Resurface, retile, or replace a failing pad when the plaster is past patching — not because a catalog said “summer special.”
What we look at first
Hollow plaster, rust through a bond beam, a skimmer that has separated from the shell, calcium stacked so thick the tile line is gone — those are renovation conversations. A stain that lifts with ascorbic acid is not. We would rather tell you to wait a season than sell a demolition you do not need.
SoCal timing
Plaster wants warm, stable days to cure. Late spring through early fall is the usual window. Permits, coping, and a week without swimming are part of the honest schedule. Ask what happens to the equipment while the pool is empty — a pump that sits dry still needs to be stored right.