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Infinity pool, covered patio, and outdoor kitchen overlooking the ocean in Rolling Hills Estates, built by DECOMA Industries

Residential

How to choose a backyard or pool contractor in the South Bay.

A buyer's guide to hiring for a South Bay backyard or pool: design before price, the license to verify, California's payment limits, red flags, and when to hire someone else.

Why choosing a backyard contractor

The short answer

For a yard with more than one or two elements, hire one licensed contractor who will design the whole space before pricing it and take responsibility for every trade. For a single item, a licensed specialist can be the better choice. Either way, verify the license that covers the pool, see the layout before you commit, and keep your payments behind the work.

We build backyards in the South Bay, so we have a stake in who you hire. These checks work on any contractor, including us.

Choose the designer before you choose the price

Most bad backyards fail in design, not construction. A kitchen in the far corner, a spa nobody walks to, or a lounge in the wrong sun can't be fixed without rebuilding. A good layout costs about the same to build as a bad one, which is why two bids on a pool tell you little until you know what the yard is supposed to do.

Before you compare numbers, ask each contractor to show you:

  • The whole yard, with your house in it. Look for how you'd walk from the kitchen door to the dining area, pool, and lounge. A sketch of the pool alone doesn't answer that.
  • What they checked first. Ask about the survey, setbacks, soils, slope, sun, wind, views, and how equipment gets in.
  • What's left out. A pool price may not include decking, fencing, gas, or the electrical work around it. We tell people a new pool starts around $100,000 for the pool alone, with coping and nothing around it.

Whose license covers the pool?

This is the question most homeowners don't know to ask. CSLB's pool guide says pools can be built by a contractor with a C-53 Swimming Pool license. A General Building (B) or Landscape (C-27) contractor may also contract for pool work if they hold the pool classification or subcontract the work to a licensed C-53 contractor.

So ask who will build your pool, and look up that license. We work with licensed C-53 pool contractors, so ask us who's building yours. For anyone you're considering, us included, check it on the CSLB license check. If a salesperson signs you up, CSLB says they must be registered as a Home Improvement Salesperson, and you can ask to see proof.

Eight questions to ask every backyard contractor

  1. Can I see a finished yard like mine, and talk to that owner? Prefer a similar lot, especially on a slope.
  2. Who designs the whole yard, and who owns the places where trades meet? Listen for grades, drainage, footings, and utility routes.
  3. Who pulls the permits? CSLB says this should be written into the contract, or you could be held legally responsible.
  4. Will my lot need a survey, soils report, or engineering? Slope, retaining walls, and structures can all add these.
  5. How does the equipment get in? A tight side yard can change the method and the price.
  6. Where does the water go? Ask about drainage for the pool deck, hardscape, and any slope.
  7. Who will run the job day to day? Get a name, not just a company.
  8. What does the payment schedule look like? Check it against the rules below.

What California lets a contractor charge

According to CSLB, a down payment can't exceed 10 percent of the project price or $1,000, whichever is less. There's an exception for contractors with a qualifying bond or approved joint control arrangement, so get the documentation before paying more.

CSLB also warns about "frontloading," which it calls illegal and a source of many complaints against pool contractors. That means taking money ahead of the work. On a pool, the final payment should wait until the final plastering is done and any equipment, decking, or fencing in the contract is complete.

Red flags

  • A price for the pool before anyone has walked the lot.
  • A deposit far above the legal limit, with no bond documentation.
  • Payments that run ahead of the work on the schedule.
  • No drawing with the pool's shape, size, and dimensions. CSLB says the contract requires one.
  • Nobody can say who will pull permits or hold the pool license.
  • Nothing has been said about drainage on a sloped lot.

What changes by neighborhood

Your lot and city should shape the advice you get:

  • [Palos Verdes Estates](/service-areas/palos-verdes-estates/backyard-remodel/): Art Jury review can apply, so design and schedule need to account for it.
  • [Rancho Palos Verdes](/service-areas/rancho-palos-verdes/backyard-remodel/): check height limits and landslide-zone rules before designing.
  • [Rolling Hills Estates](/service-areas/rolling-hills-estates/backyard-remodel/): planning and Willdan building review both apply, along with view rules.
  • [Torrance](/service-areas/torrance/backyard-remodel/) and [Redondo Beach](/service-areas/redondo-beach/backyard-remodel/): South and West Torrance and South Redondo often have room for a pool, while hillside rules can apply in parts of Torrance.
  • Manhattan Beach Sand Section and Hermosa: lots are usually too small for a pool. A good contractor should tell you that up front.

When we're not the right choice

If you want one small item instead of a designed yard, a specialist may suit you better. If your lot can't hold what you have in mind, we'll tell you and talk through what it can hold.

DECOMA fits best when you want the whole yard designed in 3D and built under one contract. We work with licensed C-53 Swimming Pool contractors on pool work. We've built more than 1,000 pools, and you can see a finished yard at South Shores Home. Read about our full outdoor living program, or schedule a free consultation and bring these questions with you.

Why DECOMA

One license, three disciplines, forty years.

Family-run South Bay general contractor since 1978. We design, build, and manage — under one license — so the team you start with is the team that hands you keys and the team that answers the phone when something needs fixing in year ten.

Years building
48+
Projects delivered
3,000+
Repeat clients
300+
CSLB Class
A/B

FAQ

Common questions.

Who should I hire to remodel my backyard in the South Bay?
If the job touches several trades, such as a pool, hardscape, gas, electrical, structures, and planting, look for one licensed contractor who will design the whole yard and take responsibility for the full scope. If you only need one thing, like planting or a single pool, a licensed specialist can be the right choice.
Who is licensed to build a pool in California?
According to the Contractors State License Board, pools can be built by a contractor with a C-53 Swimming Pool license. A General Building (B) or Landscape (C-27) contractor may also contract for pool work if they hold the pool classification or subcontract the work to a licensed C-53 contractor. Ask who will actually build your pool, then look up that license.
How much can a pool contractor ask for up front?
A down payment can't be more than 10 percent of the price or $1,000, whichever is less, unless the contractor has a qualifying bond or approved arrangement. Later payments can't get ahead of the work. CSLB warns specifically about taking the final payment before the pool is plastered and the other contract work is complete.
Should I hire a pool company and a landscaper separately?
You can, but someone has to coordinate them. Grades, drainage, footings, gas and electrical routes, and lighting all cross between trades. If you hire separately, decide in writing who owns those connections before anyone starts.
What should a pool contract include?
CSLB says a pool contract must describe the work, materials, and equipment, and include a plan and scale drawing showing the pool's shape, size, and dimensions along with construction and equipment specifications. It should also include a payment schedule and the state's Notice to Owner about liens.
When is DECOMA not the right choice for a backyard?
If you want a single small item rather than a designed yard, a specialist may suit you better. And if your heart is set on a full-size pool on a small Manhattan Beach Sand Section or Hermosa lot, the lot usually won't hold one. We'd talk with you about a plunge, a fire feature, and a covered lounge instead.

Service areas

Choosing a backyard contractor across the South Bay.

Born in Harbor City, working across LA County since 1978. Same crew, same license number, same shop at 25941 Frampton Ave, Harbor City.

Talk to a contractor

Tell us about your project.

One business day for a scope, timeline, and budget range. CSLB #375508 A/B.

Request consultation(310) 418-0258