Lake Balboa wraps around the Sepulveda Basin, and the ground near a flood control basin holds water in a way the rest of the Valley does not. That matters the moment a pool has to be drained or a line starts leaking. This page covers leak work, remodeling and new construction on these lots, and what each costs.
Who Builds and Repairs Pools in Lake Balboa?
Spear Pool Equipment & Repair builds, remodels and repairs pools throughout Lake Balboa, including leak tracing on the lots closest to the Sepulveda Basin. The company is licensed under CSLB #1143895, pulls LADBS permits on major work, and gives a free written estimate.
Leak, Resurface or Build New?
Lake Balboa calls land in one of three places, and water loss is the one to settle first:
| Option | What you are seeing | Cost | How long it holds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Find the leak | Water loss above normal evaporation | $243 to $1,212 typical | Stops the bleeding first |
| Resurface | Rough or stained finish, plaster past 10 years | $6,000 to $15,000 | 5 to 10 yrs plaster, 20+ pebble |
| Build new | No pool yet, or a shell past saving | $44,300 to $86,500 in-ground | Decades on the structure |
Pool Work We Handle in Lake Balboa
Proximity to the basin shapes the work. Ground that stays damp is hard on buried lines and makes draining a pool a decision rather than a routine step.
Our pool renovations cover finishes, tile, coping and decks. Leak and equipment work runs alongside, and here it comes first more often than not.
Leak Tracing and Plumbing
A pool losing more than normal evaporation is losing it somewhere specific, and guessing is expensive. We locate it before quoting anything.
Once it is found, we handle pool pipe leak repair on the failed section. Where a system keeps springing new ones, a full line replacement costs less than a third round of patches.
“Great company to deal with. They repaired a pool pump for me, and upgraded my system to iAquaLink so that it works with my iPhone.”
★★★★★ Kane G., Los Angeles, verified Yelp review
Draining Near the Basin
Groundwater sits higher near a flood control basin, and a drained pool is a boat. Hydrostatic pressure under an empty shell is what lifts a pool out of the ground, and it is entirely preventable with the right relief valve and timing.
We check the hydrostatic valve and pick the season before draining anything for a new interior surface, rather than treating the drain as a formality.
| Finish | Lifespan | Upfront cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plaster | 5 to 10 years | Lowest | A straight refresh on a budget |
| Quartz | 15 to 20 years | Middle | Longer life without pebble pricing |
| Pebble | 20+ years | Highest | Pools kept for decades |
Lifespans from HomeAdvisor and finish makers Pebble Technology International and SGM. Plaster is quoted at 5 to 10 years by cost guides and 7 to 10 by manufacturers, and water chemistry decides where a pool lands in that range.
Before booking a drain, read the signs a pool finish has reached its end.
“Called in and Mike booked me an appointment asap. Week later Richard was down here at exactly the time he said he would be. Fixed my heater in 30 minutes and left.”
★★★★★ Rebecca C., Los Angeles, verified Yelp review
Resurfacing, Tile and Decks
Hard water leaves a chalk line at the waterline, so a new waterline band goes in while the water is down.
Loose edge stones get pool coping repair, and a sound slab takes new pool deck coating without a tear-out.
Equipment and Automation
Damp ground is hard on pads, conduit and bonding. That is our pump and heater work.
We handle equipment pad repair where a unit can be saved, and variable-speed installation where it cannot.
Panels and controls need subpanel and wiring work, which is worth doing properly on any lot that holds moisture.
New Pools, Spas and Features
On an open lot we handle new gunite pools from permits through start-up, with soil conditions checked before design.
A tired interior gets plaster work with fresh tile.
Families ask for a sunning ledge for shallow lounging.
For year-round use we handle adding a built-in spa on shared equipment.
Waterfalls and fire bowls are pool water and fire features, easiest while the deck is open.
Get a Free Lake Balboa Pool Estimate
Tell us what the pool is doing. Estimates are free, and most repairs are scheduled the same week.
Free visit. Written price. No obligation.
Lake Balboa Pools by the Numbers
- 65 pool permits were pulled in Lake Balboa from 2013 to 2020, per LA Department of Building and Safety records analyzed by Crosstown, most of them on existing pools.
- $350 to $2,700 is the range for an in-ground leak repair, per HomeAdvisor’s 2026 data, depending on whether it is a fitting or a line.
- $6,000 to $15,000 covers a full resurfacing, averaging about $11,000, from the same source.
Neighborhoods and Local Conditions in Lake Balboa
We service pools throughout Lake Balboa: the streets between Victory and Sherman Way, the blocks off Balboa Boulevard, the tracts backing onto the recreation area and the homes west toward Woodley.
The basin is the defining local factor. Ground near it holds moisture, which shortens the life of buried plumbing and makes an empty shell a real risk rather than a theoretical one.
Otherwise these are flat postwar lots with easy access, which keeps labor on a resurfacing job closer to its baseline than a hillside property ever gets.
“Richard was our tech. He was professional, effective, and got the job done. We had issues with our heater. He came out and fixed it.”
★★★★★ Drill, Los Angeles, verified Google review
What Drives the Price of Pool Work in Lake Balboa
Quotes here move on four things:
- Leak location. A fitting is cheap, a line under a deck is not.
- Drain conditions. Groundwater can dictate the season for surface work.
- Surface area. Resurfacing is priced by area, not gallons.
- Permits. Major work in the City of Los Angeles needs an LADBS permit.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Pump motor repair | $50 to $300 |
| Heater repair | $160 to $730 |
| In-ground leak repair | $350 to $2,700 |
| Full resurfacing | $6,000 to $15,000 |
| New in-ground pool | $44,300 to $86,500 |
National ranges from HomeAdvisor 2026 cost data. Lake Balboa quotes depend on access and what we find once the pool is drained.
More on where we work across the county if you are outside the area.
“He is a straight shooter and gets the job done efficiently. He says what he does and does what he says ON TIME!”
★★★★★ Phil W., Manhattan Beach, verified Yelp review
Meet the Owner
Ran Neuman owns Spear Pools, Inc. and brings 18 years of hands-on pool repair and construction experience.
On remodels he meets the homeowner, explains each step and stays involved from demolition through start-up. Connect with Ran on LinkedIn.
Read what customers around the basin say on our Google Business Profile.
“More competent than 90% of pool men. Pool men mostly don’t understand nor diagnose problems correctly. Also Spear wires stuff better”
★★★★★ j g., Woodland Hills, verified Yelp review
Nearby Areas We Serve
East across Balboa Boulevard the older tracts start, and we handle Van Nuys pool remodeling there.
South past Victory we work throughout pool repair in Encino. West over the wash, homeowners call us for pool resurfacing in Reseda.
See every city we cover on one page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to have a pool leak detected?
Leak detection is usually billed as a service call, and the repair afterward is where the range opens up. HomeAdvisor’s 2026 data puts in-ground leak repair at $350 to $2,700 depending on whether it is a fitting, a light niche or a buried line. Finding it first is what keeps you from paying for the wrong fix, so we trace before we quote.
Why is my pool losing 1 inch of water a day?
Losing an inch a day is well beyond normal evaporation, which runs closer to a quarter inch in Valley summer heat, so a pool at that rate has a leak. Common sources are the skimmer throat, a light conduit, the main drain and buried return lines. An inch a day on an average pool is hundreds of gallons a week, which is worth tracing immediately.
How to tell if a pool is leaking or evaporating?
Telling a leak from evaporation takes a bucket test: set a filled bucket on a step, mark the water level inside and outside, and compare after 24 hours with the pump running normally. Even loss means evaporation, and a bigger drop in the pool means a leak. Repeating the test with the pump off narrows it to the plumbing or the shell.
What is the most common cause of pool leaks?
The most common causes of pool leaks are failed skimmer throats, cracked light conduits, worn return fittings and buried plumbing that has shifted with the soil. Near the Sepulveda Basin, ground that holds moisture moves more than dry soil does, which is hard on rigid lines. Shell cracks happen too, but they are rarer than plumbing failures.
Is it normal to lose 2 inches of water out of a pool?
Losing two inches over a week can be normal in peak summer heat with heavy swimmer use and no cover. Losing two inches in a day or two is not. The practical threshold is about a quarter inch a day from evaporation, and a pool consistently above that, especially in cooler months, should be tested rather than topped up.
Ready to trace a leak, resurface or rebuild your Lake Balboa pool? Call (818) 719-9059 and Ran will look at the plumbing, shell and equipment together.