City of San Diego pool permit data, 2024 to 2026
At a glance: The City of San Diego issued 751 permits for new pools at single-family homes from January 2024 to 6 November 2026, about 250 a year. The median time from application to issue rose from 54 days in 2024 to 85 days in 2026, and master plan pools were issued in a median of 44 days against 98 for custom pools[1].
What does this dataset show?
This is an original analysis of the City of San Diego’s open permit data. It counts building permits issued for new private swimming pools at single-family homes from 1 January 2024 to 6 November 2026, the last issue date in the files downloaded on 9 November 2026[1]. It found 751 permits. The figures describe the City of San Diego only; Santee, Chula Vista, Escondido and the unincorporated county run their own permit systems.
| Year issued | Permits | Master plan | Mention a spa | Median days, application to issue | Median valuation | Middle half of valuations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 256 | 54.7% | 68.8% | 54 | $55,119 | $38,304 to $79,116 |
| 2025 | 255 | 52.9% | 69.4% | 65 | $52,554 | $37,620 to $75,244 |
| 2026 | 240 | 50.8% | 68.8% | 85 | $51,072 | $35,500 to $68,768 |
Three things stand out. Volume is steady at roughly 250 permits a year. The time from application to issue has grown each year, from a median of 54 days in 2024 to 85 days in 2026. And the median valuation has drifted down, which reflects how the city values permits more than what pools cost.
How do master plan and custom pools differ?
The city lets builders register pre-approved “master plan” pool designs to speed up review; anything else is a custom pool[2]. In the permit descriptions, a little over half of new pools used a master plan:
| Type | Permits | Median days to issue | Median valuation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master plan | 397 | 44 | $47,937 |
| Custom | 354 | 98 | $60,000 |
Master plan pools were issued in about half the time of custom pools, and had lower valuations. That fits the city’s rules: a master plan pool must retain no more than six feet of soil and sit in native soil, so the deeper, hillside and feature-heavy designs end up as custom pools. See master plan or custom pool.
Is there a season for pool permits?
Issues by quarter show no strong season; the third quarter was the slowest in 2024 and 2025 and the busiest in 2026[1].
| Quarter | Permits |
|---|---|
| 2024 Q1 | 76 |
| 2024 Q2 | 67 |
| 2024 Q3 | 47 |
| 2024 Q4 | 66 |
| 2025 Q1 | 69 |
| 2025 Q2 | 74 |
| 2025 Q3 | 39 |
| 2025 Q4 | 73 |
| 2026 Q1 | 56 |
| 2026 Q2 | 63 |
| 2026 Q3 | 83 |
| 2026 Q4 | 38 |
The last quarter of 2026 covers only five weeks.
How many of these permits list San Diego Pools?
54 of the 751 permits name a permit holder containing “San Diego Pools” or “Crown US”: 18 issued in 2024, 25 in 2025 and 11 in 2026[1]. Most of them (85.2%) were master plan pools. Permits are sometimes pulled in an individual’s name rather than the company’s, so this is a minimum count of the company’s city permits, and it says nothing about its work in other cities.
How was the data prepared?
- Downloaded the city’s “approvals issued” files for 2024, 2025 and 2026 and removed duplicate approval IDs.
- Kept only Building Permits and Combination Building Permits.
- Kept permits whose scope mentions a pool and a single-family home, residence or dwelling, and describes new construction (new, proposed, construct, install, master plan or custom pool).
- Removed scopes that mention remodelling, replastering, resurfacing, repair, demolition, pool removal or fill-in, and commercial, hotel, apartment, condominium, HOA or mixed-use work.
- Flagged master plan pools from the scope text, and spas where the scope mentions a spa.
- Days to issue are calendar days from the approval’s create date to its issue date. Valuation is the city’s recorded valuation.
Text filters are imperfect: a few remodels or non-pool permits may remain and a few new pools may have been missed. The cleaned file is published as a CSV so the counts can be checked: download the dataset (CSV). It contains only approval IDs, dates, valuations, flags and community names, no owner names or addresses.
How should these numbers be used?
Use the timing figures as a benchmark for how long City of San Diego review takes, not a promise for any one project, and use the valuations as a floor rather than a price. Contract prices for a finished backyard are higher because they include items the valuation leaves out, such as decking, fencing, landscaping and access work. See pool cost in San Diego.
Questions readers ask
How many new pools does the City of San Diego permit each year?
About 250: 256 in 2024, 255 in 2025 and 240 in 2026 through 6 November, by this analysis.
How long does a pool permit take in San Diego?
The median time from application to issue was 54 days in 2024, 65 in 2025 and 85 in 2026. Master plan pools were faster than custom pools.
Is the permit valuation the pool price?
No. It is the city’s calculated valuation for fees, not a contract price.
Related articles
Notes and sources
- ^ a b c d Development permits: approvals issued (2024, 2025 and 2026 files). City of San Diego Open Data Portal. Retrieved 9 November 2026.
- ^ Information Bulletin 712: Swimming Pools and Spas (June 2021). City of San Diego Development Services Department. Retrieved 9 November 2026.