About Dog Days Pools
Dog Days Pools is Larry Alcorn, Hilary, and a small crew of technicians who look after residential pools around Clearwater. We have done it since 1995, we've stayed small on purpose, and when you call, you reach one of the two people who run the business.
How a ride-along became Dog Days Pools
Larry spent years in the hospitality business and was thinking about a change. He owned a house with a pool he took care of himself, and one day, at the pool supply store down the street, he jokingly asked whether they were hiring. They weren't, but they offered to send him out on a ride-along with one of their people to see what pool maintenance was really like.
That person was Hilary. She had started servicing pools in 1985 as a high school summer job, kept at it through community college, and in the 1990s managed routes for two award-winning pool builders in Southwest Florida. She moved to Clearwater in 1994 and started her own pool maintenance business. In 1995, she was running the pool store's counter and building its route. She took Larry out on it. They've been together ever since.
Larry found that pool service wasn't so different from hospitality, just with better scenery. The work allowed him to build long-term relationships with his customers, and some of them are still on the route today. In his words, customer service is his hobby.
Where the name comes from
Coming up with a name was hard. Larry wanted something that wasn't a cliché but still said swimming and Florida. Then he looked at a photo of his collie mix, Molly, sitting with a towel over her shoulders, sunglasses on, and her front feet in flip-flops, and “the dog days of summer” came to mind. That photo of Molly appeared on his business cards and served as the Dog Days logo for more than 20 years, until the cards were updated to match the truck wraps.
How we work
We stay small on purpose
Once a business expands, customer service is the first thing to slip, and decisions end up in the hands of people who've never stood at your equipment pad. Many of our customers came to us because of exactly that.
The owner starts your pool
Larry typically does the first visit himself, so he, your technician, and you are on the same page from day one.
The route is always covered
If a technician is out for more than a week, a step-in technician, Larry, or Hilary runs the route. Not many companies have the boss do that.
A direct line to your technician
Our technicians often share their own phone number, so you can pass on a quick update between visits.
No door-to-door sales
We won't knock on your door uninvited. You call us when you need us.
Used parts, free when it helps
Larry keeps a small stock of good used parts from equipment upgrades, like pump lids, filter clamps, knobs, and cleaner hoses, and gives them free to homeowners on a tight budget.
Who you'll meet
Owner and operator. Starts new pools, prices weekly service, and answers the phone.
Service manager. Servicing pools since 1985; handles billing, manages technicians, troubleshoots equipment, and covers routes.
Technician
Technician
Technician, with Dog Days since 2024
As Larry puts it, our technicians are like family, and they're behind a large share of our good reviews, even when they aren't mentioned by name. Off the clock, Hilary spends her time with her horses and two goats.
Nearly twelve years, every week
“Larry Alcorn has been taking care of our pool every week for nearly twelve years. He has always been totally dependable, trustworthy, honest, and very good at what he is doing.”
Passed on by the previous homeowner
“I have had Larry taking care of my pool for over 10 years, as he was recommended by previous homeowner!”
License and awards
Florida Certified Pool Contractor
License CPC1460480; licensed and insured
Training
Our technicians have completed Certified Pool Operator courses, some more than once
In business since
1995, in Clearwater
Awards and recognition
- check_circleListed among Three Best Rated's top three pool services in Clearwater for more than six years
- check_circleBest Businesses of Clearwater Award, Pool Cleaners, 2020: the fourth time Dog Days has been selected since 2014
- check_circleAngie's List Super Service Award, 2018 and 2019
- check_circleEarned an A rating on Angie's List
- check_circleBest Business Award
Talk to Larry or Hilary
Call (727) 205-0566, seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., or send us a note and Larry will get back to you.
Call or request a quote
Tell us about your pool, and we'll get back to you. For anything urgent, like an overflowing pool or a pump that won't prime, call instead.
- callPhone:(727) 205-0566
- scheduleHours:Monday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- location_onBased in:Clearwater, FL 33761
- verifiedLicense:Florida Certified Pool Contractor CPC1460480, licensed and insured
Pool overflowing or a pump running dry? Call (727) 205-0566 instead of using the form.