Pool Remodeling in Los Angeles
Alpha Dream Construction does pool remodeling in Los Angeles: we resurface worn pool and spa interiors, renew waterline tile and build the paver decks and backyard around the pool, for homeowners across Los Angeles County, Orange County and Riverside County. We look at your pool first and agree the scope with you; permits depend on the work and your city.
What a Pool Remodel Covers
A pool remodel renews the parts of the pool that wear out while the shell stays in place. On a gunite or shotcrete pool the concrete shell is the structure, and the finish on top of it is what ages and gets replaced. Most remodels combine several of these:
Interior resurfacing
The old plaster or aggregate finish is removed or prepared and a new surface goes on, in the pool and in an attached spa.
Waterline tile
The band of tile at the water level, where body oils and minerals collect. New tile changes the look of the whole pool.
Coping
The cap along the pool edge, in stone, pavers, brick or concrete. Loose or cracked coping lets water behind the tile.
Pool deck
The paving around the pool, replaced or extended in pavers, stone or concrete as part of the same job.
Equipment review
With the pool drained and the deck open, it is the time to check the pump, filter, heater and lights, so a later replacement does not cut into new work.
When to Remodel a Pool: Signs to Watch For
A pool rarely fails all at once. These are the signs that the surface, the tile or the edge has reached the end of its life.
Rough or stained surface
A finish that scrapes feet, snags swimsuits or keeps stains that brushing and water chemistry no longer remove.
Hollow or peeling patches
Spots that sound hollow when tapped, or flake away, mean the finish is coming loose from the shell.
Cracked tile and loose coping
Missing waterline tiles, gaps under the coping or cracks along the edge let water behind the finish.
Losing water
Losing more water than evaporation explains points to a leak, which is found and repaired before a new surface goes on.
Pool and Spa Resurfacing: A Project of Ours
On this backyard pool we resurfaced the interior of the pool and its attached spa. Blue mosaic tile runs along the spa wall, and small blue tile markers mark the steps and the bench edges.
The stone paving around the pool frames the new surface. When a pool is drained for resurfacing, that is the moment to decide on tile, coping and deck together, because each one meets the others at the waterline.
Pool Resurfacing Finishes: How Each One Looks and Feels
The interior finish decides how the pool looks and how it feels underfoot. These are the main choices for a pool renovation in Los Angeles; ask to see each sample wet, because a finish looks different under water than dry:
Plaster
The traditional smooth finish, in white or tinted colors. White plaster gives the water a light, bright blue.
Quartz aggregate
Plaster blended with crushed quartz. Smooth to the touch, with a slight sparkle and a range of blue and gray tones.
Pebble aggregate
Small pebbles exposed at the surface give a textured feel and a natural, stone-like look. Some owners find the texture rough on bare feet, so stand on a sample first.
Tile
Glass or porcelain tile, usually at the waterline and on steps and spa walls, sometimes across the whole pool. It is set piece by piece and holds a bright, even color at the waterline.
How a Pool Remodel Goes, Step by Step
Look at the pool together
We check the surface, the tile, the coping, the deck and the equipment area, and ask about water loss, so the scope covers what is actually worn.
Agree the scope and finishes
You choose the interior finish, the tile and the coping, and we settle what happens to the deck and the equipment.
Check permits
We confirm with your city's building department what the planned scope needs before work starts.
Drain and prepare
The pool is drained, the old surface is removed or roughened so the new one bonds, and cracks or hollow areas are repaired.
Tile and new surface
Any new waterline tile goes on first, then the interior finish is applied in the pool and the spa.
Refill and start-up
The pool is refilled and the water chemistry is balanced while the new surface cures, following the finish maker's start-up steps.
Remodel the Backyard Around the Pool
A new pool surface often makes the deck and the yard around it look tired. Because we also build hardscape and paver patios, outdoor kitchens, patio covers and landscape, the pool and the yard can be planned and built as one project.
Pool and backyard projects, with Google reviews
4.8 on Google
★★★★★Google review"Alpha Dream did an incredible job on our new fence and patio cover."
★★★★★Google review"We hired Alpha Dream Construction for a custom patio cover at our home in North Hollywood and the experience was absolutely amazing from start to finish."
★★★★★Google review"They did an amazing job on our deck right before the holidays and I am so glad we listened to Josh and finished the project on time."
Pool Remodeling Questions
Can a new finish change the color of my pool water?
Yes. The water takes its color from the finish under it: white and light finishes read as light blue, darker finishes as a deeper blue. Ask to see a wet sample before you choose.
Do I need a permit to remodel my pool in Los Angeles?
It depends on the scope of the work and on your city. In the City of Los Angeles the building department is LADBS; elsewhere in Los Angeles County, Orange County and Riverside County it is your own city's or the county's department. We check the planned scope with that department before the pool is drained.
Should I replace the tile and coping when I resurface?
Usually it is worth deciding at the same time. The tile and coping meet the new surface at the waterline, and replacing them later can mean draining the pool again.
Can a gunite pool be remodeled?
Yes. A gunite or shotcrete shell takes a new interior finish, tile and coping. Any crack in the shell is checked and repaired before the new surface goes on.
What affects the cost of a pool remodel?
The size of the pool and whether it has a spa, the finish you choose, how much tile and coping is replaced, repairs found once the pool is drained, and any deck or equipment work. We price after looking at the pool.
Do you remodel pools outside the City of Los Angeles?
Yes. We work across Los Angeles County, Orange County and Riverside County, from Sherman Oaks and the rest of the San Fernando Valley to the cities with their own building departments.
Plan Your Pool Remodel
Send us a few details about your pool and what bothers you about it, and we will set up a visit to look at it with you. Request a pool remodeling consultation.