Burbank Pool Builder | Right Image Builders

Building in Burbank

Same Backyard Dream,
A Different City Hall

A swimming pool is the largest piece of engineered concrete most homeowners will ever put in the ground — structural steel, a shotcrete shell, hydraulics, bonded electrical, and its own inspection sequence. Once it is cured and plastered, it is permanent. That is why we run a Burbank pool as a construction project first and a landscape feature second.

The good news is in the dirt. Most of Burbank sits on flat valley floor, laid out in well-kept single-family neighborhoods with defined rear yards and simple grade. Excavation is usually straightforward, retaining structures are rarely needed, and the shell design does not have to fight the site. What we still measure carefully on day one is side-yard access — how much machine we can get to the back of the property, and whether spoils and gunite have to travel over the house.

The part that catches out-of-area crews is the paperwork. Burbank is not part of the City of Los Angeles. It is its own incorporated city with its own Building Division, its own plan check, its own fee schedule, and its own inspection calendar — which means permit timelines and permit costs here follow Burbank's rules, not the larger jurisdiction next door. Knowing which counter to walk into, and what that counter expects on the drawings, is worth weeks on a pool schedule.

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New pool and raised spa with tile spillway and travertine decking — Right Image Builders

Pool & raised spa · San Fernando Valley, CA

What the Build Includes

Dig to Startup,
One Contract

Design & Structural Engineering

Shape, depth, and placement worked against your actual Burbank lot — property-line setbacks, easements, equipment-pad location, and the sight lines from the house. The shell is engineered, and where soil conditions or a hillside edge along the Verdugo side of town call for it, the geotechnical work happens before anything is dug.

City of Burbank Permits & Inspections

A pool is rarely one permit. We prepare the structural drawings and carry the building, electrical, and plumbing approvals through the City of Burbank Building Division's own plan check, answer corrections, book every inspection from pre-gunite to final on Burbank's calendar, and close the permit at completion.

Excavation & Site Access

Layout, dig, and haul-off. Burbank's flat lots make the excavation itself predictable — the variable is the gate. Where a side yard is too narrow for a standard machine we bring compact excavators and conveyors, or move spoils and gunite over the roof. Access gets priced honestly at the site visit, not discovered on day one.

Steel, Shell, Plumbing & Equipment

Reinforcing steel tied and bonded to code, then the shotcrete or gunite shell and its cure. Circulation, returns, and skimmer lines are plumbed, the equipment pad is set where the setbacks allow it, and the gas and electrical runs for a heater go in — with a variable-speed pump as California energy rules require.

Tile, Coping, Decking & Water Features

Waterline tile, coping, and the deck that makes the yard usable — travertine, pavers, or broom-finish concrete, scaled to the generous rear yards Burbank's single-family streets tend to have. Raised spas, spillways, and stone sheer-descent walls are built in this phase, because they are structural elements rather than decorative add-ons.

Safety Barrier, Plaster & Startup

The required drowning-prevention features are designed in from the beginning rather than bolted on to pass a final, and the enclosing barrier is detailed to satisfy Burbank's own fence and zoning standards. Then plaster, fill, and a supervised startup so the surface cures correctly — followed by your walkthrough and a closed permit.

Local Conditions

What Actually Matters
on a Burbank Lot

Burbank runs its own plan check. This is the first thing to settle before you sign with anyone: Burbank is an independent incorporated city, and a pool here is permitted and inspected by the City of Burbank Building Division, under Burbank's ordinances and Burbank's fee schedule. Submittal requirements, review turnaround, and inspection scheduling are all set locally, so neither the timeline nor the permit cost simply mirrors the City of Los Angeles.

Flat ground, straightforward digs. The bulk of Burbank is level valley floor in well-maintained single-family neighborhoods — Magnolia Park's older streets, the Media District near the studios, the grid running north toward Glenoaks. Flat grade means the excavation is usually simple, spoils volumes are predictable, and the shell rarely needs stepped footings or retaining structures. The rising edges toward the Verdugos are the exception, and those lots get engineered accordingly.

The Rancho district plays by different rules. Burbank's Rancho neighborhood, around the Equestrian Center, is a genuine horsekeeping district — and horsekeeping brings its own setbacks and site standards that can dictate where a pool, a deck, and especially the noisy equipment pad are allowed to sit relative to stables, corrals, and property lines. On a Rancho property we confirm those requirements with the Building Division before the design is finalized, not after.

What It Costs

Burbank Pool
Construction Pricing

Project Tier	Typical Range	What's Involved
Essential Pool	$65K–$95K	Engineered gunite shell, waterline tile and coping, standard equipment with a variable-speed pump, basic surround, City of Burbank permits and inspections included.
Pool, Spa & Deck	$95K–$150K	Everything above plus an attached or raised spa, heater and gas run, upgraded interior finish, and a full travertine or paver deck — the project most Burbank rear yards are sized for.
Resort Backyard	$150K–$250K+	Custom shell and extended hardscape with stone water features, fire elements, an outdoor kitchen or pergola, low-voltage lighting, and landscape — the whole yard under one contract.

Ranges are typical Burbank estimates for planning only and move with size and depth, excavation and access difficulty, decking material, the equipment package, and the City of Burbank permit and plan-check fees that apply. You receive a fixed-price contract after the on-site visit.

How We Work

Three Steps.
Zero Surprises.

Free On-Site Consultation

We walk your Burbank yard, measure side-yard access, check setbacks, easements, and overhead lines, and flag any Rancho-district horsekeeping considerations — then give you an honest read on cost and timeline before you commit to anything.

Design & Fixed-Price Contract

You get the layout and an itemized, fixed-price contract — scope, finishes, equipment, milestone schedule, permits, and payment terms in writing. We then submit to the City of Burbank Building Division and carry the plan check.

Build & Close the Permit

Excavation through steel, shell, deck, plaster, and startup, with your project lead on-site and every Burbank inspection scheduled by us. Final payment is due only after your walkthrough approval.

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Free Quote

Build Your
Burbank Pool

Tell us about your backyard and we'll get back to you within 4 business hours. We'll bring our license and insurance details in writing to the consultation — no obligation, no pressure.

Prefer to talk it through?

📞 (888) 357-9992

✓

Request Received

Thank you — a senior member of our team will reach out within 4 business hours. For anything urgent, call (888) 357-9992.

Burbank Pool Builder FAQ

Questions About
Building a Pool

Does Burbank use the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety for pool permits?+

No. Burbank is its own incorporated city and it does not permit through the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety. Every swimming pool in Burbank is plan-checked, permitted, and inspected by the City of Burbank Building Division, under Burbank's own ordinances, fee schedule, and inspection calendar. The practical difference is real: submittal requirements, review turnaround, and correction cycles are set by Burbank rather than by the City of Los Angeles, so a crew that only knows the Los Angeles counter can lose weeks learning Burbank's. We submit in Burbank directly, carry the plan check there, and close the permit with a Burbank inspector.

What permits does a new pool in Burbank need?+

More than one. A new pool is typically a building permit for the shell and its structural design, plus electrical for bonding, grounding, and the equipment, and plumbing for circulation and any gas line to a heater. Placement is reviewed as well: the pool and its equipment pad have to respect setbacks from property lines, structures, and easements, and nothing can sit under overhead power lines. All of it runs through the City of Burbank Building Division. We prepare the drawings, make the submittal, answer plan-check corrections, schedule each inspection, and finish with a closed permit in your file.

How much does it cost to build a pool in Burbank?+

For most Burbank backyards, a new gunite pool generally starts around $65,000, and a pool with an attached spa and a proper deck commonly lands in the $95,000 to $150,000 range. Resort-style backyards with extensive hardscape, water features, and an outdoor kitchen run higher. The biggest cost drivers are size and depth, how difficult the excavation and access are, the decking material, the equipment package, and the City of Burbank permit and plan-check fees that apply to your project. You get a fixed-price contract after the on-site visit rather than a moving target. All figures are planning estimates pending your consultation.

How long does pool construction take in Burbank?+

Plan on roughly 8 to 16 weeks of construction once the permit is issued, plus design and plan-check time before that. Because Burbank runs its own plan check and its own inspection calendar, the front-end timeline is set locally and does not track the City of Los Angeles schedule. The build itself runs in defined phases: layout and excavation, steel, rough plumbing and electrical, gunite or shotcrete, a cure period, then tile and coping, decking, equipment set, plaster, and finally fill and startup. Weather, inspection availability, and custom features such as a raised spa or a sheer-descent wall can extend it. You receive a phase-by-phase schedule with the contract.

Can you build a pool in Burbank's Rancho equestrian district?+

Yes, and it is worth planning early. The Rancho neighborhood around the Equestrian Center is a working horsekeeping district, and horsekeeping standards bring setbacks and site rules that can affect where a pool, a deck, and particularly the equipment pad may be placed relative to stables, corrals, and property lines. On a Rancho property we confirm the applicable requirements with the City of Burbank Building Division before the design is locked, so the layout you approve is the layout that gets permitted.

What safety features does California require for a new pool?+

California's Swimming Pool Safety Act requires new residential pools and spas to include approved drowning-prevention features — most commonly an enclosing barrier or fence, a safety pool cover, self-closing and self-latching gates, or alarms on doors that open to the pool area. Current state law requires more than one qualifying feature on a new pool at a single-family home. In Burbank these are verified by a City of Burbank inspector at final, and the barrier itself also has to satisfy Burbank's own fence height and placement standards, so we design the combination in from the start instead of adding it at the end.

Ready When You Are

Talk to a Licensed
Pool Builder

Free on-site consultation. Written fixed-price contract. One local, licensed team accountable for your Burbank pool from excavation to a permit closed with the City of Burbank.

📞 (888) 357-9992

✓

Request Received

Thank you — a senior member of our team will reach out within 4 business hours. For anything urgent, call (888) 357-9992.

Pool Builderin Burbank, CA

Same Backyard Dream,A Different City Hall

Dig to Startup,One Contract