Pasadena, California
Pool Surrounds & Decking in Pasadena, CA
Coping, decking, and the turf and hardscape around the water, detailed to sit level with the pool edge. Serving Pasadena and the surrounding San Gabriel Valley.
The short answer
MKW Homes builds and rebuilds pool surrounds and decking all over Pasadena. Here is the useful part first: because your pool sits in the back yard, most deck work stays clear of Pasadena's historic design review, which only bites on street-facing changes. So the real job is heat and slope, not paperwork. We set the deck to drain away from the water and meet your coping as one clean line.
PermitsWho signs off in Pasadena.
Permits for Pasadena go through City of Pasadena Planning & Community Development.
Local detail
Parts of Pasadena sit inside landmark districts where exterior changes visible from the street go through design review. It does not stop a project, but it changes the drawings and the schedule.
Housing stockWhat we find in Pasadena.
Craftsman bungalows, Spanish Colonial Revival and mid century post and beam, much of it built between 1900 and 1940.
Neighborhoods we work in
The buildPool Surrounds & Decking in Pasadena.
What actually sets the price
Four things move the number more than the rest. Square footage is the obvious one. After that comes demolition: pulling up old concrete or pavers, hauling it off, and whatever we find underneath. Then drainage, because the water has to go somewhere other than back into the pool. Last is the transition at the coping, where the deck meets the pool edge. That detail is slow, fussy work, and it is what separates a deck that reads as one line from one that looks patched. Material choice sits on top of all of it.
Pavers, poured concrete, or travertine
Poured concrete is the cheapest to install and the easiest to slope, but a plain gray slab bakes in July sun and any crack shows plainly. Pavers cost more, sit on a sand and base bed, and let us lift and reset a single unit if the ground moves. Travertine is the coolest underfoot of the three and the kindest to bare feet, which matters here from June through September, though it wants sealing and costs the most. Pick for an August afternoon, not the mild day we happen to meet on.
The Pasadena rules that touch this job
Pasadena runs its own building department, the Planning and Community Development Department, so your deck answers to the city, not the county. Back-yard decking is generally exempt from the design review that governs Craftsman and Spanish Colonial homes in Bungalow Heaven or Madison Heights, since that review targets street-facing changes. The rule that will touch you is the pool barrier. Fencing and gate requirements around water are enforced strictly, and any deck that moves a gate or fence line has to keep that barrier intact. We confirm the specifics with the city on the walk.
How we build it, in order
First we demo the old deck and clear the base. Then we set the base and drainage, because slope is decided here and nowhere else. We grade the deck to fall away from the pool and run water to where it belongs. Next we bring the deck up to meet the coping at a consistent level so the edge reads as one clean line. Only then does the surface go down, whether that is a pour, pavers, or travertine, followed by the edge details, the joints, and sealing. Every step after drainage depends on the drainage being right.
Timeline and what the yard is like
A straight re-deck around an existing pool usually runs one to two weeks of active work, longer if the base is bad or the weather turns, and poured concrete adds cure time before you walk on it. During demo the yard is loud and dusty, and we cover the pool to keep debris out of the water. You will have a stretch where the deck is torn up and the pool is off limits. We stage material to keep one clear path where we can, and we tell you honestly which days are the messy ones.
Lifespan and upkeep
Set on a proper base with real drainage, a pool deck lasts decades. Pavers can be lifted and reset if a section settles, so a repair stays local instead of ripping up the whole field. Travertine wants resealing every couple of years to shrug off pool chemicals and sun. Poured concrete asks for the least attention but gives you the least mercy when a crack shows, since you patch or grind rather than swap one unit. Rinse the chlorine and salt splash off now and then, keep the drains clear, and the deck earns its keep.
The mistake people make
They pick the material for how it looks on the day of the estimate, then find out about the heat in July. A dark, dense surface can get too hot to stand on barefoot in full Pasadena sun, right when the pool gets used most. The other common miss is slope. Slope is set during layout and cannot be fixed later without tearing the deck out, so a deck that drains toward the pool or holds puddles in the corners is a demolition problem, not a touch-up. Both are decided before a single surface goes down.
What to ask before you hire
Ask how they set the slope and where the water ends up, and listen for a real answer about drainage rather than a material pitch. Ask how they handle the coping transition so the edge reads level. Ask which materials they would actually stand on barefoot in August here, and why. Ask whether the pool barrier and gate stay compliant through the work. And ask to see a pool deck they built a few summers back, so you see how their heat and slope choices held up, not just how it looked new.
QuestionsPool Surrounds & Decking in Pasadena.
Do I need a permit to redo my pool deck in Pasadena?
It depends on the scope, and we confirm it with the City of Pasadena on the walk. A straight re-deck of a back yard often falls under landscaping rather than a structural permit, and back-yard work is generally exempt from historic design review. Anything that touches the pool barrier or drainage can change that.
Can you re-deck without draining or touching the pool?
Yes. Re-decking around an existing pool and coping is normal work and does not require touching the pool shell or the water. We build the new deck up to the existing coping and set the transition there. If the coping itself is failing, that becomes its own small scope we would flag before starting.
What pool deck material stays coolest in Pasadena summers?
Travertine is the coolest underfoot of the common choices and the kindest to bare feet through our June to September heat. Light-colored pavers run cooler than a dark poured slab. Any dark, dense surface stores the sun and turns painful by afternoon, which is the one thing to plan around here.
How long does a pool deck replacement take?
A straightforward re-deck around an existing pool is usually one to two weeks of active work. A bad base, drainage fixes, or wet weather stretch that out, and poured concrete needs cure time before you walk on it. We give you the messy days up front so you can plan around them.
Why does my old deck crack and drain water toward the pool?
Almost always the slope was set wrong at layout, and slope cannot be corrected later without demolition. If your deck runs water toward the pool or holds puddles in the corners, that is a base and grading problem, not a surface one. We fix it by rebuilding the base, not skimming the top.
Does Pasadena's historic district review apply to my back-yard deck?
Generally no. Pasadena's design review for landmark and historic districts targets street-facing exterior changes, so a back-yard pool deck usually sits outside it. Interior work and back-yard landscaping are typically exempt. We still confirm your specific property with the city before we start.
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 Pasadena.
Free estimatesIn Pasadena.
Michael usually gets to the property the same week.