Selling or buying a home with a pool in Arizona: what to do about the plaster

What a pool inspection looks at

A pool inspection covers the whole system, not only the water. A Phoenix pool company's inspection checklist covers the visible condition of the tile, deck and coping, the pump and motor, filter, heater, valves, lighting and electrical, safety equipment and water chemistry (ASP North Phoenix).

When inspectors find problems, the surface is usually the big one. In an April 2026 AQUA Magazine article, the president of a national pool inspection company ranked structural and surface issues highest: plaster that is cracking or deteriorating, missing tile and cracks in the coping. Settlement cracks in the deck or pool shell can be a larger problem. Inspectors also look for leaking pumps, filters or valves, worn-out or corroded equipment, electrical issues such as missing GFCI protection or bonding, and fencing, gates and drain covers.

Signs like cloudy or green water, calcium scaling or stained concrete don't prove anything on their own, but they make an inspector look harder (AQUA, April 2026).

See the signs a pool needs resurfacing

The Arizona contract clock

Most Arizona resale homes are sold on the Arizona REALTORS residential resale purchase contract. Under it, the buyer's inspection period is 10 days after the contract is accepted unless the contract sets a different number (Arizona REALTORS, Apr 13, 2023).

If the inspection turns up problems, the buyer lists them on the Buyer's Inspection Notice and Seller's Response form, known as the BINSR. The seller has five days after the notice is delivered to respond, unless the parties set a different number of days (BINSR form, updated October 2022).

That means a seller may have under a week to decide whether to fix the plaster, offer a credit, or decline, and a buyer has to decide just as fast whether that answer is good enough. A written quote you can attach to the conversation makes those decisions much easier than a guess.

When a repair needs a licensed contractor

The BINSR form says any repairs the parties agree to must be done in a workmanlike manner, and it points to Arizona law, A.R.S. 32-1121, which requires a licensed contractor for agreed repairs when the total price for labor and materials is $1,000 or more, the work is not casual or minor, or the work needs a local building permit (BINSR form, updated October 2022; A.R.S. 32-1121(A)(14)).

A full pool resurface costs well over $1,000 for nearly any Valley pool (see our cost page), so in practice a replaster agreed in a sale is licensed-contractor work. You can check any contractor's license on the Arizona Registrar of Contractors' own lookup before you hire.

How to check a resurfacing contractor's license

If you're selling

1. Get a written quote early. If you already know the plaster is rough or stained, a quote before listing tells you whether to resurface now or price it in. If it comes up in the BINSR, a quote lets you answer inside the five-day window with a real number.
2. Repair or credit. You can agree to resurface, offer a credit, or decline; your agent can explain how each plays out under your contract. A licensed contractor's written quote is a fair, checkable basis for any of the three.
3. Plan the calendar. A plain resurface takes about 1 to 2 weeks of work plus roughly a week of start-up before swimming. If your HOA must approve the work, add that time too.
4. The pool safety notice. Arizona REALTORS says the seller is required by law to give the buyer a copy of the Arizona Department of Health Services pool safety notice (Arizona REALTORS pool barrier flyer, July 2020). Your agent will handle the form; it is separate from any resurfacing.

How long a resurface takes, drain to swim

If you're buying

1. Read the pool part of the inspection report closely. Surface cracks, missing tile and coping cracks are the items most likely to cost real money (AQUA, April 2026).
2. Get your own number inside the inspection period. A resurfacing contractor prices after seeing the pool; with a 10-day default inspection period, ask early.
3. Ask for the scope in writing. A quote should name the finish, the square footage or pool size, tile and coping work, and who handles drain and refill.
4. Agreed repairs need a license. If the seller agrees to repair, the BINSR wording and Arizona law (A.R.S. 32-1121) above mean a licensed contractor for a job this size. Check the license on the ROC lookup.

Buying into an HOA? How pool work approval works

What it costs

Don't guess at a number in a negotiation. Our cost page has sourced Valley ranges by finish, and the calculator gives a rough figure for your pool's size. A written quote after a contractor sees the pool is the number to use.

Pool resurfacing cost in the Valley

Get a written quote for your sale

Selling or buying? Tell us about your pool and up to three licensed local contractors who fit the job can give you written quotes to compare.

This guide is general information, not legal or real estate advice.

Get a written resurfacing quote