How to choose a pool builder in Houston

Texas has no pool builder license, so the checks are a City of Houston pool permit in the builder's name, a TDLR-licensed electrician and a TSBPE-licensed plumber for the connections, insurance sent by the insurer, and a draw schedule where you never pay for a phase before it is built.

License and permits

Texas has no state license for pool builders or pool contractors. The electrical work on a pool must be done by a TDLR-licensed electrical contractor, and the gas and water connections by a TSBPE-licensed plumber. The Pool and Hot Tub Alliance offers a voluntary Certified Building Professional credential. Your protection is the permit, the licensed subs, the insurance and the payment schedule.

Texas issues no state license for pool builders. Insurance and references carry the weight here.

The City of Houston requires a permit for a new in-ground pool, with inspections for the steel, the plumbing, the electrical bonding and the final barrier. The barrier or fence around the pool must meet the city's code, including gate and latch requirements. Confirm the current barrier rules with the Houston Permitting Center.

Walk away if

They want a large deposit before the permit is issued or the hole is dug.
The draw schedule is front-loaded, with most of the money due before gunite or shell.
They cannot name the licensed electrical and plumbing companies for the job.
They will not say how many pools they have in progress, or they are juggling far more than their crews can finish.
The company is less than a year old, or the owner has closed previous pool companies.
The contract has no completion date and no remedy for delay.

Ask before you hire

Will you pull the City of Houston permit in your name and schedule each inspection?
Which TDLR-licensed electrician and TSBPE-licensed plumber will do the bonding, the equipment wiring and the gas line?
What is the draw schedule, and does each payment come after the phase is complete and inspected?
Can your insurance agent send a certificate for general liability and workers' compensation?
What is the plan for groundwater during excavation, and is a hydrostatic relief valve included?

Houston specifics

Houston’s water table is high and the clay soil holds water. An empty pool shell in saturated ground can float and crack, which is why a hydrostatic relief valve in the main drain is standard here and why the builder needs a plan for groundwater during excavation. Clay also moves with the seasons, so the shell, the decking and the coping are built to tolerate movement, and a bid that does not address the soil is not a Houston bid.

Hurricane season and heavy rain stretch schedules. A pool that opens in May and sits as a hole through a wet summer is a common story. Ask what happens to the timeline when it rains for a week, and what the contract says about delay.

Money is the main risk. Pool builders collect deposits and draws, and when a builder takes on too many pools at once, the newest deposits pay for the oldest jobs. When the builder fails, every homeowner in the chain has a hole and no money. The protections are a modest deposit, draws that follow inspected phases, lien waivers from the gunite, plaster and equipment subs with each draw, and a Texas residential construction contract that is in writing and signed before work starts so the lien rules on your homestead work in your favor.

The licensed trades matter. Pool bonding and equipment wiring must be done by a TDLR-licensed electrical contractor, and the city inspects it because a wiring mistake in a pool is lethal. The gas line to a heater and the water connections need a TSBPE-licensed plumber.

Reading a pool builder bid

A complete bid includes a scaled drawing with dimensions and depths, the shell type and steel schedule, the plumbing size and equipment with brands and models for pump, filter, heater and automation, the electrical and bonding by a named licensed electrician, the tile, coping, decking and plaster materials by name, the barrier and gates, the permit and inspections, the draw schedule by phase, a completion date with a delay clause, and the warranties on the shell, the plaster, the equipment and the labor as separate terms.

Frequently asked

Do pool builders need a license in Texas?

No. Texas has no state license for pool builders. The electrical work must be by a TDLR-licensed electrician and the gas and plumbing by a TSBPE-licensed plumber, and the City of Houston permits and inspects the pool.

Do I need a fence around a pool in Houston?

Yes. The City of Houston requires a barrier around a residential pool, with rules for height, gates and latches, and the final inspection checks it. Confirm the current requirements with the Houston Permitting Center before the fence contractor starts.

How much should I pay a pool builder up front?

As little as the builder will accept, and never a large share before the permit is issued and excavation starts. The safe structure is a draw schedule where each payment follows a completed and inspected phase, such as excavation, steel and plumbing, gunite, tile and coping, decking, and plaster.