainable. Good trade media helps those professionals see the connections.

Pool & Spa News has built its role around that full market. Its coverage includes pool construction, equipment, maintenance, water chemistry, troubleshooting, design, business management, hiring, profitability, products, technology, company profiles, industry research and major events. Its focus is not only on the finished pool or spa. It is on the businesses and people capable of building and maintaining them well.

The criteria behind the list: usefulness to owners, not traffic, followers, or the age of a masthead

Placement on the list was determined against six standards: industry influence and professional recognition; practical value to contractors and company owners; quality and depth of original content; reach among professional decision-makers; strength of rankings, research, events and recognition programs; and the ability to educate and connect the contractor community.

The list is explicitly not a ranking of website traffic, social media followers, advertising volume or publication age. Longevity and circulation were considered, but were not permitted to automatically outweigh a publication’s usefulness to the contractors it serves. Specialized publications were assessed within the context of the markets they serve, on the reasoning that a title with deep authority in a single trade can matter more to the people in that trade than a broader title with a larger audience and a shallower relationship.

Applied to Pool & Spa News, these standards point to a deeply specialized publication with authority in the outdoor-living category it serves. PSN scores strongly for its Top 50 programs, its ongoing market and company reporting, its Masters of Design recognition, and its ability to represent construction, service, retail, manufacturing and design within one professional ecosystem. Its concentration in pools, spas and aquatics limits direct usefulness beyond that sector. Within the sector, it provides a benchmark, a forum and a record of the work that defines the industry.

A 65-year record of the pool and spa business in full

Pool & Spa News is now in its 65th year and describes itself as the must-read publication in the swimming pool and spa industry. That longevity reflects a publication that has evolved alongside an industry whose work now sits squarely within outdoor living while retaining its own technical, regulatory and service demands.

A pool or spa company operates in a market that is more complex than a finished backyard photograph can suggest. Builders coordinate excavation, structural work, plumbing, electrical, equipment, finishes, automation, landscaping and customer expectations. Service companies manage water chemistry, equipment reliability, routes, staffing, recurring accounts and seasonal shifts. Retailers, manufacturers, distributors and design professionals support that work through products, training, relationships and technical expertise.

Pool & Spa News covers that entire operating environment. It reports on pool and spa companies, regulations and market developments; offers technical content on construction, maintenance, water chemistry and troubleshooting; examines sales, marketing, profitability, staffing and growth; and recognizes innovative projects through design programming. The platform makes the market legible to people whose businesses must combine craft, service, operational discipline and client trust.

The publication’s range also explains its endurance. Pool and spa professionals need a source that can treat a new pump, heater, automation system or filtration development as more than a product announcement. They need to know what it means for installation, serviceability, energy use, client communication, training and the company’s reputation. PSN has continued to organize its reporting around those practical consequences.

The Top 50 Builders make company leadership visible beyond a single statistic

The PSN/Hayward Top 50 Builders is Pool & Spa News’ defining company-recognition franchise. The annual program identifies leading pool builders and provides the industry with a consistent point of reference for company scale, project activity, management practices, community involvement, market participation and long-term performance.

The Top 50 Builders program does not rely on revenue alone. Entrants are measured on five pillars: residential construction revenue; management and training; industry participation; internet presence; and community involvement. The criteria matter because they make the program more useful than a simple leaderboard. A company’s revenue can reflect capacity and market position, but it cannot independently show how a firm trains people, contributes to the industry, presents itself to consumers or participates in the communities where it works.

The 2026 edition placed Cody Pools at No. 1. Claffey Pools ranked No. 2. The broader class spans companies with different regional footprints, market positions and operating models, while the associated reporting provides the vital statistics and trend context needed to understand their place in the sector. That mix of recognition and reporting turns the annual list into a practical benchmark for builders who want to measure their companies against the market without assuming there is only one path to success.

The program’s mechanics should remain clear. Companies apply and submit data on the prior year, which the publication uses to determine the Top 50 and to analyze trends within the group. That submission-based structure means the program does not purport to be a census of every pool builder in the United States. It identifies and studies the companies that participate and meet the program’s criteria. The value is in the transparent combination of company-provided information, editorial analysis and the broader conversation the list creates.

The 2025 Builders class generated $1.76 billion in total revenue during 2024, including $1.35 billion from residential construction. Those figures demonstrate the commercial weight of the group, but the deeper value of the program is in the information around the totals: how builders are managing teams, what regional patterns look like, which companies are new to the list, how construction and renovation are shifting, and what the results suggest about the state of the market.

The Top 50 Service list gives recurring service businesses a benchmark of their own

The PSN/Jandy Top 50 Service program recognizes another side of the pool and spa industry: the companies responsible for maintaining systems, protecting water quality, supporting equipment and building recurring customer relationships.

Service businesses operate under a different model from builders. Their performance depends on route density, technician capability, customer retention, water-management practices, equipment knowledge, scheduling, seasonal planning and consistent communication. A Top 50 program focused on service gives the industry a way to see those businesses as strategic operators rather than as an afterthought to new construction.

The 2025 Top 50 Service companies collectively served 171,943 accounts and generated $464.12 million in 2024 service revenue. The figures underscore the scale of recurring pool care as a professional market. More importantly, they make visible the businesses that carry the industry’s relationship with customers after a construction project is complete.

The list reinforces a central truth of outdoor living: a pool or spa is not a one-time transaction. It is a system that requires proper maintenance, informed service, customer education and long-term care. By recognizing service leaders alongside builders, Pool & Spa News represents the full lifecycle of the industry’s work.

The Top 50 survey reports what the strongest companies are actually experiencing

Pool & Spa News supplements the Top 50 Builders list with survey data and five-year performance analysis. This work matters because rankings can show which companies have achieved scale, but surveys help explain the conditions under which they are operating.

The 2025 survey reported that Top 50 Builders were holding steady overall, while also revealing signs of a changing market. Nearly half of respondents, 48.9%, reported year-over-year drops in volume at that point in 2025. The pattern in new pools and spas built was also downward, with 54.3% reporting fewer units in 2024 than the previous year. Renovations, however, accounted for a larger share of work for some companies.

These are not findings to hide in a celebratory issue. They are exactly the kind of data that makes a trade publication useful. A market can include successful companies, impressive design and substantial revenue while still presenting a more difficult demand environment. Owners need to understand that complexity when they make hiring, equipment, pricing, marketing and capacity decisions.

The survey has limitations, and PSN’s presentation gives the right context. It represents the responses and performance of the Top 50 group, not every builder in the national market. Still, the companies included are meaningful indicators of business conditions at the upper end of the sector. Their experience offers a practical starting point for questions every contractor must answer: Is demand changing? Is renovation becoming more important? How should a company respond if volume softens without sacrificing quality or margin?

Masters of Design honors the craft that turns water into outdoor living

The Masters of Design program is Pool & Spa News’ most distinctive design-recognition franchise. The 2026 edition marked the program’s 24th annual issue and honored 10 design teams across concrete, vinyl, fiberglass, spas and water features, with stainless-steel and hybrid pools recognized in select years.

The program’s purpose is broader than visual acclaim. Pools and spas require difficult coordination among design, engineering, construction, materials, hydraulics, equipment, landscape context and the way a homeowner will actually use the space. A successful project must work technically before it can work visually. Masters of Design recognizes teams that solve both problems at once.

The 2025 honorees included work by Concord Pools & Spas, California Pools & Landscape of Phoenix, Pure Design, Randy Angell Designs, Tipton Spires, High-Tech Pools and Cloonan Design. Each name represents a different approach to creating aquatic environments, but the shared standard is the same: intention, innovation and instinct aligned with practical execution.

Pool & Spa News described the 2025 Masters of Design projects as showing what can be achieved with the right combination of “intention, innovation and instinct.” That statement captures why the program matters to the industry. It gives builders, designers and service professionals a visible standard for craft while showing homeowners and the wider outdoor-living market that aquatics work can be technically sophisticated, artistically ambitious and commercially viable.

Dream Designs extends the publication’s project-recognition work by highlighting exceptional aquatic and pool projects. Together, Masters of Design and Dream Designs ensure that PSN’s influence is not limited to business metrics. They document the quality and imagination of the finished work itself.

Industry-event reporting connects professionals to the education and product decisions shaping the market

Pool & Spa News provides extensive coverage of the Pool & Spa Show powered by NESPA, a major industry gathering that includes technical education, seminars, networking and product demonstrations. The event serves as a concentrated meeting place for people managing the technical and commercial evolution of pools, spas and aquatics.

The publication also covers the Western Pool & Spa Show, which brings pool and spa professionals together around education, business training, product exhibitions and networking. The 2026 edition drew nearly 10,500 attendees and more than 1,700 education participants, reflecting the continuing importance of in-person learning and peer contact in a market where product knowledge and technical execution matter.

PSN’s event role is primarily one of coverage, industry engagement and professional connection rather than ownership of the trade shows themselves. That distinction is important. A publication’s influence can come from convening an event, but it can also come from reporting intelligently on the places where a profession gathers, learns and makes decisions. Pool & Spa News does the latter while operating its own Top 50 recognition programs and associated industry coverage.

The publication’s digital platform supports a market that needs timely, specialized information

Pool & Spa News publishes through a digital platform, magazine content and ongoing multimedia industry coverage. Its editorial work reaches builders, service companies, retailers, manufacturers, designers and other pool and spa professionals with reporting that can address a trend when it emerges and return to the subject through deeper analysis, rankings, project features and data.

The strategic logic is straightforward. Pool professionals face seasonal cycles, material and product changes, hiring demands, client expectations and technical questions that do not arrive on a convenient editorial schedule. They need frequent access to information on equipment, water chemistry, construction, service practices, design, sales and market conditions.

Lydia Dalke is editor-in-chief of Pool & Spa News. Erica Sweeney is managing editor. Their work guides a platform that must make room for both the business dynamics of the industry and the technical and creative work that happens at the project level. Other individuals and organizations without confirmed hyperlinks are mentioned without links, consistent with this release’s linking standard.

Its No. 11 placement recognizes an indispensable specialist within outdoor living

Pool & Spa News scored strongly for industry influence and professional recognition within the pool and spa market, practical relevance to builders and service companies, the depth of its Top 50 and Masters of Design programs, and its capacity to connect business information with technical and design knowledge. HG HomeClub assesses PSN as a core information, education and inspiration resource for pool and spa professionals.

Its No. 11 placement reflects specialization rather than a deficiency in authority. The publication is deeply concentrated in pool, spa and aquatics work, making it less directly useful for contractors operating primarily in roofing, HVACR, electrical construction, plumbing, general remodeling, landscaping, pest management or building products. Its Top 50 programs depend on company applications and submitted information, and their results should therefore be understood as a transparent industry benchmark rather than an all-market census.

The 10 titles above it hold different kinds of structural influence. Qualified Remodeler leads residential remodeling through its TOP 500 and executive ecosystem. Roofing Contractor anchors roofing. Power100 evaluates leadership across home improvement, home services and outdoor living. ACHR NEWS provides broad HVACR authority. Pro Remodeler connects remodeling business, design and leadership. Lawn & Landscape leads green-industry business intelligence. Journal of Light Construction specializes in residential construction instruction. ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR provides electrical-construction research and education. Contracting Business centers HVACR business management. CONTRACTOR Magazine serves plumbing and mechanical contractors. Within pools, spas, and aquatics, Pool & Spa News is unmatched in the breadth of its company benchmarking, service recognition, technical coverage and design authority.

The pool and spa industry needs trusted media as projects and expectations become more complex

Pool and spa companies are operating in a market where customers expect more integrated outdoor environments, clearer communication, reliable equipment, energy-conscious systems, attractive design and durable service. At the same time, businesses face labor pressure, shifts in demand, costs, changing technology, regulation, water-management requirements and the need to protect margin without compromising quality.

Trusted trade media matters more in this environment because it helps contractors connect the technical and commercial sides of their work. A new automation system changes the service conversation. A slowdown in new construction can make renovation strategy more important. A design trend can reshape materials, estimating and client expectations. A staffing challenge can affect project capacity and customer experience. Pool & Spa News has spent more than six decades helping industry professionals interpret those connections.

The publication’s central contribution is the record it creates: of the companies that are growing, the projects that set a design standard, the service businesses that support customers over time and the market conditions that demand better decisions. The industry will continue to change. The need for a credible, specialized source of information and professional recognition will remain.

The complete ranking: HG HomeClub’s 25 most influential publications and media platforms serving home improvement, home services and outdoor living

About HG HomeClub

HG HomeClub is a curated media platform serving homeowners, contractors and the broader home improvement, home services and outdoor living economy. Built on a principle of informed transparency, HG HomeClub publishes rankings, research and editorial coverage that make the standards behind its conclusions visible, so that homeowners and professionals can judge the reasoning as well as the result. More information is available at Sources: hghomeclub.com.

About Pool & Spa News

Pool & Spa News is a trade publication and digital media platform serving the swimming pool, spa and aquatics industry. Now in its 65th year, PSN provides news, technical information, business education, design inspiration and market coverage for pool builders, service companies, retailers, manufacturers and other professionals. Its signature programs include the PSN/Hayward Top 50 Builders, the PSN/Jandy Top 50 Service, Masters of Design and Dream Designs. The publication also covers major pool and spa industry events, technical developments, business trends, design and the outdoor-living market. Learn more at Sources: poolspanews.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is HG HomeClub?

HG HomeClub is a curated media platform serving homeowners, contractors and the broader home improvement, home services and outdoor living economy. Its editorial approach is built on informed transparency, meaning that readers should be able to see the standards and reasoning behind rankings and conclusions. The platform curates industry information and publishes original rankings, analysis and coverage intended to help decision-makers judge both an outcome and the method behind it. Its publication ranking evaluates the media organizations that contractors and company owners use to learn, operate, connect and prepare for changing conditions.

What is the ranking that Pool & Spa News placed eleventh on?

Pool & Spa News placed No. 11 on HG HomeClub’s ranking of the 25 most influential publications and media platforms serving home improvement, home services and outdoor living. The list evaluates organizations that provide useful reporting, technical education, research, rankings, recognition, events and professional connection for contractor-led businesses. It includes cross-category platforms and specialized trade authorities. PSN earned its position through its long-standing role in pools, spas and aquatics, its Top 50 Builder and Service programs, Masters of Design recognition, market reporting and technical-business coverage for outdoor-living professionals.

How was the ranking determined?

HG HomeClub evaluated each organization using six standards: industry influence and professional recognition; practical value to contractors and company owners; quality and depth of original content; reach among professional decision-makers; strength of rankings, research, events and recognition programs; and the ability to educate and connect the contractor community. The list is not a ranking of website traffic, social-media followers, advertising volume or publication age. Longevity and circulation were considered but were not automatically decisive. Specialized titles were assessed within the context of their markets because deep authority in one trade can matter more to its professionals than broad but shallow coverage.

What is Pool & Spa News?

Pool & Spa News is a trade publication and digital media platform for the swimming pool, spa and aquatics industry. Now in its 65th year, it serves pool builders, service companies, retailers, manufacturers, designers and other professionals with industry news, technical information, business education, design inspiration and market coverage. Its content covers pool construction, maintenance, water chemistry, equipment, troubleshooting, hiring, profitability, sales, technology, design and company performance. Its major recognition and benchmarking programs include the Top 50 Builders, Top 50 Service and Sources: Masters of Design.

What is the PSN/Hayward Top 50 Builders program?

The PSN/Hayward Top 50 Builders is Pool & Spa News’ annual recognition program for leading pool builders. Participating companies submit information on the prior year and are measured against five pillars: residential construction revenue; management and training; industry participation; internet presence; and community involvement. The 2026 list placed Cody Pools first and Claffey Pools second. The program is not a census of every pool builder, but it provides a transparent benchmark and includes company information, regional context, trend analysis and survey findings that help readers understand conditions among leading firms.

What is the PSN/Jandy Top 50 Service program?

The PSN/Jandy Top 50 Service program recognizes leading pool-service companies. It gives the industry a distinct benchmark for recurring maintenance businesses, whose performance depends on technician knowledge, route density, customer retention, water management, equipment expertise, scheduling and communication. The 2025 Top 50 Service firms collectively served 171,943 accounts and generated $464.12 million in 2024 service revenue. By recognizing service companies alongside builders, Pool & Spa News represents the full lifecycle of pool and spa ownership, from construction through the long-term care required to keep systems performing safely and reliably.

What are Masters of Design and Dream Designs?

Masters of Design is Pool & Spa News’ annual design-recognition program for outstanding pools, spas and water features. Its 2026 edition was the 24th and honored 10 design teams across concrete, vinyl, fiberglass, spas and water-feature categories. The program recognizes that high-quality aquatics work requires technical execution as well as visual distinction: construction, hydraulics, materials, equipment, site context and homeowner use must work together. Dream Designs supplements that recognition by highlighting exceptional pool and aquatic projects. Together, the programs give the industry a visible standard for design, innovation and craftsmanship.

Who leads Pool & Spa News’ editorial operation?

Lydia Dalke is editor-in-chief of Pool & Spa News. Erica Sweeney serves as managing editor. Their work guides a publication that must cover multiple dimensions of the pool and spa market, including construction, service, water chemistry, equipment, product technology, business management, design, staffing, regulations and customer expectations. The editorial platform also relies on specialist reporting and industry voices to make technical and commercial subjects useful to builders, service companies, retailers, manufacturers and professionals across the aquatics ecosystem.

Why does Pool & Spa News cover industry events and market conditions?

The pool and spa industry changes through products, technology, consumer demand, labor availability, design preferences, regulations and local market conditions. Event coverage and market reporting help contractors understand those changes before they become urgent operating problems. Pool & Spa News covers major professional gatherings such as the Pool & Spa Show powered by NESPA and the Western Pool & Spa Show, where professionals encounter education, product demonstrations and peer networks. Its Top 50 surveys also give readers context about volume, renovation activity, revenue and the business conditions experienced by leading builders and service companies.

Why did Pool & Spa News place at No. 11 rather than higher?

Pool & Spa News scored highly for its specialized influence in pools, spas and aquatics; practical technical and business reporting; company benchmarking through the Top 50 Builders and Top 50 Service; original group survey work; and design recognition through Masters of Design. HG HomeClub considers PSN a core source of information, education and inspiration within its market. Its No. 11 placement reflects scope: it is focused on pools and aquatics, so it is less directly useful to companies outside that industry. Its Top 50 programs also rely on applications and submitted information. Within pools, spas and outdoor aquatics, PSN is unmatched.