How do we replace the pool furniture at our HOA pool?

By OurHOA · General information · Revised September 27, 2026

How an HOA board replaces pool furniture: count and measure, commercial grade specs, glass and deck rules in TX, FL and CO, bids, storm storage and a sample motion.

Part of the HOA board handbook: vendors, projects and upkeep.

The short answer

Measure the deck and count what owners actually use before anyone shops. Buy furniture rated for nonresidential use, not the set that looks good at a home store, and ask the seller to prove the rating in writing. Keep glass out of the pool area entirely, keep a clear strip along the water and around the rescue equipment, and nothing goes next to the fence where a child could use it as a step. Then get three bids on the same written spec, order early enough to beat opening day, and put the next replacement in the reserve plan. This guide covers loungers, chairs, tables and umbrellas at a community pool in Texas, Florida and Colorado. Pool rules vary by state, by county health department and by your governing documents, so treat it as general education, not legal advice.

Count, measure and decide what to keep

Walk the deck on a busy Saturday in July, or ask the pool attendant, and count how many chaises and chairs are in use at the peak. That number, plus a few, is your order. Boards that replace one for one often end up buying 40 loungers for a deck where 25 get used and the other 15 block the walkway. Then inventory what you have: frame material, condition, and whether the frames are sound and only the straps or slings are worn. A sound aluminum frame can often be restrapped or reslung for less than a new piece, so get a price for that before you replace everything. Measure the deck and sketch it to scale, marking the gate, the shower, the ring buoy and reaching pole, the emergency phone and any first aid station. The furniture plan goes on that sketch, not on a catalog page.

What the state pool rules say about layout and glass

Texas classes a pool run by a property owners association as a Class C pool under the state public pool rules, 25 Texas Administrative Code chapter 265, subchapter L. Three parts matter for furniture. Section 265.194(q) says glass containers and glass furniture must not be allowed on the deck or anywhere in the pool yard, so a glass-top table is out, even a tempered one. Section 265.190 requires the reaching poles and ring buoys to be visible and readily accessible from all areas of the pool yard, and the emergency phone must have no obstruction to access. Section 265.192(a) bars site furnishings within 36 inches outside the enclosure and requires those inside to be placed so they do not make the fence easy to climb from outside. In Florida, rule 64E-9.004(4)(b) of the Florida Administrative Code prohibits all glass containers and products in the fenced pool area. Florida section 514.0115 exempts pools serving an HOA or condominium of 32 or fewer units, not run as public lodging, from most state supervision other than water quality, so a small community may not be bound. Follow the rule anyway. Colorado's state pool regulation, 5 CCR 1003-5, exempts pools used only by residents of the homes or condominiums they serve and their guests, though some county health departments set their own rules. For pools it does cover, section 3.2 requires 5 feet of unobstructed deck width measured from the water's edge. That is a good layout target in any state.

What commercial grade should mean

Commercial grade is a sales phrase. Ask for a test standard instead. ASTM International publishes performance standards for outdoor plastic furniture that sort products into Class A, residential, and Class B, nonresidential. ASTM F1838 covers plastic chairs for outdoor use, and ASTM F1988 covers plastic chaise lounges with adjustable backs. F1988 tests stability on a slick surface meant to simulate a wet pool deck. Put this line in the spec: 'Plastic chairs and chaises must meet the Class B (nonresidential) requirements of ASTM F1838 or F1988, current edition, and the vendor will provide the test report or certificate on request.' Aluminum-frame furniture does not fall under those standards, so ask for the frame warranty, the finish warranty and the strap or sling warranty as separate lines. They are rarely the same length, and the strap warranty is the one you will use. Choose light colors for anything people sit on in direct sun. Dark vinyl straps and dark metal arms get hot enough in a Texas or Florida July to draw complaints. Ask whether the pieces stack, because you will be moving them before storms and at the end of the season.

Write the bid request

Get at least three prices on one written spec so you compare the same thing. The spec lists quantities by type (chaises, armchairs, side tables, dining tables and chairs, umbrellas and bases), the ASTM class for plastic pieces, frame material, strap or sling fabric, color, and whether the chairs stack. Ask each bidder for: unit price and total, freight, assembly, removal and disposal of the old furniture, lead time from order to delivery in writing, the warranty for each component, the price of replacement straps or slings for five years, and what happens if the delivery misses the date. Umbrellas need their own lines: fabric, frame, wind vent, and a base heavy enough for the manufacturer's rating. Keep old furniture out of the pool area during delivery and assembly, and do not let the vendor stage boxes against the fence. For more on structuring the request and scoring the answers, see our guide on how to write an HOA request for proposal.

Storms, winter and theft

Loose deck furniture becomes debris in high wind. Ready.gov's hurricane checklist tells households to bring in outside furniture, and a pool deck full of loungers is the same problem at a larger scale. Decide before the season who moves the furniture when a named storm or a severe wind warning is coming, where it goes, and who puts it back. Write that into the pool service contract or the emergency plan with a phone tree, because volunteers leave town before a hurricane. In Colorado, the same plan covers spring hail and wind and the end of the season, when furniture that sits out all winter loses years of life. Umbrellas come down and get closed every night and before any wind event. Tag or engrave each piece with the association's name and keep the inventory with the purchase records, which helps with theft reports and insurance claims.

Budget, reserves and accessibility

Pool furniture belongs in the reserve study as its own component with a useful life and a replacement cost. If your study lumps it into 'pool miscellaneous,' ask the reserve specialist to break it out next update. In a Florida condominium, section 718.112(2)(f)2.a requires reserves for any item whose replacement cost exceeds $25,000, a threshold the state condominium division adjusts for inflation each year. A small community's furniture may fall under that line, but funding it through reserves still beats a surprise assessment. Many boards replace a third of the furniture every other year so the whole deck never wears out at once. On accessibility, the Justice Department's pool guidance says community pools limited to residents and their guests are not covered by the ADA accessibility rules, but a pool rented or opened to the public is covered by Title III. The Fair Housing Act still applies. The joint HUD and Justice Department statement on reasonable accommodations names homeowners and condominium associations, so a request for a chair with arms, a higher seat or a clear path to the water gets a prompt, written answer.

A sample timeline and motion

For a Memorial Day opening: in July or August, count use at the peak. In September, inventory what you have. In October, sketch the deck and write the spec. In November, send it to at least three vendors and ask for restrap prices on the frames worth saving. In December or January, the board votes and places the order, which leaves room for long lead times. In March or April, the new furniture arrives, the old goes out, and a director checks the layout against the sketch before the pool opens. A motion the board can adapt: 'Move to approve the purchase of [quantity and type] pool furniture from [vendor] for $[amount], including freight, assembly and removal of the old furniture, to be paid from the [reserve / operating] fund, with delivery no later than [date], per the bid dated [date].' Record the vote, attach the bid to the minutes and file the warranty cards and test certificates with the pool records. Our guide on how to open an HOA pool for the season has the rest of the spring checklist.

Mistakes boards make

Buying residential furniture because the price looked good, then replacing it two seasons later. Replacing piece for piece instead of counting peak use. Putting a row of loungers along the fence where a child can climb from one to the top rail. Blocking the ring buoy or the emergency phone with a table and umbrella. Buying a glass-top dining set for the cabana. Ordering in March for a May opening and running the first weeks with folding chairs. Throwing away sound frames that only needed new straps. Leaving no one in charge of moving the furniture before a storm.

Sources

These guides are general education for HOA boards and residents, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Rules vary by state and by your community's governing documents - check with a professional for your situation.

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