New England Pool & Spa

New England Pool & Spa, a Norwood pool and spa shop with a second location in Newton, says on its site that it's been helping people with pools, spas, hot tubs and saunas since 1986. Google shows a 3.5★ average across 25 ratings, but the written reviews on file — nine, running 2024 into 2026 — split sharply between people who found the staff especially helpful and people who found them rude. On the positive side, a 2024 review describes Kevin walking a customer step by step through replacing a dead pool pump over a holiday weekend, down to which tools to use. A 2025 review credits Scott's team with fitting in service calls on short notice. But recent activity tilts the other way: a July 2026 review from a first-time pool owner says the owner hung up on them mid-call about pricing, and a May 2026 review describes a driver cutting someone off in traffic. A June 2025 review goes further, describing a saltwater pool whose chlorine production stopped after the company added too much salt — the customer says repeated calls were met with assurances the salt level was fine, until outside pool-care groups and the equipment manufacturer all confirmed otherwise. Another 2024 review describes weekly cleanings that were inadequate, plus a customer-service team that wouldn't return calls. Its Massachusetts home improvement contractor registration, verified against the state registry, is currently expired — worth asking about directly before signing anything, since larger jobs typically call for an active one. The BBB lists the company, incorporated in 1980, but has no accreditation or rating on file for it. For routine supplies and quick troubleshooting advice, reviewers describe a shop that goes out of its way. For anything involving billing or water-chemistry disputes, several recent accounts suggest getting specifics in writing before work starts.