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Los Angeles design-build · CSLB #1105249

Pools, spas, and outdoor living in Los Angeles. DesignedEngineeredBuilt Under one contract.

Your vision stays yours. We make it buildable, coordinated, and code-safe.

Most LA pool and outdoor living projects do not stall on the design. They stall in the handoff They stall in the handoff — between architect, plan check, engineering, and the field.mdash; between pool engineer, soils report, LADBS plan check, health department, gas/electrical/drainage, and the trades.

We close that handoff.

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  • CSLB #1105249 · Licensed, bonded, insured
  • BBB A+ accredited
  • 100+ LA backyards designed, engineered, and built
  • Design + permit + build under one contract

This page is for you if

  • Your outdoor scope is $75K+ — pool, spa, outdoor kitchen, hardscape, or full backyard package.
  • Your home is in LA County or Ventura County and you own the property.
  • You want one team handling design, soils + structural engineering, LADBS permits, health department, and the 12–20 trades.
  • You value documented scope + change-order discipline over the lowest bid.
  • You’re prepared for a realistic 4–8 month timeline (design + permits + construction). A pool is not a 6-week project.

This page is not for you if

  • Your budget is under $75K. A portable hot tub or grill island isn’t in our scope — a specialty installer will serve you better.
  • You want a fixed-price contract before soils + structural engineering is complete. That bid would be fiction.
  • You expect a 6-week pool. Realistic timeline in LA is 4–8 months from design through fill.
  • You want unpermitted construction. Pool permits require LADBS + health-department + structural-engineer sign-off. We won’t cut those corners.
  • Your lot can’t physically accommodate the scope (setback conflicts, easement issues, no equipment access). We’ll tell you that on the call.

The value stack

What "one contract, one team" actually buys you in the backyard

Hiring a pool designer, a soils engineer, a structural engineer, a permit expediter, a gas-line contractor, an electrician, an outdoor-kitchen specialist, a hardscape contractor, and a landscaper as nine separate parties means nine contracts, nine invoicing cycles, nine accountability gaps — and a homeowner who becomes the de-facto project manager. Pool projects in LA stall in the gaps between soils + structural + LADBS + health-department + utility coordination.

  1. Integrated backyard design. Pool, spa, outdoor kitchen, hardscape, fire feature, shade structures, and landscape coordinated as one project — not a pool plopped in a yard with afterthought patios.
  2. Soils + structural engineering for the pool shell. LA’s clay, expansive soils, hillside bedrock, and high-water-table zones each demand different pool engineering. We pull the soils report and engineer the shell before plan check — not after demo finds expansive clay.
  3. LADBS + health-department + structural permit pathway. Pool permits in LA require LADBS approval, health-department fencing/signage compliance (CA H&S Code), structural engineering for the shell, and potentially DWP coordination. We manage all of it.
  4. Title 24 pool equipment compliance. California Energy Commission rules on pool pumps (VS-rated), heaters, and lighting are stricter than most contractors realize. We spec compliant equipment from day one — no last-minute swap-outs.
  5. Equipment access + logistics planning. Excavators, concrete pumps, crane lifts for hillside lots, side-yard clearance, neighbor-notice cycles. The most-blown pool budgets are blown on access logistics nobody checked at design.
  6. Utility coordination (gas, water, electrical, drainage). Outdoor kitchens need gas + water + electrical + drainage runs from the house. We engineer these into the design, not retrofit them after the hardscape is poured.
  7. Material specification for LA’s climate. UV-resistant stone, stainless components, weatherproof cabinetry, fade-resistant tile, freeze-resistant grout. Aksana (our interior designer) curates outdoor materials that hold up — not indoor pieces that fail in 18 months.
  8. Fencing + safety code compliance. Pool enclosure rules (CA Building Code + Health & Safety Code), gate self-latching, alarm requirements, child-safety design. We design it into the project, not bolt on at the end.
  9. 12-month workmanship warranty + 30/90/365 walkthroughs. If a tile pops, a plaster spot crazes, an outdoor-kitchen panel rusts — we come back. Same crew, no charge.

From the portfolio

A small sample. Project sizes reflect contract value at substantial completion, anonymized to protect client privacy.

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The process

How we build your backyard

  1. Discovery + site survey

    Free 30-minute project review. We walk your lot, identify setback constraints, equipment-access paths, existing utility positions, and slope conditions. We pull your address against LADBS, ZIMAS, hillside ordinance, VHFHSZ, and check whether your lot needs a hillside-pool soils package. You leave with a real scope-confidence range for your specific backyard.

  2. Design + engineering + permits

    4–8 weeks design (pool shape + spa + outdoor kitchen + hardscape + fire feature + landscape, coordinated as one). Soils report pulled, structural engineering for pool shell, gas/water/electrical/drainage routing, Title 24 equipment spec. LADBS + health-department permit packets submitted together — usually 6–14 weeks plan check.

  3. Construction + fill

    Excavation → shell shotcrete → plumbing/electrical rough-in → tile + coping → deck + hardscape → outdoor kitchen + fire features → landscape + final inspection → plaster + fill. Pool projects run 12–24 weeks construction depending on scope. Full backyard packages run 16–32 weeks. Inspections walked, change orders priced in writing, weekly photo reports.

Recent projects

Four LA backyards, four scope tiers

Same process, scoped to four different lots + budgets.

Project sizes and budget deltas anonymized per client privacy.

Hillside infinity pool + outdoor kitchen · Bel Air

42×18 ft pool + spa + 320 sq ft outdoor kitchen · $485K contract · 28-week build

Scope
Infinity-edge gunite pool with raised spa, cantilevered design over hillside grade, vanishing edge into city view, full outdoor kitchen with Wolf grill + side burner + refrigerator, Travertine deck, gas fire feature.
Engineering + soils
Hillside soils + geology report, cantilevered structural shell engineering, retaining-wall coordination, crane lift for shotcrete + equipment delivery (no truck access).
Permits cleared
LADBS B-permit (pool + structural), health-department fencing/signage, hillside grading sign-off, Title 24 pool equipment (VS pump + heater).
Timeline
36 weeks total (8 wks design + 12 wks plan check + 16 wks build incl. cure + fill).
Budget delta
Final contract within 2.6% of preconstruction budget (bedrock encountered, expected per soils report).

Full backyard package · Sherman Oaks

28×14 ft pool + spa + outdoor kitchen + 850 sq ft hardscape · $245K contract · 22-week build

Scope
Standard rectangular gunite pool, attached spa, freestanding outdoor kitchen island with grill + side burner + fridge, flagstone deck, drought-tolerant landscape, gas fire pit.
Engineering + soils
Standard soils report (flat lot), pool shell engineering, gas + water + 220V electrical extended to kitchen island, drainage to existing storm system.
Permits cleared
LADBS pool permit, health-department fencing/alarm, mechanical (pool equipment + gas line), electrical sub-permit.
Timeline
30 weeks total (6 wks design + 8 wks plan check + 16 wks construction).
Budget delta
Final contract within 1.4% of preconstruction budget.

Spa + outdoor kitchen only (no pool) · Studio City

8×8 ft built-in spa + 240 sq ft outdoor kitchen + pergola · $135K contract · 14-week build

Scope
In-ground gunite spa with auto-cover, attached outdoor kitchen with grill + side burner + fridge + bar seating, cedar pergola with sun shade, concrete deck.
Engineering + soils
Mini soils report (small footprint), spa shell engineering, gas + water + 240V electrical, pergola structural permit.
Permits cleared
LADBS spa permit, structural permit for pergola (over 120 sq ft), gas + electrical sub-permits.
Timeline
20 weeks total (4 wks design + 6 wks plan check + 10 wks build).
Budget delta
Final contract within 0.9% of preconstruction budget.

Resort-tier backyard · Pacific Palisades

48×20 ft pool + raised spa + 480 sq ft outdoor kitchen + pavilion · $720K contract · 36-week build

Scope
Lap-style pool with raised spa, full pavilion with kitchen + dining + fire feature + TV wall, pizza oven, full bathroom, drought-tolerant landscape with mature olive trees.
Engineering + soils
Hillside soils + geology, pool + pavilion structural engineering, Coastal Commission notification (Palisades zone), 200A sub-panel for pavilion, gas + water + sewer routed to pavilion.
Permits cleared
LADBS pool + pavilion structural + plumbing + electrical + gas. Coastal Commission CDP filed. Health-department fencing/signage. Title 24 envelope on pavilion.
Timeline
44 weeks total (8 wks design + 14 wks plan check + Coastal review parallel + 22 wks build).
Budget delta
Final contract within 2.8% of preconstruction budget (pavilion finish upgrade mid-project, signed change order).

Four scope tiers from $135K to $720K, the same documented process.

Budget delta across the four: 1.9% average against preconstruction.

The lots change; the process doesn’t.

LA service map

We know the LA jurisdiction map

Twenty-four LA-county jurisdictions we have pulled permits in.

Each has its own overlay logic — getting it wrong adds months.

  • Beverly Hills

    Independent city — permits through Beverly Hills B&S, NOT LADBS. Design Review Board oversight. R-1 mansion-permit caps, strict FAR. Tree-preservation ordinance.

  • Hollywood Hills

    Baseline Hillside Ordinance, VHFHSZ, geological soils reports, fire-department access on narrow roads, haul-route permits for significant grading.

  • Pacific Palisades

    Coastal Commission dual jurisdiction, Chapter 7A fire-resistant assemblies, post-Palisades-Fire expedited rebuild track, hillside ordinance.

  • Studio City

    Hillside ordinance south of Ventura, BMO/RFA in flat areas, Specific Plan considerations on major corridors, studio-adjacent noise/parking rules.

  • Bel Air

    Mansionization Ordinance, hillside grading limits, view-corridor protections, mega-mansion review for very large projects.

  • Pasadena

    Independent city — permits through Pasadena B&S. Landmark district reviews, design review for many additions, tree-protection ordinance.

  • Santa Monica

    Independent city — permits through Santa Monica B&S. Green Building Ordinance, soft-story retrofit mandate, coastal-zone overlay, R1-Single Family ordinance.

  • Encino Hills

    BHO south of Ventura Blvd, VHFHSZ, protected-oak ordinance with arborist review, BMO/RFA mansionization.

  • Malibu

    Independent city + Coastal Commission dual permits. Local Coastal Program (LCP) required for major work. Septic systems, VHFHSZ, post-fire expedited rebuild tracks.

  • Hancock Park

    HPOZ overlay — Historic Preservation Overlay Zone review required for exterior changes and additions. Boundary checks for properties at the HPOZ edge.

  • Manhattan Beach

    Independent city. Coastal-zone overlay, tight setbacks, height limits strictly enforced (30'), garage-encroachment rules, view-blockage objections.

  • Sherman Oaks

    BMO/RFA, hillside ordinance in south-of-Ventura properties, Specific Plan along Ventura Blvd, older-home system upgrades (knob-and-tube, galvanized) typical.

  • Hidden Hills

    Independent city (gated). Equestrian R-A zoning, gated construction-vehicle access scheduling, Mountains Restoration Trust consultation, oak protection plan.

  • Los Feliz

    LA city. Los Feliz Heights HPOZ on the hill side. Baseline Hillside Ordinance on canyon properties. Older 1920s–30s housing stock — system replacements typical.

  • La Cañada Flintridge

    Independent city. Hillside zoning (HZ-1, HZ-2), view ordinance, CalTrans coordination on properties near the 210, fire-access verification.

  • Brentwood

    Hillside zones with grading limits, view ordinance, BMO/RFA in flat areas, fire-zone designation in canyon properties.

  • Venice

    LA city + Coastal Commission. Venice Coastal Zone Specific Plan (VCZSP) — strict on density, mass, setbacks, parking. Walk Streets and Canals have additional overlays.

  • South Pasadena

    Independent city. Cultural Heritage Commission for additions to historic homes, narrow-lot patterns, tree-protection ordinance.

  • Holmby Hills

    LA city. Mansionization Ordinance, hillside ordinance on canyon lots, view-corridor protections, Holmby-Westwood Specific Plan adjacencies.

  • Silver Lake

    Hillside ordinance, older housing stock with knob-and-tube and galvanized plumbing common, Silver Lake Reservoir Specific Plan in some corridors.

  • Beverly Hills Post Office

    LA city (LADBS) inside 90210 zip. Baseline Hillside Ordinance, RFA mansionization, VHFHSZ portions, fire-access road review.

  • Calabasas

    Independent city. Old Topanga Canyon Specific Plan, Mountains Restoration Trust input, Green Building requirements, hillside ordinance for steeper lots.

  • San Marino

    Independent city. Design Review Board mandatory for most exterior changes. Tree preservation ordinance (mature canopy), historic resource considerations.

  • Toluca Lake

    LA city. Character residential zone considerations, BMO/RFA, narrow-lot patterns, studio-adjacent sound & parking factors (Disney, Warner Bros.).

Twenty-four shown above · we work across all 165+ LA-county jurisdictions. Don’t see your neighborhood? Just apply — we work everywhere LA County issues a permit.

Risk reversal

Where we put our risk on the line

Every NPLD contract carries these operational guarantees in writing. They are not slogans.

  • If we miss a permit deadline through our negligence, we eat the city's expedite fees. Not "we'll try to make it up." A line item in your contract.
  • If a city inspection fails on work we performed, we re-do the work at zero cost. Re-inspection fees included.
  • Scope is documented line item by line item in the contract. Price does not move unless scope moves — and scope changes require your written approval before work continues.
  • Change orders are priced and signed before any work happens. No "yeah just add it." No surprise invoices.
  • If at punch-list you can identify a deliverable from our contract that we did not produce, we install it or rebuild it at no charge. The punch list closes; we do not.

How most NPLD clients pay

Financing your backyard

In-house financing through Hearth and partner lenders. We never push debt — and we don't earn lender fees. Our job is to build well; the lenders' job is to fund well.

Pre-qualify in 60 seconds

Soft-credit pull through Hearth. Real offers from up to 17 partner lenders, no impact to your credit score, no obligation. We get a copy of your offers so we can build the budget around what you actually have.

Start with Hearth pre-qual

Use your home equity

HELOC or cash-out refinance against the existing house. Most LA homeowners in our $500K-$2M range fund renovations this way. We'll send you the side-by-side math against a construction loan during your project review.

Discuss equity options

Construction-to-perm loan

For ground-up custom homes and tear-down-rebuilds, a construction-to-perm loan covers the build and converts to a standard mortgage at completion. We work with specialty LA lenders who actually understand 18-month build timelines.

Discuss construction loans

Financing via Hearth (Aspire Financial Services LLC NMLS #1810501) and other partner lenders.

Subject to credit approval.

NP Line Design Inc. (CSLB #1105249) is not a lender and earns no lender fees.

The team

Who actually shows up

Three named principals — design-build, operations & software, interiors & storage — one accountable team. Same email, same phone, every week of the project.

Design-Build

Netanel Presman

General Contractor & Architectural Designer · CSLB #1105249

Netanel draws it and builds it. Over a decade as a residential architectural designer in LA — plan sets, permit drawings, hillside / HPOZ / coastal pathway, and structural coordination with stamping engineers — and the field GC who walks every inspection, sequences every trade, and signs off the punch list. 100+ completed LA projects across hillside, HPOZ, and coastal overlays. One person carrying design through permit through build means no architect-builder gap, no “that wasn’t in the drawings” fights, no re-coordination after permit issuance.

  • 10+ yrs designing · permit-set author
  • LADBS · 10 independent permit depts
  • Hillside · HPOZ · Coastal · VHFHSZ

Operations & Software

Jason

Design Coordination · Preconstruction · Operations · Systems

Jason runs design coordination, preconstruction budgeting, project sequencing, scheduling, and homeowner communication on every NPLD project. Same email and phone every week — no PM swap-outs. He’s also founder of AskBaily.com, the AI-driven marketplace and business-automation platform for general contractors and specialty pros — live in LA and 18 expansion metros — covering CRM, TCPA compliance (phone-verified consent, suppression cascade, recovery SMS), lead-lifecycle reconciliation, conversational AI intake, calendar & gcal sync, and a native pro mobile app. NPLD’s own back office runs on that same stack, which is why your project gets software-grade operational rigor: every decision dated, every milestone tracked, every neighbor letter logged — nothing living in a whiteboard or a lost text thread.

  • Preconstruction value engineering
  • Preconstruction sequencing · decision calendar
  • AskBaily.com · pro & GC ops platform

Interiors & Storage

Aksana Presman

Interior Designer · Custom Closets & Built-Ins

Aksana handles interior design — finishes, fixtures, lighting feel, and the custom-storage layer most GCs leave to a finish-out subcontractor. Thirteen years specifying closets, mudrooms, and built-ins across LA at three firms, now senior designer at California’s largest design-build custom-storage brand. NPLD clients get her direct line, designer-trade access at her firm, and a closet plan drawn into the framing — not bolted on at finish-out. Married to Netanel; same team, same standards, every project.

  • 13+ yrs custom-closet specification
  • Closet plans integrated at framing stage
  • Designer-trade pricing · curated finishes
Phone
(818) 605‑1388
Call or text. Same number, Netanel direct.
Office
22616 Kittridge St
Los Angeles, CA
License
CSLB #1105249
Bonded, insured, BBB A+ accredited.
Hours
Mon–Fri 8a–6p PT
Email replies same business day.

Apply for Project Review

Before you apply

Common questions, honest answers

How much does a pool actually cost in LA in 2026?

Basic in-ground gunite pool: $80K–$120K (flat lot, simple rectangular shape, standard finishes). Mid-tier with spa + water features: $150K–$250K. Premium pool with infinity edge, custom tile, hillside engineering, integrated outdoor kitchen: $300K–$500K+. Add $40K–$200K for a full outdoor living package (kitchen, pavilion, fire feature, landscape) on top of the pool itself.

How long does a pool project actually take in LA?

Realistic timeline: 4–8 months from first design meeting to swim-ready. Design: 4–8 weeks. Permits (LADBS + health department + structural): 6–14 weeks. Construction: 12–24 weeks (excavation → shell → plumbing/electrical → tile + coping → deck → equipment → plaster → fill → final inspection). Contractors who quote you "6 weeks" are quoting a number that has not survived plan check or soils analysis.

Do I need a permit for a pool, spa, or outdoor kitchen?

Pool: yes, always — LADBS structural + health-department fencing + Title 24 equipment permits. Built-in spa: yes if in-ground (LADBS + electrical sub-permit). Outdoor kitchen: yes if you’re running new gas, water, or electrical (LADBS sub-permits). Pergola/patio cover: yes if over 120 sq ft (LADBS structural). Fire feature: may require fire-department clearance depending on location and size. Unpermitted pool work creates resale liability and insurance issues.

What does the soils report do and why does it matter?

LA’s geology varies wildly: clay, expansive soils, hillside bedrock, high water table in some neighborhoods. Each demands different pool-shell engineering, foundation depth, and drainage design. A soils report (geotechnical investigation, $3K–$8K) identifies the conditions BEFORE design, so the shell is engineered correctly and surprises don’t hit at excavation. Skipping it = the most common cause of pool cost overruns.

Can equipment access my backyard?

We assess this on the site visit. If a 24,000 lb excavator + concrete truck can drive in through your side yard, standard cost. If not, we need to plan for crane lifts (typical $5K–$15K for shotcrete + equipment) or compact-track machines that fit through 4-ft gates (slower, slightly more expensive but viable). Hillside lots almost always need crane work — budgeted in from day one.

What about Title 24 pool equipment rules?

California Energy Commission requires variable-speed pool pumps (VS-rated), LED pool lighting, and high-efficiency heaters on all new pool installations. We spec compliant equipment from day one. Cheap single-speed pumps will fail Title 24 inspection and force a swap-out before plaster — an expensive mid-project surprise that catches contractors who don’t pre-spec.

Do you handle the outdoor kitchen + pool + landscape as one project?

Yes — that’s the value-stack pitch. Pool, spa, outdoor kitchen, hardscape, fire features, shade structures, and landscape are designed together and built under one contract. Single accountability, integrated material selections (so the pool tile complements the outdoor kitchen counters), coordinated utility runs (one trench for gas + water + electrical instead of three).

Do you offer financing?

We don’t lend; we connect you with lenders. Our primary partner is Hearth — a 60-second soft-credit pre-qualification that returns real offers from up to 17 partner lenders. We earn no fees on Hearth loans. For full backyard packages over $200K, we also work with HELOC providers and renovation-loan lenders.

What does a project review actually include?

Thirty minutes, free, no follow-up sales sequence. We walk your backyard, identify equipment-access paths, check setback rules, flag soils + slope concerns, run LADBS + health-department + Title 24 requirements for your scope. You leave with a real cost-confidence range and a permit-pathway list for your specific lot.

Still have a question? Text or call Netanel directly · (818) 605‑1388

Next step

Apply for your backyard project review

Eight short questions, about three minutes. Pick your slot on the next page — calendar invite lands the instant you book. If we’re not the right fit for your backyard, you’ll know on the spot — no waiting, no chase.

  • No deposit to apply
  • Instant calendar booking
  • Honest fit-check · no sales pitch
Apply for Project Review →

Prefer to talk first? Text or call Netanel directly · (818) 605‑1388