Pool Upgrades & Renovations in St. Augustine, FL
St. Augustine pool work is mostly older-pool renovation — copper-to-PVC conversions, salt-water capability adds, screen enclosure rebuilds, equipment-pad modernization on coastal homes that have weathered 30+ years of salt air. Mark's RP252555575 license covers the renovation scope; St. Johns County permits in-house.
Built to St. Augustine standards.
St. Augustine remodeling isn't generic remodeling — HARB (Historic Architectural Review Board) approval, heart-pine restoration, and respect for original character separate the right contractor from the wrong one. Mark's résumé includes historic preservation work (1885 home addition documented in his project history), so he understands the difference between restoring a 1920s cottage and modernizing one out of recognition.
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 St. Augustine 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.
Copper-to-PVC plumbing conversion. Older St. Augustine pools commonly have copper supply or return runs that have pinholed from chemistry over the decades. Resurfacing is the right time to address the plumbing.
Salt-water capability for coastal homes. East-of-US-1 St. Augustine homeowners increasingly want salt-water systems; older equipment pads need rebuild to support a salt cell.
Equipment lifespan in coastal humidity. Pumps, heaters, and controllers fail faster in St. Augustine's salt-air environment. A coastal-rated equipment pad with stainless hardware and a vented enclosure outlasts standard install by years.
Screen enclosure historic compatibility. If the pool sits behind a historic-district home visible from a side street, HARB may have an opinion on the enclosure design and finish color.
Existing pool deck settlement. St. Augustine soils, particularly in older neighborhoods, settle unevenly; refinishing without addressing the underlying movement buys 2–3 years, not 15.
Permits pulled in-house, every job.
St. Johns County permits are issued by the Building Services Division. Coastal construction control line setbacks apply east of A1A; lots in flood zones require elevation certificates before permitting.
The questions St. Augustine 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 St. Augustine and the St. Johns County permit nuances.