Rated 3 / 5 from 35 reviews
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Rising Sun Pools We're a family-owned business that's been serving people just like you for almost 40 years. We grew up here and we've begun raising families here, just like so many of you. Who knows? Perhaps our kids will join us in the family business, just as we did when we followed in our father Charlie's footsteps. We're proud to be a part of our Dad's legacy, a legacy that began in 1972. And we're proud to serve over ten thousand customers that have entrusted us with their swimming pools - customers that our Dad always thought of as his "friends" and now, so do we. We're here for you when you need us.
Highlights and features
  • Building, Commercial, Design, Renovation, Maintenance, Spas
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2010 APSP Builder Spotlight
2010 APSP Builder Spotlight
APSP is proud to feature builders from the 2010 International Awards of Excellence Competition (AOE). APSP's Gina Da Roza, Tara Onthank and Michael Vasallo of Rising Sun Pools and Spa received the silver medal in the Pools with a Vanishing Edge category.
Reviews (35)
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Sandy Skibinski
Aug 10, 2022
I was in your store the other day having water tested for my hot tub. The guys up front were most helpful in testing the water and solving my problem with an $8 bottle of chlorine - the chemical I forgot to add the last time I refilled the tub. Your guys could have sold me all sorts of chemicals and I would have paid for them with no questions. I appreciate the honest tips and quick economical solution for my hot tub. Most women get taken advantage of in a situation like this. I will definitely continue to purchase chemical and supplies from Rising Sun Pools.
Halbert Rand
Jun 19, 2022
I'ver been waiting for an Aqua Connect system that I placed a deposit on about a month ago. Been waiting for the install since. Delay of the install was due to the company having only 2 service guys and a backlog of services calls. So I accepted the reason and pressed my patience button to "on", sat and waited until they got to me. Well, today a repair guy came out for the install.

And guess what? The install wasn't able to be completed because somebody forgot to provide the power cord of the Aqua Connect. I took a day off of work for this install. A day off for nothing.
Joseph Brennan
Jun 07, 2022
The staff within the store is TOP NOTCH! Friendly, professional, fast services. They all assist and help each other. While one person is writing you up, the next person is loading your car. Their training and knowledge is also exceptional.
Beth Sanders
May 28, 2022
I am really sorry to have to write this review however after spending two days unsuccessfully trying to get the wrinkles out of a BRAND NEW liner myself, which was installed by Rising Sun Pools, I feel compelled to warn others. I purchased a new liner and perfect pad from Rising Sun in Raleigh NC last year, I contacted Rising Sun right away when I noticed major wrinkles in the bottom of my 16,000 gallon pool.

They directed me to the installer which has been disappointing at best. He does not call or write, and the one time he promised to show up, he didn't. NO call, no text, nothing. I have emailed, and called Rising Sun numerous times, and have gotten no response. It seems they are only interested in new installs, and while I understand that, and the worker shortage, and season, I have tried to get someone from Rising Sun to contact me and try and fix this for over a year. Very disappointed.
Thomas M.
May 17, 2022
We bought an above ground salt pool in 1/2021. We signed an Installation questionnaire which did not say we needed to mount the salt box. Never during the purchase was this mount mentioned, was not mentioned during the review of the purchase, and when we were getting ready for installation, we were only told to get an underground electrical set up near the pool (which we did). Rising Sun installed the salt box on the ground without any mention of it.

When we went to turn on our pool in 4/2022, the pool was not working. The team came to look and said it should not have been installed on the ground, and when we opened the box, it was filled with water. After the team left, we noticed our electrical box post was now broken as well. A manager would not address the broken electrical unit other than saying, "it was not mentioned in the teams report that they broke it.".

Regarding the installation of the salt box on the ground, they pointed to small verbiage in the contract that said it would need to be mounted, but this was not pointed out or mentioned during the entire process. It seems unreasonable that no other guidance was given and should have been caught by the consumer from a document in January and installed in May. It has been a very frustrating experience for us. This is my first time ever complaining about a company on a review so hopefully this shows I do not make this post lightly.
Geena Sanborn
May 14, 2022
I've been meaning to write this review forever. This company installed our new pool liner and from start to finish it was a mess! They would literally call day of and change the apt, not even give you a chance to set your own day and time just pick a day thy like and leave it on your voice-mail or text you. They changed Apts because they didn't fee like driving 30 min for one job out our way.

A guy even had the nerve to get mad at us because we weren't home one day when they magically changed the time. So after they installed the pool liner and we got in we realized that the bottom of our pool was all mush. The walls had mushy holes everywhere and the liner itself came detached. They came back out several months later to look at the issue.

He said he would only redo the shallow end, put some new concrete on the walls and left. Again entering the pool everything was mush. They then proceeded to tell us that it's because of the design of our pool. Our pool has been there over 20 years and had two liners already, never had an issue. I would not recommend using this company to instal a pool liner nor qill we ever use them again.
Vic Friel Pontifex
Dec 29, 2021
Rising Sun was immensely helpful in replacing a pool cover under warranty. They stood behind their product and replaced our cover in amazing fast time. Every person they have sent out to us has been professional and knowledgeable and I will use their company forever! Service: Pool cover repair
Tony M.
Dec 27, 2021
I realize last Summer was an unusual time for most businesses due to Covid. I also understand how hard it was to find people that were willing to work. I can let a lot of things go but we were charged over $500 for work that was not done and we also had to pay someone else to fix what they messed up. Needless to say, we'll never use Rising Sun again.

It was really an unbelievably bad experience. I will say that the lady we spoke with seemed to try to fix the problem but nothing significant ever happened - except that our credit card was charged after we had spoken with them and thought it was resolved and would get a more reasonable bill. We decided the amount on money wasn't worth the trouble to fight it but they have definitely lost our future business, as well as 2 other family members' business - 1 is a new build. Do yourself a favor and find someone else.
Lynn Macksey
Dec 27, 2021
On September 10, we asked Rising Sun to come drain, clean, and refill our spa in anticipation of fall/winter usage. They did. After their visit on that day, the spa lost all power and would not work. After SEVERAL days of phone messages and back and forth emails, we were told they did not take responsibility for the failure and that I would have to hire an electrician.

I did that and he confirmed 240 power was going to the spa controller (inside the spa). Something inside was tripping the breaker from there and he said he couldn't help with that. Finally, after WEEKS of delays, a Rising Sun technician came and diagnosed that a non-warranted, non-essential component was tripping the breaker. During his visit, his diagnosis required disconnecting every one of the leads to and from the spa controller (inside the tub). Things seemed to be working after he reconnected that controller (minus the malfunctioning component).

The next day we discovered we had no control over the unit -- could not shut it off -- and nothing was working except the spa lights. The only way we could shut off the pumps, etc., was by tripping the circuit breaker. Indeed, the spa was unusable and displayed a warning message to NOT use it. More emails and calls. twelve more days of waiting for a response from someone at Rising Sun. Finally, I called an electrician on my own.

He came out, studied the wiring diagram, and told me that the technician had improperly reconnected several leads. He showed me. I moved them to their proper locations using the wiring diagram and -- voila -- the tub controls were once again responsive and all seemed well. I called and wrote Rising Sun again telling them of my success and cancelling any request for further service.

This was November 29th. Then I received a bill for the technician's visit. One can imagine my resistance to paying it. I communicated that to Rising Sun and, after a few more days, another representative, Mike, called me to listen to my story. To their credit, Mike said he would cancel that bill. Here's the moral of the story. Rising Sun sold us this spa five years ago.

Over the years, we've used to them twice a year for maintenance calls. Most of those visits took many emails and calls to arrange. The company has ALWAYS been slow to respond to requests for service, even when we were trying to spend money with them. There was always an excuse made (e.g., too busy, couldn't find help, lost your emails). In this most recent incident, the problem began in late September and was not resolved until today, 12/14/21.

I have consulted to many businesses, large and small, profit and non-profit in my career. Rising Sun is a terrific, family owned business that has been around for a good number of years. They are great at sales. When it comes to service after the sale, our experience has been less than exemplary (which is why only three stars above). Post-script: No other spa company in town will work on the brand of hot tub we purchased from Rising Sun
Blake Brown
Oct 30, 2021
We bought our sundance spa from Kate. She is great and very knowledgeable. We recommend everyone to Rising Sun Pools because we have enjoyed doing business with them for many years now. Services: Water analysis, General repairs & maintenance
Shannida Letellier
Oct 25, 2021
Excellent customer service. Will update review when we finish going through the process. Nelson was extremely informative and resourceful. Looking forward to working with this business for our backyard needs.
Tom M.
Oct 03, 2021
Always poor service when I go there. Front desk doesn't know thier stuff. They go to that back office to get answers - which are always incomplete and the knowledgeable person stays hidden - poor training I assume. Frustrated every time I go there!
Terri Ballengee
Sep 29, 2021
April 2020, we decided in lieu of vacationing during a pandemic to build a backyard pool area. We reached out to a few other local companies but decided to use Rising Sun based on their reputation and we felt very comfortable with the salesperson. We quickly realized that many others had the same idea so while it wasn't a quick start, once we got to our turn on the schedule, things went quickly and smoothly. We love our pool! I visit often for water analysis and everyone is very helpful. We were complete pool amateurs so that speaks volumes!
Scott B.
Aug 18, 2021
Saw some of the negative reviews of this company and felt compelled to give my review. For anyone complaining about lack of inventory you obviously have not been keeping up with the news on what is happening globally and domestic in regard to raw materials and finished product. There is a Global Supply Chain that is now struggling to keep up with demand for shipping due to delays from Covid which are still taking place.

Before you place blame for empty shelves why not educate yourself first. For those complaining about high prices, see above. It's all related and it's all supply and demand. That having been said I have had nothing but great experience with Rising Sun Pools from the first time we walked in the door. Sales and planning were great as is there service after installation.

I live about 10 miles from the store but travel to them for my testing and supply needs even though there is a pool store down the road from me. Front desk is always great and Shamika always has a smile on her face when not wearing a mask. I referred two neighbors to Rising Sun and they have also had a great experience. If you need a pool don't look any further as this is the place.
Joshua W.
Aug 06, 2021
Great guy that came out to give me a quote, but they quoted $120,000 for a vinyl pool. Thought that was pretty funny.
Drew A.
Jul 15, 2021
Pathetically BAD customer service. Poor communication, follow-up and sub-standard pool service all around. AVOID!
Danielle Fratellone
Jun 25, 2021
I just purchased a home that was serviced by RSP&S in the past. I am a new pool owner and did not feel confident in regards to maintenance and pool care. I went in to get the water tested to see the chemicals I needed to add. After meeting with Kaylee I feel like a have a Doctorate in Pool maintenance and care. She took the time to break down all the anatomy of the pool and what I need to do. I am so glad that rising sun are my pool people. I will be a customer for life. Thank you Kaylee for everything! You deserve a raise.
Tracey Chaffee
May 16, 2021
UPDATE: May 18, 2021: Rrestarted service this year and what a mess. 3 visits and still the pool is not clean and issues are not addressed. I have attached pics from the last two cleanings. Bottom line: Inconsistent service and communication. RSP generally sends a service report after maintenance. In 3 service visits, not one was sent. I have emailed about the issues with little to no effort from RSP to address the issues.

In 2020:, we have spent $5800 in maintenance and service repairs, which included a sand filter change, a freeze protection timer, liner lock gasket installation and heater repair. Techs come out and do not go the extra mile to put back in the liner lock or to even review the requests on the maintenance agreement (such as vaccuum the pool using the skimmer baskets. (see attached pic).

I should have to continuously call or ask for someone to reach out to me to discuss the issues. ___________________________________________________________________ We bought a house with a pool back in Dec 2018. The former owner did all of his own maintenance, but has Rising Sun Pools replace the pool liner back in 5/2018 and suggested we use them for the pool opening and maintenance.

For the past year we have used this company for weekly pool service and several repairs. Recently, I sent an email regarding a couple of different issues and I immediately was contacted with a scheduled service date of the following day. The service tech was fantastic and I was very pleased with the overall process and work completed. For our weekly service a different maintenance tech comes out for service each time. Honestly, some are better than others, but they are all very friendly and cordial.

What I have seen is each tech does things a bit differently and communication between the customer, maintenance tech and team has gaps. A tech may offer to have a part brought out next time, or communicate an issue with their service team, but it is a clunky process. My advice for anyone using RS for regular maintenance is to communicate with the managing staff.

Once I started doing this, it has eliminated some of the frustrations. Even though I am giving them a 5 Star Rating - this is one area I think would make a difference for those using them for pool service. I understand that I cannot have the same tech each week, but my preference would be to have a rotation between a smaller group of techs - not 8+. We are going to give it another pool season to see how things go.
Jennifer T.
Apr 16, 2021
They are extremely unprofessional, have no communication skills whatsoever and basically do not deliver what they promised.
Michelle Casey
Mar 24, 2021
I am grateful to all the staff at Rising Sun Pools for their support while installing our in-ground pool last summer. All the staff were amazing and answered all questions. I am ultimately thrilled of the outcome and love enjoying relaxing days by the pool. Their customer service, sales, materials, resources, and intense labor is very invaluable. I highly recommend Rising Sun Pools to make your "dream a reality".
David R.
Nov 07, 2020
I visited this store looking to purchase a new spa to replace the one that i couldn't get repaired after three months. I had already visited the web site and had requested a catalog. receive an email back with that info. Decided to go look at the tubs to purchase and who would have guessed. a spa store is out of spas and would not be getting any more till jan.

Well @##?. what kind of a store runs out of their main item in the start of HOT TUB SEASON. Not mine I will be buying a new tub but it will not be at a hot tub store that is out of hot tubs.
Deana N.
Sep 19, 2020
I have waited to do a review as we had our up and down moments. However, every time I had an issue, they really stepped up and made it right, which is why the review is favorable. With COVID, they have been extremely busy as so many people wanted a pool this summer. My pool is in, it is beautiful and I love it. We purchased the 44 ft long vinyl pool.

I feel more communication should be given upfront on what to expect, prior to issues. Especially since this is what they do, they should have a frequently asked question sheet that they give out to people to address things like: 1) What are the choices and costs for coping around the pool - before you buy, so you aren't surprised by the extra cost later and can budget ahead of time properly. 2) Why it is a soft bottom pool - so water can seep in under the liner when you have heavy rain like Hurricane Sally which will cause creases in your brand new pool, but after a few days (if you have good drainage) magically disappear to a large degree and what you can do to fix it. 3) Why you should put in drainage around the pool while it is all backfilled, to not have a heart attack from (2) above, and so that it is done correctly.this would have been really helpful to know ahead of time! 4) If you have something underground that you want them to avoid hitting, make sure you stay there all day as they switch operators and don't communicate to the next person what to avoid.

They hit underground pipes twice, but fixed the issue to our satisfaction. Aside from this, they were professional, did a good job and I am happy with the results. Thanks Deana
Mark L.
Aug 20, 2020
Overall, the work was well done. When we had a warranty issue, they responded quickly and it was fixed with no charge. The costs ended up being higher than expected, with for example the decking size being recalculated as they were about to pour the concrete- but they bent a little to work it out to our satisfaction. I will say the sales person was impossible to nail down, but most of the rest of the employees and subcontractors were good to work with.

I recommend RSP with the caveat that as with any complicated process (including many county inspections!), issues will occur. If you are reasonable, they are reasonable back, including the owners getting directly involved when needed.
Beth M.
Aug 04, 2020
We bought a Tacoma, which may be the smallest spa made, as we were building a new house. We wouldn't be ready to put it in for a few months, but we wanted to take advantage of a sale. When the installers came to put it in, they almost left, saying it wouldn't fit in the tight space we had built for it. We knew it would, but would just be a lot of maneuvering.

We begged them to try, and after a couple of hours (way more than they had planned for the job), they succeeded. The installer was very patient, professional and experienced enough to do some creative problem-solving.
Carlos S.
Jul 14, 2020
I have my pool refinished by Rising Sun Pools and Spas and they did a great job! Brian was our project manager and he was very much on top of all the details, it has been 5 years and the Pool and Spa looks awesome. I like the service of testing the water on their store, follow by friendly and professional staff who take the time to review results with you. Resulting on me coming home with all the right chemical and quantities to apply on my pool. So I can go back to enjoy the pool.
Steve M.
Jun 29, 2020
Wish I could give them a complete review, however we never got to that point. I've called several times over 3 weeks about putting in a pool, spoken with their very nice assistant Skylar on 2 if not 3 occasions. Was told their designer Chip, would be in contact each time. Well after three+ weeks, He still hasn't been. I don't mind if a company is busy and can't get to a project, heck I had one company flat out tell me they were looking at completions for next June, a year out.

And I was in no rush either. But at the very least have the courtesy of calling me back and telling me when we can sit down to have a discussion. Selecting a contractor 101, if you can't get a hold of them in the beginning, how do you think it will go once they have your money? Best of luck to the rest of you.
Mike J.
Jun 18, 2020
I can't say I had a bad experience with Rising Sun, more like no experience. I contacted the company, provided all of the information requested in order to set up a visit and quote, and then waited weeks without receiving any response from the company. Not a huge project, my guess is it would have fallen around $80,000 but now I will never know, at least until I find a different company to work with.
Angel F.
Apr 17, 2020
I've been a customer of rising sun for over 15 years. I tried once a different company but the service quality was poor. Once rising sun sent Aaron to clean my pool years ago I knew I had the peace of mind to know I was being taken care of and never double charged or upsold like most companies do. Aaron is fast, reliable, friendly, professional, and truly knowledgeable of his services, products and pool systems. Rising sun is a one stop shop that meets all my pool needs at once. It is pricier than other companies yet they do great professional work and stand by their quality and reliability.
Tammy C.
Mar 22, 2020
I have been using the professional experience and help from Rising Sun Pools ever sence I got my pool installed. They open it every year and close it as well they are always so helpful when I need my water tested and need to add chemicals. They have truly been a life saver for my pool.
Vickie B.
Dec 24, 2019
We went to rising Sun pools to look for a hot tub. We enter the store where there were four people behind the counter and no other customers. We told them we wanted to look at the hot tubs and they said go on back and have a look will send somebody back to help you. So we spent 10 minutes looking at hot tubs that do not have any pricing on them. I went back up and asked for assistance and they said someone would be with us shortly.

A few minutes later Lady came came back but did not have much knowledge about the spas at all. She gave us pricing that was around 7000 or around 10,000. She really couldn't have cared less. so we decided to leave on the way out I was looking at the Swimming pool rafts and once again we had to find someone to get pricing.c'mon.price your merchandise!

Hire associates that actually give a dam Their service was poor at best and their attitude was about the same. I do not plan to return to Rising Sun Pools and I would suggest you steer clear.
Mary M.
Feb 22, 2019
THIS company "rising sun pools" and its owners, tara and mike do not deserve any stars, because of their unprofessionalism and lack of character towards customer service. After they accepted my contract to oversee my pool for the three weeks I was on vacation, in July 2017,"" the service was not provided "" none of their services were rendered, and the pool became unserviceable, and unusable throughout the whole summer.

Immediately after I was gone but a week, my pool turned completely green and to my dismay when I returned the pool was a complete cesspool, green/lime/green, , I was shocked as I assumed I could go away with peace of mind thinking I had hired professionals (that aren't cheap). Was I wrong!, on top of that I had bought a whole year supply of chemicals from them. at expensive cost., Upon my return, I tried to contact them, and they refused to come to the phone, took me several attempts to have them explain what happened to the service. finally they admitted they were short people due to (sickness and motorcycle accident of their help). Tara and Mike demanded I pay over $700.00 ++ for some service they never rendered. when I refused they rudely never apologized, yelled at me over the phone numerous times and finally took legal action against me thinking they were going to win, but I gladly countersued and they lost the case.

Then Tara in court after case was over storming out of courtroom charged at us with that tone of arrogance blaming me for her company's failure to service a long standing valuable customer, and left my pool and liner damaged thru their negligence. Overall they lost the case, the customer and their reputation. Company doesn't qualify for any good ratings, and so they didn't care about customer, or service or accountability, or any apologetic remarks. this sums it all as stay away so you don't get cheated, ripped off and lied to, and to( the judge too).

Now that I see all the other negative ratings from other customers, I see why they also failed me because they didn't have time to even get caught up with:" backed up messed up orders and customer failures" however they were quick to the "Buck" and to even LIED to the judge saying service was provided. ps pictures provided.
Mickey M.
Feb 07, 2019
Let me start with the Great. Mike Edge, our installer was great, he came out for warranty work on our Salt System today. He took the time to listen before running some tests and figuring out the issue. He is very knowledgeable and if he was the entire face of the company, I'd give them 6 out of 5 stars. Now for the reason they only got 4 stars on this review, no fault of Mike Edge.

Now our interaction with Mike Vassallo, the owner, was quite irritating. He was pushing back on getting some one to come take a look at the system as he was worried we wouldn't pay the $125 service fee. The entire discussion initially was his worries about not getting paid by us or Hayward. Very unprofessional! If being one of the sole Hayward certified service locations isn't profitable, then don't do it, but don't push back on customers.

I know a couple of pool companies that would be happy to take that "burden" off of your hands. Back to Mike Edge, I can't say enough, he just left an hour ago and I'm really happy with how he worked with us.
Deb Upchurch
Nov 25, 2017
Tara and her crew at Rising Sun Pools are so awesome! They open and close our in ground pool each year. I depend on them so much during those first few weeks upon opening the pool as it takes awhile to get the water perfect! Their service department is SPOT ON! The water testing department is very prompt about getting me in and out as I am there on my lunch hour to get my pool water tested.

It is important to me not to have to wait long for water testing. I also know that the water test report is an accurate snapshot of what my pool is lacking to get it clean and clear! We had an issue with the pool light and they worked with us for about a year to get it right! It works perfectly now! (Knock on Wood!) I feel the chemicals I purchase from them are of good quality and a fair price. Will continue to stay with Rising Sun Pools as we have for many many years!
Chandra Q.
Aug 16, 2017
If there was a way to give 0 stars then I would do it. The service technicians and owner of this company are either dishonest or totally incompetent. Throughout the 2016 pool season we used Rising Sun and had constant problems with our pool chemistry. They kept recommending more and more chemicals at higher and higher costs, which of course we purchased from them.

Nothing worked. From doing our own research we suggested that maybe the sand in the filter needed to be replaced but they told us that we were wrong. We spent thousands of dollars with this company and still had constant problems. For the 2017 season we dropped Rising Sun and spent just $200 for another company (Leslie's) to teach us the basics so that we could maintain the pool ourselves. Leslie's recommended replacing the sand (which we suspected before but that Rising Sun advised against). We followed Leslie's instructions and we have been good to go all season. Use Rising Sun at your own risk.
Matt C.
Jul 19, 2017
Updated on 7-24-17: After I wrote my previous review, it got some attention from Tara, one of the owners of RSP. We did a little bit of a run-through of the facts (she was pretty much up-to-speed, minus a few salient points). She did a good job of getting her team to come out and check up on the pool, the installation job, the chemistry, etc. Long story short- I think we ended up with a bum filter pump.

When it got replaced, the pool cleared up in just a few days, and the water chemistry settled back to normal. The tech that Tara dispatched took a water sample to the North Raleigh store, and we got a call back from them almost immediately. No metals, after all, it must be algae. And, with the water chemistry out of whack (exacerbated by sub-par filtering and such), we decided to treat it as an organic problem. So, with the newly replaced pump (warrantied, which was good), and a lot of vacuuming, we have it under control.

No one is worried about green hair and such. TLDR: Timing is everything, and there is no one way to fix a pool issue. The North Raleigh store folks were great to work with, and I'll probably use them should I need some detailed water analysis in the future.