
Pool & Spa Remodeling in Playa del Rey
New pools, spa additions, replastering, tile and coping, and full pool remodels. Designed, permitted and built by our own crews.
Pool & Spa Remodeling built for Playa del Rey properties
Playa del Rey climbs from the mouth of Ballona Creek onto ancient sand dunes, and where a lot sits on that rise decides most of what a project involves. On the bluffs of the original Palisades del Rey tract, the Coastal Bluffs Specific Plan governs pools on sloping ground, drainage to the street and building height near the curb. On Subarea 3 lots, no new construction within 38 feet of the front lot line may exceed nine feet in height, a limit the City describes as a way to preserve views and have new homes step down the slope instead of massing along the street. Down by the lagoon and the beach, the dunes give way to younger lowland ground mapped for liquefaction, and parcels there can sit in the dual permit area, where the Coastal Commission issues a second permit.
Recent City and Coastal Commission cases here involve lots of roughly 3,500 to 7,300 square feet, and on the Palisades del Rey bluffs many fall steeply away from the street. Below them sit the small village commercial strip along Culver Boulevard and The Jungle, a tight cluster of closely built apartments near the beach.
We are a design-build team, which means the people who draw your project are the people who build it. Design, engineering, permits and construction run through one project manager and our own crews, so nothing gets lost in a handoff between a salesperson and a subcontractor. We are licensed, bonded and insured, CSLB license #1119054.
Permits in Playa del Rey: Private pools in the City of Los Angeles are permitted through a Combined Building-Mechanical permit, while pools serving more than two dwelling units need separate building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits. Using a City of Los Angeles standard plan on file with LADBS reduces plan check time. Lots inside the Coastal Bluffs Specific Plan (Ordinance No. 170,046), which covers the Playa del Rey bluffs, carry extra rules. No permit is issued for a pool or spa over ground sloping 7:1 (14.3 percent) or steeper unless it uses a permanent non-chlorine water purification system, and such a pool must be pumped to the street when drained. In Subareas 1 and 3, drainage from roofs, pools and spas must reach an improved street by gravity unless LADBS finds that infeasible and approves another method, and a project that imports or exports more than 10 cubic yards of earth needs a soils and geology report that also addresses earthquake hazards, including the Charnock and Newport-Inglewood faults. Bluff parcels on streets such as Montreal Street and Sunridge Street also sit inside the City's mapped Hillside Grading Area, where a pool excavation needs its own grading permit. The bluff, lagoon and beach areas are in the coastal zone, and because the City has no certified Local Coastal Program for Westchester-Playa del Rey, any required coastal development permit must be found consistent with Chapter 3 of the Coastal Act. Parcels in the dual permit jurisdiction area also need a second coastal development permit from the California Coastal Commission.
Permit details checked September 2026 against LADBS, LA City Planning, LA City Clerk and State of California. Rules change, so we confirm them again for your parcel.
What We Build
- Coastal Bluffs Specific Plan pool and slope review
- Gravity drainage to the street for roofs and pools
- Soils and geology reports for bluff grading
- Coastal development and dual permit coordination
- Street-level height limits on Subarea 3 lots
- New gunite pool and spa construction
- Full pool remodels and replastering
- Pebble, quartz and plaster interior finishes
- Waterline tile and coping replacement
- Raised and attached spas with spillways
- Baja shelves, benches and sun ledges
- Water features, fire bowls and sheer descents
- Equipment upgrades, heaters and automation
- Pool decking in pavers, concrete or travertine
- LED lighting and salt-water conversions
Local Conditions
What building in Playa del Rey actually involves
Every city in Southern California builds differently. These are the things that change the scope, the schedule or the budget on Playa del Rey projects.
The bluffs are ancient wind-blown dunes, and the state seismic hazard map places their steepest faces in a zone of required investigation for earthquake-induced landslides.
The lowlands along Ballona Creek, around Del Rey Lagoon and across the beach fall in the state liquefaction zone, a map meant to prompt site-specific geotechnical investigation before foundations and pool shells are designed.
LADBS grading review of one vacant Montreal Street lot recorded a slope dropping about 60 feet from the street, with dune sand over the San Pedro Formation, and accepted consultant reports proposing conventional or drilled-pile foundations.
Some bluff parcels, including lots on Montreal Street, are also mapped in a City Methane Zone and a Special Grading Area, and in a Methane Zone a new building needs an engineer-designed methane mitigation system that meets LADBS standards.
Investment
What this costs in Playa del Rey
Real Southern California ranges, not a teaser number. Every project is priced line by line after we have seen the site.
New pool construction
$70,000 to $150,000+
What moves it: size and shape, spa, water and fire features, decking material, automation, and how much access and grading the site needs
Pool remodel and resurfacing
$15,000 to $45,000
What moves it: finish choice (plaster versus pebble or quartz), tile and coping replacement, new equipment, and whether the deck is being replaced at the same time
Paver patio and hardscape
from about $13,000
What moves it: square footage, paver type, base preparation, drainage, and any steps or retaining involved
Your number depends on your lot, your access and your finishes. We walk the site, then price every line so you can see exactly where the budget goes.
Get a line-item price for your Playa del Rey propertyHow We Build
Your Playa del Rey project, step by step
Site Review
We walk the property, check access, soil and slope, and confirm what the yard can actually take.
Design & 3D
You see the pool in 3D before anything is dug, with finishes, tile and decking chosen.
Plans & Permits
We draw the plans, handle engineering where the site needs it, and pull the permits. In Playa del Rey that submittal goes to Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS).
Excavation & Shell
Dig, steel, plumbing and gunite. This is where site access and grading matter most.
Finishes
Tile, coping, decking and your chosen interior finish go in.
Startup & Handover
We fill, balance the water, commission the equipment and walk you through every control.
Playa del Rey Questions
Common questions from Playa del Rey homeowners
Who issues the permits for this work in Playa del Rey?
Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS). Private pools in the City of Los Angeles are permitted through a Combined Building-Mechanical permit, while pools serving more than two dwelling units need separate building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits. Using a City of Los Angeles standard plan on file with LADBS reduces plan check time. Lots inside the Coastal Bluffs Specific Plan (Ordinance No. 170,046), which covers the Playa del Rey bluffs, carry extra rules. No permit is issued for a pool or spa over ground sloping 7:1 (14.3 percent) or steeper unless it uses a permanent non-chlorine water purification system, and such a pool must be pumped to the street when drained. In Subareas 1 and 3, drainage from roofs, pools and spas must reach an improved street by gravity unless LADBS finds that infeasible and approves another method, and a project that imports or exports more than 10 cubic yards of earth needs a soils and geology report that also addresses earthquake hazards, including the Charnock and Newport-Inglewood faults. Bluff parcels on streets such as Montreal Street and Sunridge Street also sit inside the City's mapped Hillside Grading Area, where a pool excavation needs its own grading permit. The bluff, lagoon and beach areas are in the coastal zone, and because the City has no certified Local Coastal Program for Westchester-Playa del Rey, any required coastal development permit must be found consistent with Chapter 3 of the Coastal Act. Parcels in the dual permit jurisdiction area also need a second coastal development permit from the California Coastal Commission. We prepare the drawings, make the submittal and handle plan-check corrections ourselves, so you are not the one chasing plan check.
What makes building in Playa del Rey different?
Recent City and Coastal Commission cases here involve lots of roughly 3,500 to 7,300 square feet, and on the Palisades del Rey bluffs many fall steeply away from the street. Below them sit the small village commercial strip along Culver Boulevard and The Jungle, a tight cluster of closely built apartments near the beach. One local condition that shapes the work: The bluffs are ancient wind-blown dunes, and the state seismic hazard map places their steepest faces in a zone of required investigation for earthquake-induced landslides.
Which parts of Playa del Rey do you work in?
All of it, including Palisades del Rey, Del Rey Hills, The Jungle and Del Rey Lagoon. Our crews run every job out of our Cahuenga Pass base in Los Angeles, with our own people on site.
What does a pool or spa project cost in Playa del Rey?
New pool construction: generally $70,000 to $150,000+ across Southern California. What moves it is size and shape, spa, water and fire features, decking material, automation, and how much access and grading the site needs. We give line-item pricing after seeing the site rather than quoting a number over the phone.
How long does a pool remodel take?
A straightforward replaster with new tile and coping usually runs three to five weeks. A full remodel that includes new decking, equipment and features typically runs eight to twelve weeks. Site access and permit timing are the two things that move that most.
How long does a new pool take to build?
Most new pool builds run about three to five months from permit to first swim. Hillside sites that need engineered retaining or difficult access sit at the longer end of that range.
Should I replaster or fully remodel?
If the shell and plumbing are sound and you only dislike the surface, replastering with new tile and coping is the efficient choice. If the equipment is aging, the deck is cracked or the shape no longer suits how you use the yard, a full remodel costs less than doing it in two separate phases.
Do you self-perform the work?
Yes. Our own crews handle the build rather than passing it to a rotating set of subs, which is why the schedule and the finish standard stay consistent.
More services in Playa del Rey
Playa del Rey Guides
Planning guides for Playa del Rey homeowners
Costs, materials and process notes from our own projects.
Building a Pool in Northridge: Costs, Soil and the LADBS Process
A new pool in Northridge typically runs $85,000 to $165,000 all-in with decking and equipment. The tract lots are generous, the soil is workable, and the real variables are access, spa and deck square footage.
Read guideVan Nuys Pool and Backyard Guide: Costs on the Valley Floor
A new pool in Van Nuys runs $75,000 to $145,000, and a pool-plus-backyard package $110,000 to $220,000. Flat lots keep excavation honest; older service panels and gas meters are where budgets slip.
Read guideTravertine vs Porcelain Pavers: The Honest Comparison for SoCal Yards
Travertine installs at roughly $22 to $30 per square foot, porcelain at $24 to $34. The real difference is heat, staining and how each one handles a chlorinated pool deck over ten years.
Read guidePool Coping Compared: Cast Concrete, Natural Stone and Porcelain
Coping runs $28 to $55 per lineal foot in concrete, $55 to $110 in natural stone and $60 to $120 in porcelain. On an average pool perimeter that is a $2,500 to $11,000 decision.
Read guidePlanning a pool or spa project in Playa del Rey?
Sit down with your project manager, go through the details, and get an accurate estimate for your property. We call you back within one business day.
Licensed, bonded & insured · CSLB license #1119054