Douglas Aquatics

What Douglas Aquatics does

Douglas Aquatics is a privately held, full-service custom pool, spa and fountain construction and service company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, with a secondary service location in Portsmouth, VA. Founded in 1970 by F. Douglas Salvia and Douglas W. Langford, the company serves residential and commercial customers across 23+ cities and counties in Central and Eastern Virginia, including Richmond, Charlottesville, Fredericksburg, Williamsburg, and Hampton Roads. Its product portfolio spans custom pool construction (shotcrete/gunite and vinyl liner methods), hot tubs and spas, water features (waterfalls, fountains, slides, grottos), pool renovation, outdoor living enhancements (kitchens, fireplaces, pergolas), equipment repair, retail chemical and parts sales, and swim lessons.

The company operates six core revenue streams: project-based pool construction (with budget tiers ranging from $95,000 to $175,000+), project-based renovation, recurring weekly/bi-weekly/monthly residential maintenance within a 40-mile radius, managed commercial pool services with lifeguard staffing (no geographic restriction), retail product sales with free 13-point water testing, and seasonal swim lessons at $65 per group session or $30 per private lesson. Technical foundations are conventional pool industry technology — steel-reinforced shotcrete shells with pressure-tested plumbing, automated chemical and salt-chlorine systems, LED lighting, and filtration/circulation engineering. The firm is differentiated by an extensive credential stack including PHTA Certified Builder Professional (CBP), Advanced CBP, CPO, and CMS designations, plus Genesis 3 Society membership and Master Pools Guild affiliation.

Go-to-market is sales-led with a consultation-based design process that produces 3D renderings for residential projects and direct field sales for commercial accounts (hotels, country clubs, master planned communities, aquatics centers, business complexes). Distribution channels include a walk-in retail storefront at the Richmond headquarters, direct field sales for construction and management contracts, and customer referrals supplemented by radio advertising and SEO. The company offers a limited lifetime structural warranty on shotcrete pools, a 2-year workmanship warranty, and a 5-year filter equipment warranty. Leadership is family/founder-aligned with Doug Salvia (co-founder) serving as CFO, Bernie Wegscheider as CEO, and Paul McQueen joining as COO & Partner in 2024.

Name

Douglas Aquatics

Legal name

Douglas Aquatics

Website

https://douglasaquatics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Douglas Aquatics is a privately held pool construction, renovation, and service company founded in 1970, serving residential and commercial customers across Central and Eastern Virginia from offices in Richmond and Portsmouth with custom shotcrete and vinyl liner pools, maintenance, and commercial pool management.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pool Construction Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Equipment Installation & Upgrades (Automation, Covers, Sanitizers) (HSAIALAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Aquatic Centers & Swimming Facilities (MPAKAEAF)

Keywords

• Pool construction services
• Pool renovation services
• Commercial pool management
• Pool maintenance services
• Custom pool design

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Pool Construction: Custom pool, spa and fountain construction for residential and commercial properties. Includes full design, excavation, plumbing, steel, electrical, concrete, tile, coping, decking and start-up services. One-time project-based revenue.
2. Pool Renovation: Renovation services including resurfacing, tile replacement, coping upgrades, equipment upgrades, LED lighting additions, water feature additions, and complete redesigns. Project-based revenue.
3. Weekly Pool Maintenance: Weekly, bi-weekly or monthly maintenance programs for residential and commercial pools. Includes filter cleaning, vacuuming, water chemistry testing and balancing, equipment checks. Recurring service revenue within 40-mile radius of Richmond or Portsmouth offices.
4. Commercial Pool Management: Full-service commercial pool management including lifeguard staffing, daily inspections, chemical management, maintenance, winterization and regulatory compliance. Covers Metro-Richmond, Williamsburg and surrounding areas with no geographic restriction for commercial operations.
5. Retail Products: Pool chemicals, equipment, and parts retail. Offers free 13-point water testing, extensive parts inventory. Walk-in customers at Richmond retail store.
6. Swim Lessons: Group swim lessons at $65/session (8 classes) and private lessons at $30/lesson. Offered during summer season at participating aquatic facilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Douglas Aquatics is a full-service custom pool, spa, and fountain construction firm that designs, builds, renovates, and maintains residential and commercial pools across Central and Eastern Virginia. Primary offerings include custom shotcrete and vinyl liner pool construction, hot tubs and spas, water features and fountains, pool renovation, weekly residential maintenance programs, equipment repair, and full-service commercial pool management including lifeguard staffing and regulatory compliance. The company also operates a retail storefront for pool chemicals and parts and offers seasonal swim lessons.

Product overview

Douglas Aquatics is a full-service custom pool, spa, and fountain construction and service company serving Central and Eastern Virginia since 1970. The company operates as a unified service provider offering custom pool construction (Shotcrete and Vinyl Liner options), hot tubs and spas, water features and fountains, pool renovation, outdoor living enhancements, and comprehensive maintenance and management services. The core portfolio centers on Commercial & Residential Pool Construction as the primary offering, supplemented by Hot Tubs & Spas, Water Features & Fountains, and Pool Renovation services. Supporting services include Weekly Pool Maintenance, Equipment Repair/Service, Commercial Pool Management (with lifeguard staffing), Swim Lessons, Retail Products (chemicals and parts), and Custom Pool Design consultations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial & Residential Pool Construction

Quantifiable outcome

• Pool construction typically completed within 6-8 weeks after local permitting approved
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Disco SportsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal partnership for uniform supply. Douglas Aquatics requires all lifeguard staff to purchase uniforms (suits, shorts, t-shirts, CPR masks) through Disco Sports. Staff can access uniforms via online ordering portal.
• HFS FinancialminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHFS Home Improvement Loans partner providing financing options for customers. Referenced on footer of website as financing partner for Douglas Aquatics customers in Virginia.
• Master Pools GuildcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational network of elite custom pool builders. Douglas Aquatics is a proud member, sharing best business ideas and staying current on latest technical and business practices. Network dedicated to high quality, customer service and good business ethics.
• Genesis 3 Society of Watershape DesignerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational forum for continuing industry education. Douglas Aquatics is a certified member with designers completing Genesis 3 Design School courses for higher standards in pool and spa design, engineering and construction.
• Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA)coreOthersDouglas Aquatics team members hold professional certifications through PHTA including CBP, ACBP, CPO, and CMS designations. PHTA is the swimming pool and hot tub industry's primary trade association.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Keith Zars Pools: Long-standing regional custom pool builder with comparable design-build, outdoor living, and renovation service offerings.
• River Pools and Spas: Virginia/Maryland-based custom fiberglass and vinyl liner pool builder with comparable design-build service model and Mid-Atlantic regional focus.
• California Pools & Landscape: Large regional custom pool and landscape builder offering design-build, outdoor living, and renovation services with a similar premium positioning.
• Claffey Pools: Texas-based regional custom pool builder offering design, construction, renovation, and outdoor living services — a comparable regional full-service model.
• Premier Pools & Spas: National custom pool builder and fellow Master Pools Guild member offering design, construction, and renovation services across multiple U.S. markets.
• Lesner's Pool & Spa: Long-standing Virginia-based pool builder serving the Richmond region; directly overlapping in service territory and full-service construction/maintenance offerings.
• American Poolbuilders: Virginia-based pool construction and renovation firm with overlapping Mid-Atlantic service territory and similar residential-focused offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Anthony & Sylvan Pools: Established East Coast/Mid-Atlantic pool builder with broader geographic reach and similar gunite/concrete construction capabilities, including renovation and service programs.
• Blue Haven Pools & Spas: National pool builder and service provider with comparable design-build, renovation, and maintenance offerings across multiple U.S. regions.

Others

• Master Pools Guild: International network of elite custom pool builders that Douglas Aquatics belongs to; an ecosystem partner rather than a competitor, providing peer benchmarking and best-practice sharing.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/douglasaquatics
• Facebookfacebook.com/DouglasAquaticsLifeguards
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/douglas-aquatics-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Douglas Aquatics