Create your dream backyard with custom pools, outdoor kitchens, patios, and pergolas in the Bay Area. Esquives builds outdoor living spaces that last.
California Health and Safety Code requires that every new residential pool include at least one of five approved drowning-prevention features: a compliant isolation fence with a self-closing, self-latching gate; a removable mesh fence system; an approved safety cover; a door alarm on every building entrance leading to the pool; or a pool alarm. Most Bay Area cities require the fence and gate hardware to be inspected and approved before the pool can be filled. The full inspection sequence also includes a structural and plumbing rough inspection before the shell is poured, an electrical bonding and grounding inspection, and a final inspection covering the barrier, all equipment, and connections. We schedule each stage at the start of the project so filling day is not delayed by a missing sign-off.
A new pool with basic concrete deck typically takes 3–5 months from excavation to final plaster in the Bay Area, accounting for required permitting and inspections at each stage. Adding features like outdoor kitchens, seating areas, or custom hardscape can extend the timeline to 6–9 months depending on scope. We provide a project-specific schedule before work begins so you know exactly what to expect at each milestone.
We address pool and patio drainage by designing surface slopes, drain inlets, and underground collection systems that move water away from structures and into approved discharge points. Standing water around pools causes slippery surfaces, foundation damage, and mosquito problems — proper drainage prevents all three. This is especially important in Bay Area clay soils, which shed water rather than absorbing it and can cause persistent pooling without a designed drainage plan.
We commonly install concrete, pavers, and specialty pool deck coatings that are durable, slip-resistant, and designed to handle exposure to water and sun. In California’s hotter areas, we also consider how hot the surface gets under direct sun so it’s comfortable for bare feet. The right choice depends on your design preferences, maintenance expectations, and budget.
Yes, we can integrate outdoor kitchens with grills, storage, counters, sinks, and electrical for appliances and lighting. Planning includes gas or electrical runs, proper ventilation, weather-resistant materials, and enough counter space for how you actually entertain. We also consider proximity to the pool for safety and convenience, and ensure everything is built to California code.
Pools require regular cleaning, chemical balancing, and equipment checks, which you can handle yourself or hire a service for. Patios, decks, and outdoor kitchens mainly need periodic cleaning, sealing (depending on materials), and inspection of joints and drains. During design, we can steer you toward finishes and equipment that align with how much ongoing maintenance you’re comfortable with.
Excavation is the most disruptive phase: equipment access paths must be planned around mature trees, irrigation lines, and existing hardscape, and the excavated material—often 80–120 tons for an average residential pool—needs a staging area before haul-off. We protect mature trees with root barriers and avoid deep equipment passes within the drip line. During gunite or shotcrete placement, surrounding surfaces are covered with plastic sheeting, though some overspray is normal and we clean it before it cures. After plastering and equipment installation, we rough-grade the deck area and restore disturbed lawn or planting zones. If you have a landscaper handling finish hardscape and planting, we coordinate the handoff so construction and landscape crews are not working in the same area simultaneously. What is included in our scope versus what a landscaper handles is spelled out clearly in the contract before work starts.
We build year-round, but starting in the fall or winter often means your pool and outdoor space are ready for use by late spring or summer. Weather is usually mild enough in the Bay Area and Southern California to keep work moving, though heavy rain can slow excavation and concrete. Planning ahead helps you avoid peak-season backlogs with permitting and inspections.
A saltwater system uses a salt chlorine generator to produce chlorine continuously from dissolved salt, rather than requiring direct addition of liquid or tablet chlorine. The result is water with a more stable chlorine level that does not spike and drop as sharply as manually dosed pools, and many swimmers find it noticeably gentler on skin, eyes, and hair. The tradeoff is that the salt cell—the component that generates chlorine—needs periodic cleaning and replacement every three to seven years, which is an ongoing maintenance cost. Traditional chlorine pools are simpler in terms of equipment and have a lower upfront cost, but require more frequent attention to chemical balance. For Bay Area pools used year-round, saltwater systems have become a popular choice for water quality consistency; for pools used primarily in summer, a conventional chlorine setup is still a practical option. We install both and will walk you through the long-term cost and maintenance differences based on how you plan to use the pool.
Resurfacing addresses the interior shell finish—plaster, pebble, tile—and is appropriate when the shell is structurally sound but the finish has worn, stained, or cracked cosmetically. If the shell shows structural cracks that open and close with temperature or soil movement, or if the pool is actively losing water that patching does not fix, a partial or full rebuild is likely needed. Equipment upgrades—replacing the pump, heater, filter, or adding automation—can often be done independently when the rest of the pool is in good condition; new equipment on a sound old shell can extend pool life by many years. A full tearout and rebuild makes sense when the pool's shape, depth, or placement no longer fits your needs, when structural repairs would cost nearly as much as a new shell, or when you want a fundamentally different design. We inspect the existing structure before recommending any scope, because the right answer is always the one that gives you the best outcome per dollar spent.
Shape and size are the dominant cost drivers: freeform designs with curves and irregular edges require more shotcrete labor and formwork than a simple rectangle, and each additional linear foot of pool increases excavation, shell, plumbing, and deck costs. Site access is often the variable that surprises people most—if equipment cannot reach the backyard through a gate or side yard, soil may need to be excavated by hand, conveyed in buckets, or require a crane, adding significant labor cost. Finish materials have a real range: standard plaster is the baseline, while pebble aggregate and glass tile finishes are more durable and visually refined but carry a meaningful price premium. Elevation changes, retaining walls, and complex drainage add to the civil scope. Features—integrated spas, water features, automation systems, and specialty lighting—each add incremental cost. The most efficient approach is to lock in size and shape first, then layer in features and finish upgrades based on what the budget allows, rather than designing everything and cutting later.
We build the pool shell, decking, plumbing, and equipment, and we install outdoor kitchens, pergolas, shade structures, hardscape, and outdoor lighting as part of an integrated project. For soft landscaping—planting beds, lawn, irrigation, and trees—we work alongside landscape contractors and coordinate sequencing so civil and hardscape work is complete before planting begins. That matters more than it sounds: when pool and landscape contractors work without coordination, each can undo work the other completed, adding cost and time. For lighting, we rough in the electrical during the pool build and can install low-voltage landscape lighting ourselves or coordinate with a lighting designer for larger schemes. Managing the outdoor project as a whole also means drainage, grading, and utility runs are planned once rather than revisited by each subsequent contractor. We are upfront before the project starts about exactly what we build versus what requires a separate landscape or specialty contractor.
Esquives General Contractors · Morgan Hill, CA · (408) 809-1212 · sales@esquivescontractors.com · Mon–Fri 6:00am–5:00pm, Sat 6:00am–2:00pm · CSLB License #1056641 · Licensed, bonded & insured.