Free California Pool Bid Kit
Bids that look cheaper often just leave things out. This free 7-page PDF shows what a complete pool bid should list, so you can compare builders on the same terms before you sign.
Download the free PDF (7 pages, no sign-up)
What's inside
- Part 1: What a complete pool bid lists. About 70 line items in 12 groups: design and permits, excavation and haul-off, steel and shell, plumbing, equipment, electrical and gas, tile and finish, decking, safety, extras, handover, and allowances and exclusions. Each line has a "Yes / No" box and a blank for the builder's price. Hand it to each builder and ask them to fill it in.
- Part 2: Bid comparison sheet. Put three bids side by side: price, down payment, equipment models, finish, allowances, safety features, schedule and warranty.
- Part 3: 25 questions to ask a pool builder, from license and insurance to rock clauses, lien releases and warranties.
- Part 4: Contract must-haves under California law (Business and Professions Code 7159, 7159.5 and 7167).
Written by Randy Beard, licensed California pool contractor (CSLB #871188, C-53 Swimming Pool and C-27 Landscaping), in the pool trade since 1979, former CSLB investigator and construction defect expert witness. There are no prices or price ranges in the kit: every yard is different, and the point is to get every builder to price the same complete job.
General information, not legal advice, and not a substitute for engineering or permit plans.
Your next steps
- Free download: the California Pool Bid Kit (PDF): every line item a complete bid should list, a 3-builder comparison sheet and 25 questions to ask.
- No bids yet? Get a written pool specification first, so every builder prices the same pool.
- Got a bid or a contract? Have a licensed pool contractor review it before you sign.
- What's not in your pool contract: the items most often left out.
- Which pool equipment should I get? Pentair, Hayward or Jandy.
- The before-you-sign checklist: what California requires in the contract.
About to sign a pool contract?
Have a licensed pool contractor read it first. Randy Beard (CSLB #871188, C-53 Swimming Pool and C-27 Landscaping) reviews pool contracts and plans before you sign: what the contract must contain under California law, what this one leaves out, and what the plans don't show. Flat price: $495 for one bid, with a written summary and a 30-minute call. How contract review worksFree: download the California Pool Bid Kit (PDF).
No bids yet? Have the pool specified first so every builder bids the same job ($1,495). · (949) 264-3466