Pool Upgrades & Renovations in Fleming Island, FL
Mark's RP252555575 license is a Florida Certified Pool/Spa Contractor license — and on Fleming Island, almost every pool he touches is a renovation, not a new build. Resurfacing, equipment automation upgrades, screen enclosure replacements, deck refreshes on 1990s-era pools that have done their first 20 years and need to do another. Clay County permitting, RP-licensed work, no subcontracted equipment installs.
Built to Fleming Island standards.
Fleming Island is where Mark Tivey has built his life and his business. With one of the highest veteran populations in Northeast Florida (17.5% — over 2x the state rate per Census Reporter) and a median household income near $116,000, the community demands quality work from contractors it can verify and trust. Mark delivers both — Florida-licensed CGC1511598 + RP252555575, U.S. Navy and Army Reserve veteran, and a 37+ year résumé that includes Mayo Clinic Jacksonville and Baptist Medical Center.
I'm a FL-licensed pool/spa contractor (RP252555575), and I work on the pool you already own. Equipment, plaster, tile, decks, screens, lighting, automation, plumbing, repairs — anything that makes the pool you have feel like the pool you wanted. I do not build new pools from the ground up. If you have one, I can modernize it, fix it, refresh it, or rebuild every visible surface and every piece of equipment around it. Most projects come down to two questions: what's leaking money in your monthly bill (usually a single-speed pump and an inefficient heater), and what's stopping you from using the pool more (usually a tired finish, a torn screen, or lights that died). I solve both with the same crew that handles your kitchen and bath.
Pool Upgrades & Renovations options for Fleming Island homeowners.
- Pool ResurfacingWhen the plaster gets rough underfoot, the color has gone gray, or you're seeing the substrate come through — that's a resurface. I strip the old finish, fix any underlying cracks or hollow spots, and apply your new finish (smooth plaster, pebble aggregate, or quartz). The color and texture choice is bigger than people realize: it sets the entire look of the water for the next 8–12 years.
- Deck + Coping RefreshThe deck and coping are 70% of what your eye sees when you walk out the back door. A tired, stained, or cracked deck makes a fine pool look neglected. I refurbish or replace pool decks in concrete, pavers, or travertine — including the coping that frames the water's edge.
- Equipment + AutomationVariable-speed pumps, modern heaters or heat pumps, salt systems, automation packages, smart-home integration, LED lighting. The mechanical side of your pool is where the monthly cost lives — and where the comfort upgrades live.
- Screen Enclosure Repair + RebuildFlorida pool screens take a beating — UV, hurricanes, lightning, kids. I repair, rescreen, or rebuild the entire enclosure depending on what you've got. Aluminum framing, hurricane-rated where the wind code requires it.
The local-knowledge details I won't skip.
Shallow-water-table impact on deck heave. Fleming Island's water table is close to the surface; a settled or heaved pool deck is often a drainage problem before it's a concrete problem. Resurfacing without diagnosing the underlying cause buys 2–3 years, not 15.
Variable-speed pump compatibility with 1990s panels. A 1.5HP single-speed swap to a variable-speed pump can require a dedicated breaker check and sometimes a sub-panel; existing pool electrical wasn't sized for modern automation.
Plaster vs. pebble for Clay County water chemistry. Local mineral content matters — a pebble finish that lasts 25 years in one Florida county may stain in another. Mark scopes the chemistry before recommending a finish.
Screen enclosure wind rating. Fleming Island sits in the 130 mph design wind zone (FBC 2023). Older enclosures often weren't built to current spec; replacement requires hurricane-rated framing and updated cable anchoring.
Skimmer and return placement on older pools. 1980s–90s Fleming Island pools commonly have undersized skimmers and a single return; a refresh project is the right time to upgrade circulation rather than band-aid it.
Permits pulled in-house, every job.
Clay County permits are pulled through Tyler Technologies EPL. Permit fee is $1 per $1,000 of construction cost plus a $50 application fee. Jobs over $5,000 require a recorded Notice of Commencement before the first inspection — Tivey handles the filing.
The questions Fleming Island homeowners ask first.
Do you build new pools from scratch?
No. I work on existing pools only — upgrades, renovations, equipment, decks, screens, automation, repairs. If you don't have a pool yet and want one built ground-up, I'll happily refer you to a pool builder I trust and then come in afterward to handle the deck, screen enclosure, outdoor kitchen, or other adjacent work that connects the pool to the rest of your home.
What kinds of pool work do you actually do?
Anything on a pool that already exists. The most common projects: plaster or pebble resurfacing, tile and coping replacement, deck refurbishment or full re-pour, screen enclosure repair or rebuild, pump and filter equipment swaps (variable-speed retrofits in particular), heater install or replacement, salt-water conversion, LED light upgrades, pool automation and smart-home integration, plumbing repairs, crack repair, spillover spa retrofits where the structure allows, and feature additions like fire bowls or waterfalls.
What's the typical cost range?
Three rough tiers from real Northeast Florida projects. Refresh ($5K–$15K): single-equipment swap (a heater, a pump, a salt system) or a basic resurface. Standard ($15K–$40K): full plaster refinish + deck refurbishment + a couple of equipment upgrades. Premium ($40K–$90K): full reno — resurface, tile, coping, new deck, full automation package, and a screen enclosure rebuild. The 90-second estimator on my home page narrows it tighter.
How long does a pool renovation take?
Equipment swaps are usually a one-day job. A plaster resurface is 2–3 weeks because the cure has to be respected. A full premium reno (resurface + deck + screen + automation) runs 6–10 weeks depending on the deck choice and screen complexity. I sequence the noisy work first so you're not living next to a vibrating saw on weekends.
Pool Upgrades & Renovations across Northeast Florida.
See your range in 90 seconds.
Tell me about your pool upgrades & renovations project — you'll see a real budget range mid-flow, and I'll call within 24 hours with a specific quote for Fleming Island and the Clay County permit nuances.