MarginShock

Pool service
fuel surcharge calculator

Pool routes are built on many small, recurring visits, often billed as a flat monthly rate. Fuel is a steady cost on every stop, and when it jumps, the extra spread across hundreds of visits adds up fast. See what fuel costs you per visit before your next rate letter.

Worked example

Gasoline $3.20 → $4.10

$0.59

surcharge per visit

Extra / month
$378
Of avg ticket
1.3%

Illustrative · enter your own below

Surcharge engine · inputs

Example numbers — replace with yours

Example: 2 trucks, ~640 visits a month, $45 average visit

The cost that changed
$
$
How much you use

From fuel cards, receipts, or supplier invoices.

How many visits the cost is spread across.

Your pricing
$

Used to express the surcharge as a %.

%

e.g. 20 for 20%.

Gallon change

▲ 28.1%

Extra / month

$378

Extra / visit

$0.59

No account needed. Inputs are saved anonymously to build industry benchmarks — never shown individually. Privacy

(What drives the cost)

Where the fuel goes in pool service.

  1. 01Daily drive time between stops on a weekly route.
  2. 02Pickup trucks carrying chemicals, poles, and equipment.
  3. 03Route density: scattered accounts burn far more fuel per visit.
  4. 04Extra trips for repairs, green-pool cleanups, and parts runs.

(Pricing it)

How to add a surcharge customers accept.

01

Monthly rates suit a small price increase

Most pool customers pay a flat monthly rate. A small, explained monthly increase is usually cleaner than adding a fuel line to every invoice.

02

Tighten the route at the same time

When fuel spikes, pricing outlying accounts higher or trading them for closer ones can save more than any surcharge recovers.

03

Give a full cycle of notice

Send the notice at least one billing cycle ahead, so customers can see the change before it reaches their statement.

(Sample customer notice)

A surcharge letter you can adapt.

Built from the example numbers. Create a free account to generate one from your own numbers as an email, SMS, invoice note, or contract clause — then review it before sending.

Generate mine free More letter, SMS & invoice templates

Email · friendly · draft

Review before sending

Subject: A small fuel surcharge on upcoming visits

Hi [Customer name],

Fuel prices have risen sharply, and fuel is one of the biggest costs of every visit we do for you. Rather than raise our base prices, we're adding a temporary fuel surcharge of $0.59 per visit, starting [date].

This covers only the added fuel cost — nothing more. We'll review it regularly and reduce or remove it when fuel prices come back down.

Thank you for your business. If you have any questions, just reply to this message.

[Your name]
[Company]

(FAQ)

Pool Service fuel surcharge questions

01How much should a pool service raise prices for fuel?

Enough to cover the actual added fuel cost per visit, which the calculator shows. For most routes it's a few dollars a month per customer, not a large jump.

02Fuel surcharge or price increase for pool customers?

With flat monthly billing, a price increase is usually simpler. Use a temporary surcharge if you want to remove it when fuel comes back down, and say so in your notice.

03How do I count visits?

Use stops per month: weekly accounts × about 4.3. Add repair and cleanup visits if they're a meaningful share of your driving.

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