Tarzana · Pool Spa Construction
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“The drainage detail that can kill a pool project: if your lot's drainage pattern doesn't naturally flow away from the pool equipment pad, you'll have water intrusion in the equipment vault during LA's rain season. We engineer proper pool deck drainage on every project. It adds $1,500–3,000 and prevents $15–30K in equipment replacement.”
Ask specifically about the pool's plumbing layout: Flex PVC vs. rigid PVC. Flex PVC is easier to install and is frequently used by lower-tier contractors. Rigid PVC is the correct material for underground pool plumbing — it doesn't collapse over time, doesn't degrade from chlorine exposure, and is easier to diagnose for leaks. Specify rigid PVC below grade.
This Tarzana hillside property presented an ideal but challenging location for a custom pool and spa. The backyard had a natural 8-foot grade change from the house to the rear property line, requiring significant grading and a structural retaining wall before pool construction could begin.
NP Line Design designed a 15x30-foot freeform gunite pool with an attached 8x8-foot raised spa. The pool features a Pebble Tec French Gray interior finish, 6-inch Travertine coping, and a sun shelf (Baja step) at the shallow end. Depth ranges from 3.5 feet at the sun shelf to 6 feet at the deep end.
A 30-foot reinforced concrete retaining wall (engineered, 4 feet tall) was constructed along the downhill side to create the level pad for the pool. The wall includes a drainage system with 4-inch perforated pipe and gravel backfill to manage hillside water. The spa is elevated 18 inches above the pool deck with a spillover edge that cascades into the pool.
Equipment includes a Pentair IntelliFlo VS pump, Pentair MasterTemp 400 heater, Pentair IntelliChlor salt chlorine generator, and Pentair ScreenLogic automation. The deck is poured-in-place concrete with an exposed aggregate finish. Landscape lighting includes 12 Pentair IntelliBrite LED pool lights and pathway bollards. The LADBS permit required a soils report and structural calculations for the retaining wall, adding 4 weeks to the permit phase.
The hillside grade required a soils report (geotechnical investigation) before LADBS would accept the permit application. The soils engineer identified expansive clay at the 3-foot depth, requiring over-excavation and import of engineered fill beneath the pool shell — a significant cost addition that many pool contractors do not anticipate. The retaining wall also had to be designed by a structural engineer with CalGreen-compliant drainage to prevent hydrostatic pressure buildup behind the wall, which could cause failure during heavy rains. Access for the excavation equipment was limited to a narrow side yard with an 8-foot gate opening.
NP Line Design coordinated the geotechnical and structural engineers before submitting the permit application, bundling the soils report, structural calculations, and architectural plans into a single LADBS submittal to avoid multiple plan check queues. The expansive clay was over-excavated to 4 feet and replaced with Class II base compacted to 95% relative density, verified by a third-party compaction testing lab. The retaining wall drainage ties into the property's existing hillside drainage system through a new 6-inch collector pipe. A compact excavator (Kubota KX040) fit through the side yard gate, and soil was moved to the front with a conveyor system. Pool was gunited in two pours to account for the grade change.
Before
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After
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Your backyard, reimagined
Pool & Outdoor Living Portfolio
In-ground gunite pools in LA range from $80,000 for a basic pool to $250,000+ for a custom pool with spa, water features, and hardscape. A mid-range 15x30 pool with spa typically costs $130,000 to $180,000.
Pool construction in LA typically takes 10 to 16 weeks from excavation to final fill. The permit phase adds 4-8 weeks. Hillside lots may require additional time for grading permits and soils reports.
Yes. LADBS requires permits for all in-ground pools and spas. The permit application requires architectural plans, structural calculations (for hillside lots), and a soils report if required by the grading division.
Yes. Hillside pool construction requires additional engineering (geotechnical report, structural calculations for retaining walls) and a grading permit. NP Line Design has extensive experience with hillside pool projects throughout the LA hills.
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