What Should I Know Before Buying a Home With a Pool in Orange County?

What should you know before buying a home with a pool in Orange County? A pool can be a wonderful part of daily life, and it also brings safety rules, inspections and ongoing costs that are worth understanding before you remove your contingencies.

I'm Jeanette Nelson, a REALTOR® with Jeanette Nelson Real Estate, Keller Williams Realty, serving Orange County, Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, and surrounding areas. When a buyer falls for a backyard with a pool, I like to slow down just long enough to make sure the pool is safe, sound and something they're ready to care for.

California's Swimming Pool Safety Act was updated by Senate Bill 442, which took effect in 2018. When a building permit is issued for a new pool or spa, or to remodel an existing one, at a private single-family home, the pool must have at least two of seven drowning prevention safety features.

The listed options include:

• An enclosure that isolates the pool from the home.
• Removable mesh fencing with a self-closing, self-latching gate that can take a lock.
• A safety pool cover.
• Exit alarms on the home's doors that give direct access to the pool.
• Self-closing, self-latching devices on those doors.
• An alarm that sounds when someone enters the water.
• Other means of protection that are equal to or better than these and independently verified.

These rules apply when a permit is issued for new or remodeling work. An older pool that hasn't been permitted for work since then may not have two features yet.

Partly. SB 442 added a requirement that a home inspection done for a sale of a single-family home with a pool or spa include a noninvasive check to see which of the seven safety features are present. The report must say if the home has fewer than two.

That check is about safety features. It is not a full review of the pool itself. Many buyers also hire a pool inspector to look at:

• The pump, filter and heater.
• The surface and tile, for cracks or wear.
• Leaks, in the shell or the plumbing.
• Lighting and electrical around the pool.
• The deck and drains.

Ask your inspector what they cover and what they recommend sending to a specialist.

For a specific home, it can be worth looking. Permit records can show when a pool, spa or major equipment work was approved and inspected.

In Huntington Beach, the City's Building and Inspections department offers online permit records searchable by address, with a separate library for older records. The Permit Center can also help. Other Orange County cities have their own building departments, so check with the city where the home is located.

A pool can affect your homeowners policy, especially liability coverage if someone is hurt. The California Department of Insurance's residential insurance guide explains how homeowners coverage works, including liability.

Before you remove contingencies, tell your insurance agent the home has a pool, ask how it affects your premium and coverage, and ask whether more liability protection makes sense for you. Many lenders collect insurance through an impound account, as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau explains, so the premium becomes part of your monthly payment.

A pool needs regular care. Budget for:

• Cleaning and chemicals, whether you do it yourself or hire a service.
• Electricity to run the pump.
• Heating, if you plan to warm the water.
• Repairs and replacement of equipment as it ages.
• Resurfacing down the road.

Ask the sellers for recent service records or equipment ages, if they have them. Get local quotes for service so the number in your budget is real.

This is general information. Your home inspector, a pool specialist and your insurance agent can advise on a specific property.

For more help getting ready, see what to expect at your first home inspection and what happens in escrow.

If you're looking at homes with pools in Orange County, I'd love to help you plan your inspections and questions before you make an offer, so you can enjoy the backyard with confidence. Call or text me at 714.366.8575 | DRE: 01397168, or contact me. Jeanette Nelson is a REALTOR® with Jeanette Nelson Real Estate, Keller Williams Realty, serving Orange County, Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, and surrounding areas.