How to choose a pool resurfacing contractor
What to check before you hire, what a complete quote states, and the one part of the job nobody can price until the old surface comes off.
Resurfacing is one of the few pool jobs where the work is buried the moment it is finished. Poor preparation under a good-looking finish will not be visible for years, and by then the warranty conversation is a much harder one.
Licensing is checkable in most states
Pool work is a licensed trade in many states. California, for example, issues a specific C-53 Swimming Pool contractor classification through the Contractors State License Board, and licence status is publicly searchable. Requirements vary by state, so check your own state licensing board rather than assuming.
The Pool and Hot Tub Alliance also maintains a public company directory covering roughly 4,000 member businesses. As with any trade association, membership confirms the business exists and trades rather than certifying the quality of its work.
Source: PHTA company directory, checked 2026-07-29
What a complete quote states
- The interior surface area in square feet, and how it was measured.
- The specific finish product and colour, by manufacturer name, not just the category.
- The removal method for the old surface, chip-out or hydroblast, and who disposes of the spoil.
- What happens to the price if structural repairs are found once the old surface is off.
- Whether tile line, coping and light niches are included or quoted separately.
- Whether the fill water is included, and who pays for it.
- Who performs the start-up chemical balance, and over how many days.
- The written warranty, its length, and specifically what it excludes.
The part nobody can quote accurately
Until the old surface is removed, no contractor knows what is underneath. Cracks, delamination and rebar corrosion are all discovered at that point, and all of them add cost.
An honest quote says so, and states a rate for remedial work rather than pretending it will not arise. A quote that is silent on the subject is not cheaper. It is just less specific about when the number will change.