Everything homeowners ask before they book, in plain language.
We perform estimates when needed, but we usually do not need an in person visit. On site inspections cost time and money, and those costs typically get passed on to you, and about 99 percent of jobs have the same issues. If there are detailed issues, our customers email or text us a photo of the job. We also use the latest aerial photo technology that lets us measure exactly what you have within a couple of feet and quote it virtually. We try to save you time, money, and the hassle of setting aside time to discuss things that can be handled over the phone or by email. Today's digital tools and remote communication make this a faster, more efficient way to work, and it keeps both our clients and our technicians safe.
As policy, we do not collect any money until the job is complete. We send over an agreement and request a credit card to hold the job, but no charge is made until we are done and you are happy with the work. With today's scheduling and estimating technology, our customers are very comfortable with the process, and it is easy to gather enough information to give you a confident budget. We obtain a written work authorization before we begin, which gives you the full disclosures and terms of the work requested. We also guarantee our work and your satisfaction, and we have been in business for over 20 years. If your job is over 150 linear feet, has vertical joints, excessive widths, or other unusual circumstances, we are glad to come out and meet you, though even those can usually be discussed or budgeted over the phone.
The average pool perimeter is about 90 to 100 feet, so the typical cost for our customers ranges from $900 to $1,500. Costs can vary, and you are welcome to measure your pool yourself for an accurate estimate. We aim to be the most reliable experts and to make the whole process as easy as possible.
Do not worry about minor inaccuracies. We verify the measurement before completing the job and adjust the bill accordingly. Whether the final measurement is more or less than our estimate, you are only charged for the actual work done, no more and no less. It is that simple, and satisfaction is guaranteed.
Pool mastic is the flexible sealant that fills the expansion joint between your pool coping and the surrounding concrete deck. It is engineered to flex as the deck and pool move at different rates, and it keeps water from reaching the soil underneath. When it cracks, hardens, or pulls away, that water barrier is gone.
Quality pool mastic is a self leveling polyurethane or polymer based joint sealant rated for traffic and constant sun and water exposure. It stays flexible for years, unlike rigid acrylic caulk, which is why it can absorb the seasonal movement of a pool deck without splitting.
The expansion joint is the deliberate gap between the pool structure and the deck. Concrete expands in heat and contracts in cold, and the pool and deck move independently. The joint, filled with flexible mastic, gives them room to move without cracking each other. Remove or neglect the mastic and the slabs grind and crack instead.
Sun, heat, pool chemicals, and constant deck movement break mastic down over time. In Southern California the intense UV and summer heat are the biggest factors. Once the bead loses flexibility it cracks, separates from the edge, and stops keeping water out. It is normal wear, and it is exactly what we replace.
Most residential jobs are priced per linear foot of joint, so the total depends on how much joint your pool has. You get a fixed quote by text before anything is scheduled. Whatever the number, it is a fraction of the five figure cost of repairing a deck after a failed joint lets water do its damage.
Because cheap and protected are not the same thing. Our price reflects what it actually costs to do this right: licensed and insured crews, real employee wages and benefits, commercial grade materials, full removal instead of a quick overlay, and a written 2 year warranty. A handyman rate skips most of that, and the joint fails again on your dime. If the lowest price is the only thing that matters on your project, we are honestly not the right fit.
In hot, sunny climates like Southern California, expect to replace pool mastic roughly every five to seven years, sometimes sooner on south facing decks that bake all day. The honest answer is to replace it as soon as you see cracking or separation, because the damage clock starts the moment the seal breaks.
A professional installation over correctly set backer rod typically lasts five to seven years or more in our climate. Lifespan depends on sun exposure, how much the deck moves, and whether it was installed properly the first time. Overlays on top of old mastic fail far faster, which is why we always do a full removal.
Hardware store caulk is rigid and cheap, and it fails within a season or two of deck movement. Pool mastic is a self leveling, traffic rated joint sealant built to flex with the deck for years. They look similar in the tube and behave nothing alike on a pool deck. We install mastic only.
Deck-O-Seal is one well known brand of pool deck joint sealant. Pool mastic is the general category that products like it belong to. We use commercial grade mastic products suited to the job and your deck, and we are happy to discuss the exact material on your quote.
You can buy a tube of sealant, but a lasting result depends on full removal of the old material, cleaning the joint, setting backer rod at the correct depth, and tooling a self leveling product correctly. Most DIY attempts skip the backer rod and fail within a year. Doing it once, correctly, is cheaper than doing it twice.
Backer rod is a foam cord set into the joint before the mastic. It controls how deep the mastic sits and lets the bead flex properly instead of bonding to the bottom of the joint, which would cause it to tear. Skipping or wrongly sizing backer rod is the most common reason a mastic job fails early. We set it correctly on every job.
It is necessary. An open or unsealed joint lets water, dirt, and debris straight into the soil under your deck. That is the exact path to washout, slab movement, and structural damage. The mastic joint is a small, inexpensive barrier protecting a very expensive deck and pool.
Water gets into the joint and reaches the base soil. The soil expands, contracts, and washes out. Slabs heave and settle, the gap widens, and trip hazards appear. Left long enough you get cracked decking, separated coping, and in the worst cases bond beam damage. At that point you are no longer sealing a joint, you are replacing a deck.
Mastic seals the deck expansion joint to keep surface water out of the soil under your deck. That is different from a leak inside the pool shell or plumbing. If your water loss is from the structure or pipes, that is a separate repair, but a failed deck joint absolutely lets water where it does not belong and should be sealed.
Look at the joint between your pool coping and deck. If the sealant is cracked, hardened, crumbling, pulling away from either edge, missing in spots, or you can see soil or a gap, it is time. If you are not sure, send us a photo and we will tell you honestly whether it needs work yet.
Plan on at least 48 hours of cure time before the pool and joint area are used. Full cure can take a little longer depending on temperature and humidity. We will give you the specific window for your job, but the rule is simple: no use for 48 hours.
No. The pool cannot be used the day of service, and new mastic needs at least 48 hours to cure before the area is used. Plan around that window so the fresh joint sets up properly and the warranty stays intact.
We offer grey or tan mastic, each available with a sand finish or no sand finish. The sand finish blends with textured decks and adds grip. You choose your color and finish when you book and we match it to your deck.
One day. We remove the old mastic, clean and prep the joint, set new backer rod, and install fresh mastic in a single visit. Then the 48 hour cure window begins.
No payment is due until the job is complete. You see the finished joint before anything is owed.
Turn off any irrigation or sprinklers near the joint, secure pets, and clear the pool deck. We confirm gate codes and parking on the booking call. If you have vertical or wall joints, or slabs that have shifted, tell us in advance so we bring the right materials.
Yes. Let us know on the booking form whether there are vertical or wall joints and whether the concrete has shifted or is uneven, and we will bring the right materials and approach.
Pool Mastic Pros specializes in pool mastic and expansion joint replacement across Southern California, including Orange County, Los Angeles, the Inland Empire, San Diego, and the Coachella Valley. It is the only thing we do, every job is one day, and every installation carries a written 2 year warranty.
