Pool bids are some of the hardest home improvement documents to compare. One contractor sends a three-page itemized proposal. Another sends a single line that says “pool and spa per plan, $92,000.” A third lists equipment by brand but never mentions permits. All three can be legitimate, and all three can leave you exposed.
This checklist is what we look for when we review a pool bid. Use it to mark up every bid you’ve received. Anything that’s missing or vague is a question to send the contractor before you sign, not after.
One note before you start: a bid isn’t a contract. Many bids are rough by design, and that’s fine. But by the time you sign, California law requires a home improvement contract to spell out a lot of what’s below. 1 If a bid can’t answer these questions, the contract probably won’t either.
1. The contractor and the paperwork
- License number is on the bid, and it’s an active C-53 Swimming Pool license (or a general contractor license that covers the work). Look it up free at cslb.ca.gov. 2
- The contract will be labeled “Home Improvement” and include the contractor’s name, business address, and license number. 1
- Insurance is disclosed. California contracts must say whether the contractor carries commercial general liability insurance. 1 Ask for workers’ comp proof too, if they have employees. 3
- Approximate start and completion dates are stated, along with what counts as “starting” the work. 1
2. The pool itself
- A plan and scale drawing showing the shape, size, dimensions, and construction and equipment specifications. For pools, this isn’t optional. California law requires it in the contract. 1
- Depths are stated, not just length and width.
- Shell construction method is named, shotcrete or gunite, along with the minimum compressive strength (PSI). This is one of the most commonly skipped items we see.
- Rebar is specified by type, including size and spacing, or the bid states it’ll be built to engineered plans.
- Excavation and haul-off are included, and the bid explains how unexpected underground conditions will be handled (more on that in section 7).
3. Finishes, measured and priced
This is where bids differ the most, and where vague wording costs homeowners the most. Every material should be listed by type, with available upgrades and their pricing, and every finish should be measured, so you can check the math and compare bids on the same quantities.
- Plaster / interior finish is named by type: standard white plaster, quartz, or pebble, plus brand and color if possible, with upgrade options and prices. CSLB recommends contracts identify materials by quality, size, or brand name. 4 Look for the square footage of the interior surface.
- Tile is named by type with its linear footage, and either specified or listed as an allowance with a dollar figure (for example, $12 per linear foot). Ask what’s available at that price and what upgrades cost.
- Coping is named by type (precast, natural stone, poured concrete, etc.) with its linear footage and upgrade pricing.
- Decking is defined by square footage and material, with upgrade pricing, or clearly marked as not included.
If one bid quotes 90 linear feet of tile and another quotes 110, you’re not comparing the same pool. Measurements are how you catch that.
4. Equipment
- Every piece of equipment is listed by brand and model number: pump, filter, heater, automation/controls, lights, sanitizer or salt system. “Variable-speed pump” alone isn’t enough.
- The pump is variable-speed. California’s appliance rules require replacement pool pump motors of 0.5 horsepower and up to be variable-speed. 5 Any reputable bid should already reflect this.
- Warranty source is clear for each item, meaning whether it’s covered by the manufacturer or the contractor, and for how long.
- For renovations: the bid says what happens to existing equipment. Is the heater being replaced, reused, or left out? This is easy to miss when bids list only what’s new.
5. Safety and code
- Drowning prevention features are addressed. When a permit is issued for a new pool or spa, or a remodel, at a single-family home, California requires at least two of seven safety features. 6 These are checked at what’s known as the “enclosure” inspection. The most common combination is door and pool alarms plus perimeter fencing with self-closing, self-latching gates that swing outward, away from the pool. If the pool has an automatic safety cover, alarms generally aren’t needed. The bid should say which features are included and who pays for them.
- New pools: anti-entrapment drains. California requires new pools to have at least two suction outlets per pump, at least three feet apart, with anti-entrapment covers that meet the national standard. 7 For remodels, this “split drain” system typically isn’t required unless additional plumbing work is part of the scope, and the same goes for equipment-only upgrades. Competent contractors will still recommend it, so ask whether the bid includes it.
- Fencing or barriers are in or out of scope, in writing. If they’re not in the bid, you may be paying for them separately.
6. Permits and inspections
- The bid says who pulls the permits. CSLB notes the contractor usually does, but it should be written into the contract, or you could be held responsible. 4
- The bid says who pays permit and city/county fees, and whether they’re in the total or billed separately.
- Every trade that needs a permit is accounted for: building, plumbing, electrical, and gas if there’s a heater or fire feature.
In our sample report, all three fictitious bids skipped permits entirely. It’s the single most common gap we flag.
7. Money
- The down payment is no more than $1,000 or 10% of the price, whichever is less. 8 On any pool over $10,000, that means $1,000, max.
- Progress payments are tied to completed milestones, not dates. Apart from the down payment, it’s against California law for a contractor to collect payment for work not yet done or materials not yet delivered. 18
- Final payment comes after plaster is done and any required equipment, decking, or fencing is installed. That’s CSLB’s guidance for pools specifically. 9
- Every allowance is listed with its dollar amount in one place, so you can add them up.
- Change orders must be in writing and signed by both parties. 3
The honest truth about unforeseen conditions
No bid can fully price what nobody can see yet.
- On new pools, excavation can’t start until the site has gone through DigAlert, Southern California’s free call-before-you-dig service. Utilities mark their underground lines in the pool footprint before digging begins (the call has to go in at least two working days ahead). 10 If a line runs through where your pool is going, relocating it is typically at the homeowner’s expense. Boulders or buried sewer lines are rare and hard to anticipate, but they do happen.
- On remodels, cracks and other visible damage are handled case by case, and the full extent usually isn’t known until demolition.
Because these costs can’t be quantified up front, they’re also where a project’s final price most often grows after signing. You can’t eliminate that risk, but you can manage it:
- The bid explains how unforeseen conditions will be handled: the process, how pricing is set (a stated rate or unit price where possible), and that no extra work proceeds without a signed change order.
- The bid says who’s responsible for utility relocation if DigAlert markings conflict with the pool layout.
- You’ve kept a contingency in your own budget for what can’t be known until the ground is open.
8. Your rights at signing
- A Notice of Cancellation is attached. You generally have three business days to cancel (five for seniors) when the contract was signed somewhere other than the contractor’s office. 1
- A mechanics lien notice is included, explaining how unpaid subcontractors or suppliers could put a lien on your property. 1 Ask for lien releases as you pay.
Quick red flags
If you see any of these, slow down and get answers in writing:
- A deposit over $1,000
- A payment schedule that runs ahead of the work
- One combined price with no line items
- Materials listed without type, measurements, or upgrade pricing
- Equipment described generically, with no brand or model
- No mention of permits at all
- No explanation of how unforeseen conditions will be priced
- No plan or drawing referenced