All nine services, in one place
Pool Construction, Remodeling and Resurfacing Services in Southern California
Nine services across five counties — from building a pool that is not there yet to bringing back one that is forty years old. One family crew, one fixed price in writing. If you are not sure which service your pool needs, there is a table below that tells you.
(951) 419-4206Free estimates. Financing available. Licensed — CSLB #1148412.
Run by Oscar Retana, twenty-one years on Southern California pools, with his sons on the same crew. The same three or four people from the first day to the last.
Where we work most: Riverside, Redlands, Hemet, Murrieta, Corona and Anaheim — and across five counties: Moreno Valley, Temecula, Menifee, Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, Fontana, Chino Hills, Irvine, Orange, Pasadena, Glendora, Whittier, Carlsbad, Oceanside, Vista and everywhere in between.
The catalog
Our pool construction, remodeling and resurfacing services
Nine services, each with its own page explaining what the work involves and how long it takes. Most projects turn out to be two or three of them done together — the section further down explains why that is cheaper, and in what order it has to happen.
Pool Resurfacing
The old interior surface chipped out, the shell prepared, a new finish on. Start here if the pool feels rough underfoot or the staining keeps coming back.
See pool resurfacingPool Replastering
Resurfacing where the new finish is plaster specifically — white, quartz or colored. That page also answers the question that decides the whole job: can you plaster over old plaster?
See pool replasteringPebble & StoneScapes
Mini pebble, regular and micro. Lasts fifteen to twenty years against eight to twelve for plaster, and it is the finish that decides the color of your water.
See pebble finishesTile & Coping Replacement
The waterline band and the cap you walk on. Also where we explain which coping materials stay cool enough to stand on barefoot in July — and how to pick one in thirty seconds.
See tile & copingComplete Pool Remodeling
Surface, tile, coping and structure in one project. The page separates what a complete remodel really includes from the backyard rebuilds sold under the same name.
See complete remodelingPool Depth Modification
Baja shelves, benches, steps, and raising a deep end nobody uses. Three very different levels of work get sold under one name, and most people need the smallest.
See depth modificationSpa Resurfacing
The gunite spa built into your pool. It runs at 104 degrees, so it wears out years before the pool does — which is why doing it in the same visit as the pool costs a fraction and finally makes the two match.
See spa resurfacingPool Equipment & Plumbing
Skimmers, returns, drain covers and autofills — the plumbing set into the shell and finished over. A drained pool is the only window when any of it is reachable.
See equipment & plumbingNew Pool Construction
A pool built from the ground up — design, excavation, shell, plumbing, finish and start-up. That page covers what a regular pool includes, what the extras are, and how long it really takes from signing to swimming.
See new pool constructionNot sure which of the nine you need?
Most people call describing a symptom, not a service. Find what you are seeing in the table below and it will point you at the right page — including when the answer is that you do not need us yet.
Start here if you do not know what to ask for
Not sure which pool service you need?
Most people call us describing a symptom rather than a service. Find yours on the left and it will point you at the right page.
| What you are seeing | What it usually is |
|---|---|
| The surface scrapes your feet, or there is chalky white residue on your hand when you rub the wall | The interior finish is at the end of its life — Pool Resurfacing |
| Grey or brown staining that comes back after every cleaning, and acid washing has stopped helping | The plaster has gone porous — Pool Replastering |
| The pool is fine but the water looks flat and pale, and you want a deeper color that lasts longer | A pebble finish rather than plaster — Pebble & StoneScapes |
| A hard white crust along the waterline that returns within months of a cleaning | The tile glaze is etched and cleaning will not fix it — Tile & Coping |
| The deck around the pool is too hot to stand on barefoot in summer, or the coping stones are lifting | Coping material, or a failed expansion joint — Tile & Coping |
| There is nowhere to stand or sit, and the deep end has not been used since the diving board came off | A shelf, a bench, or raising the floor — Depth Modification |
| The spa looks a decade older than the pool beside it | Hot water wears a surface far faster — Spa Resurfacing |
| You are adding water more than once a week in cool weather, or the autofill was shut off years ago | Often a cracked skimmer behind the surface — Equipment & Plumbing |
| All of the above, and the pool simply looks like it was built in 1987 | Surface, tile and coping together — Complete Remodeling |
| There is no pool in the yard yet, or the shell you have is structurally past saving | A pool built from the ground up — New Pool Construction |
Or skip all of it and send us a photo. Close enough to see the texture of the surface and the waterline. We will tell you which of these you are looking at, including if the answer is that you do not need us yet.
Our testimonials
Real experiences. Real results.
Hear it from the people whose backyards we worked in. Then read the reviews straight from our Google profile, below.
A customer on how the job went, start to finish.
Another customer, another backyard in Southern California.
Real reviews from real clients
Every one of them written by somebody whose pool we worked on, in Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange, Los Angeles or San Diego county. Several are in Spanish, because a good share of our customers are.
We would rather you read them before you call us than after.
Oscar Retana and his sons — the crew that will be in your backyard. CA’s Finest & Quality Pool Plastering Inc, Riverside County.
Who you are hiring
The pool contractor you are actually hiring
“I would rather tell somebody their pool has two more years in it than sell them a job they did not need.”
Oscar has spent twenty-one years on pool crews in the Inland Empire, with more than a hundred renovations behind him. His sons work alongside him — the same three or four people are in your backyard from the day the old surface comes out to the day the water goes back in. Nobody gets subbed out to a crew you have never met.
Most of the people who call us are not in a hurry. They have been looking at a stained, chalky, rough pool for two or three years and putting it off, usually for one reason: they do not know what it costs and they do not want a contractor deciding that for them halfway through.
So every page on this site is built the same way. You get the ranges and what drives them up or down before you call anybody, every service page tells you when you do not need that service, and the number you actually pay is fixed in writing after Oscar has seen the pool — not revised once the work has started.
And if the budget is the thing holding it up, ask about financing. It is worth knowing the options before you decide on the scope rather than after.
How projects really get put together
Why pool remodeling services get done together, and in this order
Almost nothing on this page is a standalone job, and the reason is simple arithmetic.
Draining the pool, getting a crew and equipment to your house, and hauling the debris away cost the same whether we are doing one thing or four. Those costs exist once. Which means the second and third items on your list cost a fraction of what they would as separate projects a year apart.
And the sequence only runs one way. Structure first, because it changes the shape. Then coping and tile, because they define where the waterline sits. Then the interior surface, last, because it finishes against everything else. Then the fill and two weeks of start-up.
So replastering this year and retiling next year does not just mean paying the setup twice — it means cutting into a surface you bought twelve months ago and living with a patch that never matches.
This is not an argument for doing more. It is the reason we ask at the estimate what you might want in three years, and then tell you honestly whether it is worth including now or whether it genuinely can wait. Sometimes the right answer is the plaster only, because the tile is fine and the coping has another decade in it. We say that too.
The sequence
- 1. Drain and demolition
- 2. Plumbing behind the surface
- 3. Structural work, if any
- 4. Coping
- 5. Waterline tile
- 6. Interior finish
- 7. Fill and two-week start-up
Each step has to finish before the next begins, and some need cure time nobody can compress. That is why a full project is two to four weeks rather than one.
What things cost
Pool resurfacing and remodeling cost, all in one place
Every service is quoted the same way — by linear feet of perimeter, the distance around the edge of your pool, not square feet and not gallons. It is the only unit that matches the work, which is also why we measure before we price.
Where projects start
From $7,800
Resurfacing or replastering — demolition and a regular plaster finish on a typical pool — starts around $7,800. The same pool in mini pebble starts closer to $10,500, because the material costs more and lasts considerably longer. New pool construction starts around $80,000 for a regular pool and is quoted on its own.
A complete remodel starts from that same floor and moves up, because it adds the waterline tile, the coping and any structural work on top of the surface. Which of those you include is your decision, and each one is listed separately on your estimate so you can see exactly what it adds.
These are approximate starting figures for orientation only. They are not a quote and they are not a price promise. We do not publish a rate per foot, because the honest answer is that it is not the same in every city — and a number on a web page that turns into a different number at your house helps nobody. You get one fixed number in writing after Oscar has come out and measured it, free, and it does not move afterwards.
Financing is available. If the number is the thing standing between you and the pool you want, ask us about it when you call. It is worth knowing your options before you decide on the scope, not after.
Why we do not publish a rate per foot
Access first — a backyard we can reach with a truck is a different week than one where every load of debris leaves through a side gate by hand. Then material: tile and stone cost more in some markets than others. Some cities have their own rules about discharging the drained water. And the drive matters when a crew is on your property for a week.
Anybody who gives you a flat per-foot price over the phone without asking where you live is either quoting high to cover themselves or will find a reason to revise it later. We would rather tell you where it starts now and give you the real number after we have seen the pool.
Written guarantee on our workmanship
If something fails because of our workmanship within the first year, we come back and repair it. No cost, no argument — and it is in writing before we ever start, not promised verbally at the door.
What happens, in what order
How a pool project goes, step by step
Four steps on site, plus the two weeks after we leave that decide how long it all lasts.
Step 1
We measure and scope it
Free, at your house. We measure the perimeter, look at the shell, the tile, the coping and the joint, and bring samples you can hold — and stand on, in the sun.
Step 2
Fixed price in writing
Line by line: every service, its material, its linear feet, what is included and what is not. You keep a copy before anybody picks up a chipping hammer. Ask about financing here, before the scope is locked.
Step 3
Drain, demolish, inspect
The old surface comes off and the shell underneath gets looked at properly. Anything we find gets a photo and your approval before it is covered back up.
Step 4
Build it back in order
Plumbing, structure, coping, tile, then the interior finish — each one finished before the next begins, with the cure time each needs.
Step 5 — fill and start-up
We start the fill and do not stop it, then walk you through the brushing and the chemistry for the first two weeks. A new surface is curing while the pool fills, and that fortnight does more for its life than anything else you will ever do.
How long it takes
Interior finish only: about one week. Finish plus tile and coping: two to four weeks. With structural work, a new build or a permit: longer, and the plan check timeline belongs to your building department rather than to us. We tell you which one yours is at the estimate — and we would rather say four weeks and finish in three.
Real work, real results
See the difference
No stock photography — every project shown here is one of ours, in a real backyard around the Inland Empire.
off your first remodeling or new construction project
For every new customer, on top of whatever the quote already says — your first pool remodeling or new pool construction project with us. Veterans and active-duty military, always. And ask about financing while you are at it. Just mention it when you call.
Where we work
Pool services in Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange, Los Angeles and San Diego counties
We are based in Riverside County and most of our work stays within about an hour of it. The pools out here are mostly from the late seventies through the early 2000s — an enormous number of backyards across this region, all reaching the same point at the same time.
Riverside County
Riverside, Hemet, Murrieta, Corona, Moreno Valley, Temecula, Menifee, Perris, Lake Elsinore, Eastvale
San Bernardino County
Redlands, Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, Fontana, Chino Hills, Upland, Rialto, Highland, Yucaipa
Orange County
Anaheim, Irvine, Orange, Yorba Linda, Fullerton, Tustin, Brea, Villa Park
Los Angeles County
Pasadena, Glendora, Whittier, Claremont, San Dimas, La Verne, Arcadia, Covina
San Diego County
Carlsbad, Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, Escondido, Encinitas, Fallbrook
Before you know what to ask for
Questions people ask before they know what they need
Each service page has its own set. These are the ones that come first.
How do I know if my pool needs resurfacing at all?
Rub your hand on the wall below the waterline. If white residue comes off on your palm, the plaster is chalking — that is the surface eroding, and it is the earliest honest sign.
After that: it scrapes your feet, staining comes back after every cleaning, and acid washing stops helping. Once all three are true, the surface is done.
Plaster in Southern California generally gives you eight to twelve years and pebble fifteen to twenty. If you are somewhere in the middle of that and only seeing the first sign, you probably have a couple of seasons left, and we will tell you so rather than book the job.
What does a pool project cost?
We quote by linear feet of perimeter rather than by square footage or gallons, because the work happens on the walls and the floor.
Resurfacing or replastering starts around $7,800 on a typical pool, and closer to $10,500 in mini pebble. A complete remodel starts from that same floor and moves up, because it adds the tile, the coping and any structural work on top. New pool construction starts around $80,000 for a regular pool and is quoted on its own.
Those are approximate starting figures for orientation only — not a quote and not a price promise. We do not publish a rate per foot, because it is not the same in every city.
Your number comes after Oscar has seen the pool, because access, materials, the condition of the shell and your city all move it. That visit is free, the number is fixed in writing, and it does not get revised once the work has started.
Do you offer financing?
Yes. Ask about it when you call and we will walk you through the options.
Do it before you decide on the scope rather than after — it is a different conversation when you know what is possible. Plenty of people end up doing the tile and coping in the same project instead of cutting into a new surface two years later, simply because they asked the question early.
Do I have to do everything at once?
No, and we will tell you when you should not. If the coping has another decade in it, leave it.
But understand what phasing costs. Draining the pool, bringing a crew and hauling the debris exist once whether you do one item or four. More importantly the sequence runs one way — tile and coping go in before the interior surface, because the plaster finishes against them.
So replastering this year and retiling next year means draining again and cutting into a finish you just bought. The items that genuinely can wait are the ones outside the shell.
How long will I be without the pool?
A surface-only job is about a week. Surface plus tile and coping is two to four weeks, because each stage has to finish before the next starts and some need cure time nobody can rush.
Structural work, a new build or anything needing a permit runs longer, and the plan check timeline belongs to your building department rather than to us. We tell you which one yours is at the estimate — and we would rather say four weeks and finish in three.
Do you need a permit?
For resurfacing, replastering, tile and coping — generally no. Those are repairs to existing finishes rather than changes to the structure.
For anything that changes the pool itself — modifying the depth, altering the shell, reworking plumbing or electrical, or building a new pool — yes, in all five counties we work in. It goes through your city or county building department with engineered plans and staged inspections.
Whether your house is inside city limits or in an unincorporated part of the county changes who reviews it. We raise what applies at the estimate.
Do you work on spas and hot tubs too?
Gunite and concrete spas, yes — the kind built into the same shell as your pool. Same materials, same crew, usually the same visit.
Portable acrylic hot tubs, no. The ones in a cabinet that plug into the wall need a hot tub repair technician for heaters, pumps and control boards. Different trade entirely, and we will say so on the phone rather than charge you for a visit to find out.
Do you build new pools?
Yes. New pool construction is one of the nine services on this page — design, permits, excavation, the shell, the plumbing, the finish and the start-up, with the same family crew and the same fixed price in writing.
Read that page before you sign anything, with us or with anybody else. It covers what a new pool really costs out here, how long the permit actually takes, and the California rule limiting what any contractor can take from you as a down payment.
And one honest note: if you already have a pool that simply looks old, remodeling it costs a fraction of building a new one. We will tell you which of the two you are actually looking at.
Is the work guaranteed?
Yes — a written one-year warranty on the work, handed to you with the paperwork rather than promised verbally.
We are a licensed California contractor, CSLB #1148412. Look that number up at cslb.ca.gov and check the status yourself in about thirty seconds. We would encourage you to do that with every contractor who quotes you, including us.
¿Hablan español?
Sí. Oscar y su equipo hablan español. Llame, escriba o mande fotos en el idioma que prefiera y le contestamos en el mismo.
Get a free quote on any of the nine
Send us a photo of the pool, close enough to see the texture of the surface and the waterline — or of the empty yard, if there is no pool yet. We will tell you what it needs, what it does not, and then come out and put a fixed price on it. Ask about financing while you are at it.