How this service works
Plain answers about who we are, who you will talk to, and how we get paid.
We are a referral service, not a contractor
Temecula Pool Guide does not build pools, does not pull permits, and does not hold a contractor license. We publish information for homeowners in Temecula, Murrieta, and French Valley, and we connect them with an independent licensed pool builder.
California Business and Professions Code section 7027.1 restricts advertising for construction work unless the advertiser is licensed in that classification. Advertising includes electronic pages. The fine named in that section is $700 to $1,000. This site does not offer to build your pool.
The CSLB's fast facts on online home improvement marketplaces say contractor referral services are legal in California, within limits. A referral service may not solicit or negotiate a contract for a builder, and may not offer to undertake the construction itself or through others. You should enter the contract with the licensed builder and pay that builder directly.
Where your request goes
When you send a request with the form, it comes to us first. We ask if we may pass it to one independent licensed pool builder who serves your area, and we tell you who that builder is before we pass it on. That builder gives you their own assessment, written price, and contract, under their own license.
No builder is named on this site yet. When one is, their name and license number will be shown, and you should still look the number up. Section 7030.5 requires a licensee to show the license number in advertising.
What we do not do
Section 7152 requires a person who solicits, sells, negotiates, or executes a home improvement contract for a contractor to be a registered home improvement salesperson. Swimming pools, spas, and hot tubs are named in that section. There is an exemption for a person who only schedules appointments for a registered salesperson.
We pass on your request so you can schedule a visit with the builder. We do not sell the contract, negotiate it, or take payment for the pool. The license guide is the homeowner version of this.
How we get paid
Right now no builder pays us. You pay us nothing either way. You pay the builder only if you hire them, under your contract with them. Section 7159 is the home improvement contract statute. It applies to that contract. Cost ranges on this site are contractor estimates, not offers.
Call recording
Calls to this site are recorded to confirm referrals and for quality. You will hear a notice at the start of the call, before you are connected and before any recording starts. If you do not want to be recorded, hang up and use the request form instead.
Verify the builder
Before you sign, look up the license at the CSLB license check and make sure the license number is on the contract.
Sources
- California Business and Professions Code section 7027.1
- CSLB Fast Facts for online home improvement marketplaces
- California Business and Professions Code section 7030.5
- California Business and Professions Code section 7152
- California Business and Professions Code section 7159
- Contractors State License Board, Check a License
How a pool project works with the builder we connect you with
Every pool project is designed, quoted, permitted, and built by the builder you hire, not by us. Here is the typical path from first meeting to swimming, including a few things worth asking about.
1. Consultation and site evaluation
Typical: Usually scheduled within 1 to 2 weeks
The builder walks your yard to look at access, slope, soil and rock, setbacks, utilities, and HOA rules, and talks through how you want to use the pool. Many builders in this market do not charge for the first visit; ask when you book.
Questions to ask
- If you charge for a design package, is it credited toward the build?
- What is your C-53 license number?
- Will my access, slope, or rock add cost?
2. Design and itemized proposal
Typical: 1 to 4 weeks
Expect a drawing or 3D design and an itemized proposal covering shell, steel, plumbing, equipment, interior finish, tile, coping, decking, lighting, and permits, with upgrades priced separately.
Questions to ask
- What exactly is included, and what would be extra?
- Can I see the layout marked in my yard before you dig?
- Which shell method do you use, gunite or shotcrete, and why?
3. Contract and financing
Typical: About 1 to 2 weeks
California caps the down payment at $1,000 or 10 percent of the price, whichever is less, and any payment before completion has to follow a written schedule tied to work actually done. Most contracts carry a three day right to cancel.
Questions to ask
- What is the payment schedule, stage by stage?
- What is your warranty on the shell, plumbing, and workmanship, in writing?
- Do your own crews do the work, or subcontractors?
4. Engineering, permits, and HOA
Typical: About 2 to 8 weeks
The City of Temecula requires a building permit for a pool, spa, or hot tub. California also requires at least two of seven drowning prevention features before final approval.
Questions to ask
- Who submits the permit and HOA paperwork, and how long is the city taking right now?
- Which two or more safety features are in my price?
5. Layout, excavation, and rough in
Typical: About 3 to 4 weeks including inspections
Utilities are marked, the shape is laid out for your approval, and access paths are protected before steel, plumbing, and electrical go in.
Questions to ask
- What happens if you hit rock or groundwater, and how is that priced?
- How will you protect my yard and access path?
6. Shell and cure
Typical: About 2 to 3 weeks
The shell goes in, then the concrete cures for about 7 to 10 days. You may be asked to water the shell during curing.
Questions to ask
- Do I need to water the shell, and how often?
- What steel and wall thickness are specified?
7. Tile, coping, decking, equipment, and interior finish
Typical: About 3 to 5 weeks
Tile and coping, then decking, then equipment and the interior finish, usually combined into one phase depending on material choices and weather.
Questions to ask
- How long will the interior finish last, and what is the warranty on it?
- Which pump, filter, and heater are included, and what are their manufacturer warranties?
8. Final inspection, startup, and handoff
Typical: About 1 week
The city does a final inspection, including the safety features. The builder fills the pool, starts up the chemistry, and walks you through equipment and warranty documents.
Questions to ask
- Who handles startup chemistry, and for how long?
- Will I get copies of the final inspection and warranty documents?
What many pool builders leave out
- A warranty length or a payment schedule in writing before you sign.
- California's down payment cap of $1,000 or 10 percent of the price, whichever is less, plus the three day right to cancel most contracts.
- That a new pool needs at least two of seven state-required drowning prevention features before final inspection.