Pool & Spa Remodeling in Santa Monica

City of Santa Monica Building and Safety Division (Community Development Department). Residential building, grading and swimming pool permits are issued by the city's own Building and Safety Division at the Permit Services Center, not by Los Angeles. Properties inside the coastal zone still need a coastal development permit from the California Coastal Commission, because the city has a certified Land Use Plan but not yet a fully certified Local Coastal Program; a memorandum of understanding with the Commission was signed in 2026 to complete it. Any demolition application for a structure more than 40 years old is transmitted to the Landmarks Commission for landmark review before it can move forward. Review durations vary by project and by whether coastal or historic review applies. We prepare the drawings, make the submittal and handle plan-check corrections ourselves, so you are not the one chasing the city.

Mostly flat, modest rectangular lots on a tight grid, many of them alley-loaded with shallow rear yards and close side-yard neighbors. Larger estate parcels appear north of Montana Avenue. In practice that means beach-side and Ocean Park parcels sit on sandy alluvium mapped for liquefaction, which pushes pool shells and ADU foundations toward deeper structural engineering..

All of it, including North of Montana, Sunset Park, Ocean Park, Wilmont. We are based in Los Angeles at Cahuenga Pass, so Santa Monica is a short run for our crews rather than a job we service from out of the area.

New pool construction in this market generally runs $70,000 to $150,000+. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.