For the full article in the Tempe Tribune 8.23.25 click HERE

For people who don’t want to spend the money on an in-ground pool or who don’t want the maintenance and set-up associated with an above-ground one, a Tempe company has the answer.

Tempe-based Now Pools was formed in 2020 by Ross Novotny out of family necessity.

“It really came out of a need from my wife and my family,” he explained. “We’re relatively new parents. We adopted our kids when they were 5 years old. I was trying to figure out a way to get them outside and burn some energy throughout the summer. Doing that without a pool is basically cruel and unusual punishment here in Arizona.”

Novotny didn’t want to spend upwards of $75,000 on an in-ground pool that his family would only use for four or five months. He also didn’t want to lose his backyard. 

He thought there had to be a temporary solution that would allow his kids to play in the wintertime on the lawn and play in the water during summer.

He had considered an above-ground pool but didn’t know how to put them up or maintain the chemical balance in the water – or find someone he could pay to do it for him.

Novotny dived into learning what was out there and formed his pool-rental firm.

 “Our monthly subscriptions are a minimum of two months,” he explained. “With that subscription, we come out and set up the above-ground pool and we get customers on our weekly cleaning and service schedule. 

“We service the water chemistry and look for anything that might be broken or not working properly. We fix that all up.

“At the end of the subscription – whether that’s two, three or four months – we remove the pool and you get your yard back,” he added, emphasizing his prices are inclusive with no hidden fees. 

Indeed, customers are not allowed to do their maintenance. 

“We want to make sure the pool is properly cared for,” Novotny said.

During fall, winter and spring, the company offers spa services. “Those are also temporary,” Novotny said. “The same idea as the pools. We go out every two weeks on the spas. We set up the spa in your backyard and take care of the maintenance and chemicals and remove it when you no longer want the spa.”

The longer the subscription, the cheaper the monthly cost on both the pools and the spas. 

“We have three different-sized pools and two different spas,” said Novotny. “The spas are more feature-based, meaning we have what we call our ‘leisure spa,’ which is more of a basic spa. And then we have what we call our ‘luxury spa’ with back jets, LED lights and seats. So it’s a little more high-end. But either one functions the same and gets you nice and warm in the wintertime.”

Sometimes, the business does short-term commercial events at ASU, State Farm Stadium and at other big venues. 

This year he also added outdoor theater rentals for clients and non-clients. 

“It’s a 22-foot screen with big, booming Bluetooth speakers and a projector,” explained Novotny. “People can rent that for the weekend for kids’ birthday parties or a special event.”

When he first started the business during the pandemic, in-ground pool builders were backed up by a year on construction, so many households rented above-ground pools from him. 

Some people eventually change their minds on building an in-ground pool due to costs, he said. That accounts for about 5% of Novotny’s business. 

Then there are people who still want an in-ground pool who can benefit from Novotny’s service.

“We’ve been partnering with Shasta Pools for two years, so their clients can get a temporary pool from us while their in-ground pool is being built. It’s a win-win experience for everybody. Not only for their consumers but for us, as well. It’s a bigger platform. They have a bigger audience they can introduce us to. It’s been a good partnership.”

  “We don’t mind being a ‘tester’ experience,” Novotny added. “We like that families are loving it. We’re a great way for them to see if they’re going to spend time in the pool and if their family will like it. We have plenty of people who use us as a trial and introduction to the pool lifestyle.”

Installation usually takes 48-72 hours but same-day set-up is possible. 

Customers have the option of purchasing the pool at the end of the lease, but maintenance then becomes the owner’s responsibility. 

Eventually, Novotny hopes to expand nationally.   

Information: nowpools.com, 602-560-4554,  Fun@NowPools.com.