The major pool financing partners
- Lyon Financial. Pool-specific lender. Longstanding relationships with most national pool builders. Offers fixed-rate unsecured loans up to $200K with terms to 20 years.
- HFS Financial. Broad home-improvement + pool lender. Multiple loan products at different credit tiers.
- LightStream. Truist Bank's home-improvement loan product. No liens, no fees, fast approval. Premium-credit customer focus.
- Viking Capital. Specializes in pool, spa, and outdoor-living loans. Multiple credit-tier products.
Most established pool builders maintain relationships with 2-4 financing partners — typically one premium-credit lender (LightStream), one mid-tier lender (Lyon), and one near-prime lender to capture lower-credit customers who would otherwise walk.
Why financing transforms close rate
The math:
- A $75,000 pool as a cash decision feels enormous. Most homeowners require multiple weeks of internal deliberation.
- The same $75,000 as a 15-year financed payment runs roughly $650-$750/month at typical rates.
- $650/month is a reframing as "a car payment" — a category homeowners already mentally budget for.
- Close rate from "I'm interested" to signed contract typically jumps 20-40% when financing is presented at quoting time.
How financing presentation matters
The way the financing option is presented influences close rate significantly:
- Present financing alongside the cash price — never as an afterthought. Both should appear on the quote document.
- Lead with monthly payment, not total cost. "$650/month for the resort backyard you want" is more compelling than "$75,000 over 15 years."
- Pre-qualify before quoting. A soft-credit-check pre-qualification (most lenders offer this) shows the customer their actual rate + payment before the formal commitment.
- Offer 2-3 term options. 10-year, 15-year, 20-year payment options give customers control over their monthly budget.
The compliance side
Pool builders offering financing must respect basic consumer-credit disclosure rules:
- APR disclosure — the actual APR (not just monthly payment) must be visible to customers before signing.
- No exclusive steering — customers must be free to use their own financing source.
- Truth in Lending compliance — financing partners handle this on their end; builders just need to direct customers to the lender's disclosure documents.
How Pool Launch supports financing presentation
Pool Launch's customer portal includes a payment calculator that shows monthly financing payment alongside the cash pool price. Customers can adjust the term to see the impact on monthly. The portal links out to the builder's selected financing partner for the formal application.
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