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Pool with a fire table, lounge chairs and paver decking set in turf at sunset
Rolling Hills Estates, California

Pool & Spa Remodeling in Rolling Hills Estates

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 Rolling Hills Estates properties

Rolling Hills Estates, one of four cities on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, is known first for its equestrian character: streets curve with the hillsides, most end in cul-de-sacs, and bridle trails edged in white three-rail fence pass behind the houses. In Dapplegray Lanes the homes sit close to the street so corrals and stables can use the back of narrow lots, while in Los Ranchos Verdes and Ranchview houses crown the hilltops and the trails keep to the valleys below. That pattern shapes a backyard more than any trend does: on H district lots the code reserves room for a future horse-keeping area and keeps a pool at least ten feet from it, and pools, spas and patios count toward a firm lot coverage cap. Grading beyond three feet of cut or fill, other than the pool excavation itself, goes to the Planning Commission, so the site plan is settled with those limits in view from the first sketch.

Single-family zones set minimum lots of one acre in R-A-E, 20,000 square feet in R-A-20, 15,000 in R-A-15 and 10,000 in R-A-10, on curving streets that follow the hillsides and mostly end in cul-de-sacs. Pools, spas, patios and decking count at 75 percent of their area toward a lot coverage cap of 25 percent in R-A-E, 30 percent in R-A-20 and R-A-15, and 35 percent in R-A-10, so coverage is often the first number a backyard plan is checked against.

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 Rolling Hills Estates: Rolling Hills Estates is a contract city: its Building and Safety Division, part of Community Development at City Hall on Palos Verdes Drive North, uses Willdan for building and safety services, and application materials go to Willdan for building review only after Planning has approved the project. For ADUs and small additions, the city's submittal list asks for fully dimensioned plans showing existing and proposed lot coverage, plus one set signed by the homeowners association and the adjacent neighbors. Title 17 requires Planning Director grading approval for cut or fill between one and three feet deep or ten to twenty cubic yards of import or export, and Planning Commission approval beyond three feet, beyond twenty cubic yards or on any slope of 35 percent or more, although excavation for a swimming pool under a valid building permit is exempt. On lots in the H (horse) district, no permit may be issued that would rule out a future horse-keeping area of at least 800 square feet, set 35 feet from any dwelling on or off the lot and ten feet from a swimming pool, with a limited exception for legally built homes that cannot fit one until they are substantially expanded or rebuilt.

Permit details checked September 2026 against Rolling Hills Estates Municipal Code. Rules change, so we confirm them again for your parcel.

What We Build

  • Horse-keeping area preservation on H district lots
  • Lot coverage planning for pools and hardscape
  • Planning Commission grading approval
  • HOA and neighbor plan signatures for ADUs
  • Geotechnical design for expansive clay and landslide areas
  • 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 Rolling Hills Estates actually involves

Every city in Southern California builds differently. These are the things that change the scope, the schedule or the budget on Rolling Hills Estates projects.

01

The General Plan Safety Element maps more than 1,200 acres of the planning area as Altamont Clay Loam, Diablo Clay Loam and Montezuma Clay Adobe, expansive clay soils with a high shrink-swell potential, so pool shells, slabs and footings are best designed from a site soils report.

02

The Safety Element describes a modeled Silver Spur Landslide Complex whose potentially active slip surface underlies a large portion of the residential area northeast of the Peninsula Center, and state seismic hazard mapping places areas behind Little Silver Spur Road, between Deep Valley Drive and Crenshaw Boulevard, and along the south side of Indian Peak Road in earthquake-induced landslide areas, so geotechnical review comes before pool or retaining wall design.

03

The Safety Element notes that wildfire poses a particular hazard to properties built on or next to canyons and steep hillsides, and it records a 1973 fire in the planning area that burned 925 acres and destroyed 12 homes. Fire protection is provided under contract by the Los Angeles County Fire Department, which enforces fuel modification on parcels in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, so a parcel's current zone is confirmed before decking and planting are chosen.

04

Bridle trails run along roads, through parks and valleys and behind houses, marked by white three-rail fences, and where a lot carries a bridle trail easement the code requires a yard of at least seven feet between the nearest building eave and the easement.

Areas we serve in Rolling Hills Estates:Dapplegray LanesRollingwoodLos Ranchos VerdesRanchviewMasongateThe Ranch

Investment

What this costs in Rolling Hills Estates

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 Rolling Hills Estates property

How We Build

Your Rolling Hills Estates project, step by step

01

Site Review

We walk the property, check access, soil and slope, and confirm what the yard can actually take.

02

Design & 3D

You see the pool in 3D before anything is dug, with finishes, tile and decking chosen.

03

Plans & Permits

We draw the plans, handle engineering where the site needs it, and pull the permits. In Rolling Hills Estates that submittal goes to City of Rolling Hills Estates Community Development Department, Building and Safety Division.

04

Excavation & Shell

Dig, steel, plumbing and gunite. This is where site access and grading matter most.

05

Finishes

Tile, coping, decking and your chosen interior finish go in.

06

Startup & Handover

We fill, balance the water, commission the equipment and walk you through every control.

Rolling Hills Estates Questions

Common questions from Rolling Hills Estates homeowners

Who issues the permits for this work in Rolling Hills Estates?

City of Rolling Hills Estates Community Development Department, Building and Safety Division. Rolling Hills Estates is a contract city: its Building and Safety Division, part of Community Development at City Hall on Palos Verdes Drive North, uses Willdan for building and safety services, and application materials go to Willdan for building review only after Planning has approved the project. For ADUs and small additions, the city's submittal list asks for fully dimensioned plans showing existing and proposed lot coverage, plus one set signed by the homeowners association and the adjacent neighbors. Title 17 requires Planning Director grading approval for cut or fill between one and three feet deep or ten to twenty cubic yards of import or export, and Planning Commission approval beyond three feet, beyond twenty cubic yards or on any slope of 35 percent or more, although excavation for a swimming pool under a valid building permit is exempt. On lots in the H (horse) district, no permit may be issued that would rule out a future horse-keeping area of at least 800 square feet, set 35 feet from any dwelling on or off the lot and ten feet from a swimming pool, with a limited exception for legally built homes that cannot fit one until they are substantially expanded or rebuilt. 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 Rolling Hills Estates different?

Single-family zones set minimum lots of one acre in R-A-E, 20,000 square feet in R-A-20, 15,000 in R-A-15 and 10,000 in R-A-10, on curving streets that follow the hillsides and mostly end in cul-de-sacs. Pools, spas, patios and decking count at 75 percent of their area toward a lot coverage cap of 25 percent in R-A-E, 30 percent in R-A-20 and R-A-15, and 35 percent in R-A-10, so coverage is often the first number a backyard plan is checked against. One local condition that shapes the work: The General Plan Safety Element maps more than 1,200 acres of the planning area as Altamont Clay Loam, Diablo Clay Loam and Montezuma Clay Adobe, expansive clay soils with a high shrink-swell potential, so pool shells, slabs and footings are best designed from a site soils report.

Which parts of Rolling Hills Estates do you work in?

All of it, including Dapplegray Lanes, Rollingwood, Los Ranchos Verdes and Ranchview. 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 Rolling Hills Estates?

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.

Planning a pool or spa project in Rolling Hills Estates?

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