Pool Builder in Los Angeles

What does a new pool cost in Los Angeles?

Most custom pools Moda builds in Los Angeles land between $70,000 and $200,000+, depending on size, spa, elevation and deck scope.

The shell itself is rarely what moves the number. Access, soil, elevation change and everything that surrounds the pool are what separate a $75,000 project from a $180,000 one. A flat lot with street access, a simple rectangle and a modest paver deck sits at the bottom of that range. A hillside lot in Calabasas or Rolling Hills that needs caissons, a retaining wall, crane access and a raised spa with a vanishing edge sits at the top.

Ranges we quote most often, based on our own estimator pricing:

• New custom gunite pool — from $70,000, including design, engineering, permits and construction
• Attached spa — a common add, priced with the shell rather than as a separate build
• Interior finish — plaster included; mini pebble, micro pebble and micro-fusion finishes step up from there
• Waterline tile — standard tile included in the base; porcelain mitered-edge tile is the premium option
• Pool deck — pavers from roughly $18/sq ft (Angelus Courtyard) to $35/sq ft (Arterra porcelain)
• Automation and salt systems — priced as premium add-ons, not baked into the base

How long does it take to build a pool?

Plan on 8–12 weeks of construction once permits are issued, plus 4–10 weeks beforehand for design, engineering and city approval.

The construction sequence is predictable: layout and excavation, steel, plumbing and electrical rough-in, gunite, then a cure period, then tile and coping, then decking, then equipment set, then interior finish, then start-up and water balancing.

What actually causes delays is almost never the crew — it is plan check, inspection scheduling, and change orders made after steel is set. We front-load design decisions so the build runs clean.

What is included in a Moda pool build?

Design, 3D renderings, structural engineering, permits, excavation, gunite shell, plumbing and electrical, equipment, interior finish, tile, coping, start-up and cleanup.

• Concept design and photoreal renderings before anything is dug
• Structural engineering and city plan-check submittal
• Excavation, steel, gunite shell, plumbing and electrical rough-in
• Filtration, heating, automation and lighting equipment set and commissioned
• Waterline tile, coping and interior finish
• Water start-up, chemical balancing and owner walkthrough
• Optional in the same contract: deck, landscape, kitchen, pergola, fencing and lighting

Do I need a permit to build a pool in Los Angeles?

Yes. Every in-ground pool in the City and County of Los Angeles requires a building permit, plus electrical and plumbing permits, and California law requires an approved pool safety barrier before final sign-off.

Practically, that means engineered plans stamped by a licensed engineer, a plan-check submittal to your jurisdiction, and a sequence of inspections during construction. Hillside lots frequently trigger a geotechnical (soils) report and grading review. Properties in Hidden Hills, Calabasas, Rolling Hills and most gated communities also require HOA architectural approval on top of the city permit.

California's pool safety act requires at least one approved drowning-prevention barrier — an isolation fence, self-closing self-latching gates, pool safety cover, alarms or an approved equivalent — before your final inspection passes. We handle the submittals; you sign as the owner.

Gunite vs. shotcrete — what's the difference?

Both are pneumatically applied concrete pool shells; gunite mixes dry material with water at the nozzle, while shotcrete arrives pre-mixed in a truck. Built correctly, either produces a permanent, fully engineered shell.

Gunite gives the nozzleman more control over water content in tight or vertical areas, which is why it dominates in hillside and complex-geometry pools around Los Angeles. Wet-mix shotcrete gives a more consistent mix design because it is batched at the plant.

What matters far more than the label is steel placement, shell thickness, cure discipline and who is standing there when the shell goes in. A shell that is not kept wet through cure will craze regardless of which method was used.

What pool equipment should you choose?

For most LA pools we specify a variable-speed pump, a cartridge filter, a high-efficiency gas heater, LED color lighting and app-based automation — with salt chlorination as a popular upgrade.

• Variable-speed pump — required by California Title 20 on most residential pools, and the single biggest lever on your electric bill
• Cartridge filtration — no backwash waste, which matters under LA water restrictions
• Automation — schedule, heat and control lighting and water features from your phone
• Salt chlorination — gentler water feel and less hands-on chemical work; the cell is a consumable
• LED color lighting — low draw, and the difference between a pool you use at night and one you don't

What pool finishes are available?

Standard white plaster is included; mini pebble, micro pebble and micro-fusion finishes step up in durability, texture and water color.

Plaster is the most economical and the shortest-lived — plan on resurfacing on a roughly 8–12 year cycle. Pebble finishes last considerably longer and hide staining far better. Micro and fusion finishes give the smoothest underfoot feel in the pebble family and the deepest water color.

Waterline tile is where the pool reads as custom or generic. Standard tile is included in our base; porcelain with a mitered edge is the upgrade most of our clients pick when the pool is visible from the house.

How does the design process work?

Consultation, site measurement, concept design with photoreal renderings, a fully itemized proposal, then engineering and permitting — you approve the design before construction is scheduled.

You can start the design conversation before you ever meet us: our free AI design tool renders your backyard from your own photo and selections, and the estimate builder produces an itemized cost range in a few minutes. Most clients arrive at the consultation already knowing roughly what they want and what it costs.

How should you compare pool builders?

Verify the license on the CSLB website, compare itemized scopes rather than bottom-line numbers, ask who actually performs the work, and ask what happens to the deck and landscape after the pool is finished.

• Look the license up yourself at cslb.ca.gov — ours is #1102152
• Ask for an itemized proposal. A single lump sum hides where the money is and makes change orders inevitable
• Ask which trades are in-house versus brokered out. Pool-only builders hand the yard back to you as dirt
• Ask what the allowance is for tile, coping and decking. Low allowances are the most common way a bid gets artificially cheap
• Ask about the warranty — on the shell, the finish and the equipment, separately
• Read reviews on more than one platform, and look for reviews that describe the process, not just the result