Pool Builders in Templeton, CA: Backyard Design and Coordination

Planning a pool in Templeton? We design the whole backyard, connect you with three pool builders we've completed whole-yard projects with (you contract with the pool builder directly), coordinate the schedule, and build everything around the pool. Templeton is a few minutes from our Paso Robles shop, and most pools here go in on larger lots with oaks, slopes and, often, a septic system. We lay out the pool, spa, deck and landscape together in one master design and plan for the County and Templeton Community Services District rules from the start. Call 805-712-4440 or request a free estimate.

County Permits: Templeton Is Unincorporated

Templeton isn't a city, so pool permits go through San Luis Obispo County Planning & Building. The County's swimming pool and spa rules are friendlier than many cities' on placement, but the submittal asks for more site information:

• Setbacks. Pools, spas and their equipment may sit within the required side and rear setbacks, but no closer than 18 inches to a property line, and must be fenced to Building Code barrier standards. That flexibility doesn't apply in the coastal appealable zone or where a recorded building envelope or easement limits the lot.
• Septic. The County's pool and spa submittal list asks for the location of the septic tank and leach field on the site plan. On many Templeton lots the leach field decides where the pool can go.
• Drainage and soils. The plans must show drainage, the drowning-prevention barrier and, in some areas, a soils report.

Templeton CSD Rules for Draining a Pool

If your home is on Templeton Community Services District sewer, its sewer code affects how a pool is designed and maintained:

• Saltwater pools. Saltwater pool water, including backwash from the electrolytic cell, may not be discharged to the sewer, a storm drain or a natural waterway.
• Chlorinated pools. Draining chlorinated pool or spa water or filter backwash to the sewer needs the District's prior written permission, through a pipe no larger than 2 inches, at no more than 100 gallons per minute, with an indirect waste connection.

That's why we talk through the sanitizer system and the filter type early. A cartridge filter, for example, avoids routine backwash water entirely, and it shapes where the equipment pad and any drain connection go.

Oaks, Slopes and Heat

Templeton backyards often have native oaks, which the County protects. We work with the pool builder to keep the excavation and the equipment trench outside root zones where we can, and keep deck and planting away from trunks. Sloped lots east and west of town usually need a retaining wall or a raised edge, which can become a spillover spa or a seat wall. Summers are hot, so we pair the pool with a pergola or patio cover, light-colored decking and drought-tolerant planting.

Pool Builders We Trust, One Plan for the Whole Backyard

Paso Robles Landscaping does not build the pool itself. We connect you with three pool builders we've completed whole-yard projects with, and the pool is built under a separate contract between you and the pool builder you choose. We do the master design for the whole space, coordinate the schedule between the pool builder and our crew, and build everything around the pool: decking, hardscape, patios, outdoor kitchens, fire features, landscape, irrigation and lighting. The pieces are planned together from the first sketch.

• Pool and spa (built by the pool builder, under your contract with them): layout, shape, depth, steps and benches, spillover or raised spas, and equipment placement, planned into our master design around the rules below
• Pool deck: concrete, pavers or stone, sloped to drains and away from the house
• Shade and outdoor living: pergolas, patio covers, outdoor kitchens and fire features
• Landscape: low-water planting that keeps leaves out of the water, artificial turf lounge areas, drip irrigation and lighting
• Grading and walls: retaining walls, steps and drainage on sloped lots
• Safety barrier: fencing and self-closing gates, coordinated with the pool builder on the other drowning-prevention features California requires on new pools

How a Pool Project Works With Us

1. Site visit. We walk the yard, check access for equipment, slopes, soil, trees, utilities and where water will drain.
2. Design. We do the master design for the whole yard, laying out the pool, spa, deck and planting together and showing where the equipment and barrier go. We introduce you to the three pool builders we work with, and the one you choose details the pool with us.
3. Written estimates. You get our written estimate for the design and everything around the pool, and a separate written bid and contract from the pool builder for the pool itself. No ballparks over the phone.
4. Permits. The pool builder pulls the pool permit. We prepare the plans for our part of the yard and coordinate both with the San Luis Obispo County permit review.
5. Build. The pool builder handles excavation, steel, plumbing, shell and equipment. We coordinate the schedule around their work, then build the deck, hardscape and landscape, with inspections along the way.
6. Startup. The pool builder walks you through the pool equipment, and we walk you through the irrigation, lighting and barrier before the yard is yours.

We also design and coordinate pool projects in Paso Robles, Atascadero, San Luis Obispo and Arroyo Grande. For how pool projects work across the county, see our San Luis Obispo County pool design and coordination page.

More about our work in town is on our Templeton landscaping page.

Nearby Areas We Serve

From Templeton we also work in Paso Robles, Atascadero, Santa Margarita and Paso Robles wine country. See every community on our San Luis Obispo County service area page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who issues pool permits in Templeton?

San Luis Obispo County Planning & Building. Templeton is unincorporated, so there is no city building department.

How close to the property line can a pool be in Templeton?

County rules allow pools, spas and equipment in the side and rear setbacks, but no closer than 18 inches to a property line, with code-compliant fencing. Coastal zones, building envelopes and easements can change that.

Can I have a saltwater pool in Templeton?

Yes, but if you're on Templeton CSD sewer, saltwater pool water and electrolytic-cell backwash may not go to the sewer, storm drains or waterways. We plan the equipment pad and filter with the pool builder around that.

My lot has a septic system. Can I still have a pool?

Usually, yes. The County asks for the tank and leach field locations on the pool site plan, and we lay out the pool and equipment with the pool builder to stay clear of them.

Do you build the pool, or just the landscaping?

We don't build the pool itself. We connect you with three pool builders we've completed whole-yard projects with, and the pool is built under a separate contract between you and the pool builder you choose. We do the master design, coordinate the schedule, and build the decking, hardscape, patios, outdoor kitchens, fire features, landscape, irrigation and lighting around it.

How much does a pool cost in Templeton?

It depends on size, spa, decking, slope, access and the landscape around it. The pool builder you choose prices the pool under their own contract, and we give a free written estimate for the design and everything around it after a site visit.

Related: Pool decks and pool surrounds in Templeton