Altadena, California
Pool Surrounds & Decking in Altadena, CA
Coping, decking, and the turf and hardscape around the water, detailed to sit level with the pool edge. Serving Altadena and the surrounding San Gabriel Valley.
The short answer
Yes, MKW Homes builds pool surrounds and decking in Altadena. The thing to know first: Altadena is unincorporated Los Angeles County, so your deck permit runs through LA County Public Works, not the City of Pasadena. And on these foothill lots that fall toward the mountains, drainage is what really sets the budget, not the surface you pick on the day.
PermitsWho signs off in Altadena.
Permits for Altadena go through Los Angeles County Public Works, Building and Safety.
Local detail
Altadena is unincorporated Los Angeles County, not the City of Pasadena. Permits go through LA County, and the submittal process and review timeline are different. Contractors who work mostly inside Pasadena city limits get this wrong and it costs weeks.
Housing stockWhat we find in Altadena.
Craftsman and ranch homes on larger lots, many on sloping ground against the foothills.
Neighborhoods we work in
The buildPool Surrounds & Decking in Altadena.
What actually sets the price
Five things move the number: square footage, tearing out the old decking, drainage, the detail where the deck meets the coping, and the material itself. On a flat lot the drainage is simple. On an Altadena slope running down toward the foothills, water has to be caught and carried, and sometimes a low retaining course goes in before a single paver is set. That groundwork is the real swing in the price, far more than whether you choose concrete or stone up top.
Pavers, concrete, or travertine
Poured concrete is one slab. It is the cheapest to lay, but a crack shows across the whole surface and a repair patches rather than hides. Pavers lift and reset one at a time, so a settled corner is a morning's work, not a demo. Travertine stays the coolest of the three underfoot, which matters when your deck sits in full sun against the foothills in July. Dark, dense material soaks up heat and turns painful barefoot. Pick for the hottest day, not the estimate day.
Permits and the foothill slope
Because Altadena is county ground, the permit is filed with LA County Building and Safety through the EPIC-LA portal online, not at a Pasadena counter. Pool barrier and fencing rules are enforced hard, and re-decking can trigger a look at whether your existing barrier still meets code, so we plan for it rather than get caught out. Many lots here are Craftsman and ranch homes on larger, sloping parcels near Janes Village and the Meadows, where retaining and drainage do the heavy lifting.
How the work goes, step by step
First the old decking comes out. Then we build the base and set the drainage, because water has to shed away from the pool, never toward it. Next the deck is graded to drain and brought up to meet the coping at one level, so the edge reads as a single clean line all the way round. The surface and the edge details go on last. The slope is fixed during that layout stage. Get it wrong there and the only fix later is demolition, so this is where the care goes.
Timeline and living through it
A re-deck around an existing pool usually runs a couple of weeks, longer if the retaining or drainage work is heavy or the weather turns. The pool is out of use while the surround is open and curing. There is dust and noise, and we need a clear path to get material and a small machine into the back, which on a tight foothill lot takes planning. We keep the site tidy at the end of each day and stage the work so you are not blocked in longer than you have to be.
How long it lasts and the upkeep
Done right on a solid base with real drainage, a paver or travertine surround lasts decades. Pavers want the joints kept full and the odd one reset if the ground shifts. Travertine and concrete both want sealing every few years to hold off pool chemicals and hard-water staining, more often near the splash line. With concrete you watch for hairline cracks and seal them early. None of it is heavy work, but skip the sealing and the surface ages faster than it should in our dry heat.
The mistake people make
The common one is choosing a material for how it looks in a photo, then finding out in July that it is too hot to cross barefoot. Deck material should be picked with the hottest week of summer in mind, not the mild morning of the estimate. The other mistake is treating slope as something you can adjust once the surface is down. You cannot. If the fall toward the drains is not set at layout, the only correction is tearing it out and starting over.
What to ask before you hire
Ask how they will handle drainage on your slope and where the water ends up, because on Altadena ground that answer tells you whether they have really done it here. Ask how they set the deck to meet the coping, and how hot your chosen material gets in direct sun. Ask whether the job is pulled through EPIC-LA and how the pool barrier is handled during the work. And ask to see a surround they built a few summers back, so you can see how it aged, not just how it looked new.
QuestionsPool Surrounds & Decking in Altadena.
Do I need a permit to re-deck around my pool in Altadena?
For pool decking work in Altadena you file with LA County Building and Safety through the EPIC-LA portal, since Altadena is unincorporated county, not the City of Pasadena. A straight resurface can be lighter than structural work, but barrier and drainage still get checked. We confirm the exact scope with the county before we start.
Can you re-deck without touching the pool itself?
Yes. Re-decking around an existing pool and coping is normal work and does not mean touching the pool shell. We take out the old surround, rebuild the base and drainage, and set the new deck up to the coping. The pool stays as it is unless you separately want the coping or waterline redone.
What decking stays coolest in the Altadena summer?
Travertine runs coolest of the common choices, then lighter concrete or pavers. Dark, dense surfaces hold the most heat and get painful barefoot by afternoon, and a foothill deck in full sun takes a lot of July heat. A lighter color and a less dense material is the honest answer if bare feet matter to you.
Why does the slope of my lot affect the price so much?
Because most Altadena lots fall toward the foothills, water has to be caught and carried away from the pool, and sometimes a retaining course goes in first. That groundwork, not the surface material, is usually the biggest single driver on a sloping lot. We measure the fall on the walk and price the drainage to it.
How long does a pool deck replacement take?
A re-deck around an existing pool usually runs a couple of weeks. Heavy retaining or drainage, or a wet spell, stretches it. The pool is out of use while the surround is open and curing. On a tight foothill lot, getting material and machines to the back can add time, so we plan the access up front.
How do I keep a travertine or paver surround looking good?
Keep the paver joints full and reset any that shift. Seal travertine and concrete every few years, sooner along the splash line where pool water and hard water stain. Rinse leaf litter off before it marks the stone. None of it is hard, but the sealing is the part people skip and later regret.
See it builtReal pool surrounds & decking we finished.
ReviewsWhat clients say.
Hired Mike and his crew to redo our entire backyard and driveway. Removal of the asphalt and existing landscaping, running water lines and electrical, artificial grass, plant borders, a paver driveway, raised the patio gazebo, added a paver patio, landscaped borders, irrigation and outdoor lighting.
Teri CraftLocal Guide · 33 reviewsFrom start to finish the job was handled with the utmost professionalism and attention to detail. What stood out most was their communication. Mr. Ward kept me informed every step of the way.
Angela Adams5 reviewsMKW Homes just painted our home. We are very satisfied with the work. During the process everything was clean and organized.
Jake Baloian3 reviewsMike and his crew were great. They did a wonderful job on the stucco patching and painting, and we were very pleased with the results.
Jen B1 reviewHired Mike and his crew to redo our entire backyard and driveway. Removal of the asphalt and existing landscaping, running water lines and electrical, artificial grass, plant borders, a paver driveway, raised the patio gazebo, added a paver patio, landscaped borders, irrigation and outdoor lighting.
Teri CraftLocal Guide · 33 reviewsFrom start to finish the job was handled with the utmost professionalism and attention to detail. What stood out most was their communication. Mr. Ward kept me informed every step of the way.
Angela Adams5 reviewsMKW Homes just painted our home. We are very satisfied with the work. During the process everything was clean and organized.
Jake Baloian3 reviewsMike and his crew were great. They did a wonderful job on the stucco patching and painting, and we were very pleased with the results.
Jen B1 reviewNearby citiesPool Surrounds & Decking near Altadena.
Free estimatesIn Altadena.
Michael usually gets to the property the same week.