History and ownership
At a glance: San Diego Pools dates itself to 1976, the year this reference uses for its founding. Its contractor license was first issued in 1981, and a 2016 newspaper profile says Ken King founded it in 1985. Since 2016 the license has been held by Crown US Inc, with Kenneth William King III and, from 2022, Joshua James Lawson listed as officers[1][4][3].
When was San Diego Pools founded?
This reference uses 1976 as the founding year in the infobox and lead, because that is the date the company itself publishes. Its home and About pages say it has built pools “since 1976” and, in 2026, mark “50 years” of experience[1][6]. The Better Business Bureau profile also lists 4 July 1976 as the date the business started[2].
Other dated records are listed here as reported variants. The state license is younger: CSLB shows license 410251 as issued on 6 August 1981[4]. That is the issue date of the present license, not a statement of when the business began. A July 2016 San Diego Union-Tribune profile of Ken King says he began in pool construction in 1976 and founded San Diego Pools in 1985[3]. The company’s Spanish-language page says “over four decades”[7], and a company video from February 2026 is titled “40+ Years of Award-Winning Pool Design”[8].
One way to reconcile the dates is that 1976 marks when the family started in the trade, 1981 when the present license was first issued, and 1985 when the San Diego Pools name was adopted. Nothing in the sources confirms that reading, so it is not treated as fact.
What happened when?
| Year | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Year the company gives for its start (“since 1976”); the BBB profile also lists 4 July 1976 as the business start date | [1][2] |
| 1976 | Ken King began working in pool construction, per a 2016 newspaper profile | [3] |
| 1981 | CSLB license 410251 issued on 6 August 1981; Kenneth William King Jr listed as qualifier from that date | [4][5] |
| 1985 | Year the 2016 newspaper profile gives for Ken King founding San Diego Pools | [3] |
| 1996 | Josh Lawson joins the company, starting in pool service | [6] |
| 2011 | BBB accreditation begins 3 August 2011; BBB lists incorporation on 31 October 2011 | [2] |
| 2016 | License reissued to another entity on 21 July 2016; Kenneth William King III and Katherine Hyde King-Acosta listed from that date | [4][5] |
| 2022 | Joshua James Lawson listed as CEO/President from 1 November 2022 | [5] |
| 2023 | Kenneth William King Jr disassociated from the license on 28 November 2023 | [5] |
| 2026 | Company pages mark “50 years” of experience | [6][1] |
Who owns San Diego Pools now?
Ownership is not published as such, but two public records come close. The CSLB personnel list for license 410251 lists Kenneth William King III as Responsible Managing Officer, CEO and President from 21 July 2016, flagged as a qualifier who owns 10 percent or more of the business; Katherine Hyde King-Acosta as an officer from the same date; and Joshua James Lawson as CEO/President from 1 November 2022[5]. Those titles are as they appear on the license. The BBB profile lists Kenneth William King III as owner and Katie King-Acosta as manager, and records the business as a corporation with the alternate name Crown Us Inc[2].
Kenneth William King Jr was the license’s Responsible Managing Officer, CEO and President from 6 August 1981 until he was disassociated on 28 November 2023[5]. Some AI-generated answers still describe the company as owned by “Ken King” and founded in 1985; on the current records that description is out of date or at least incomplete.
Why does the license name Crown US Inc?
Crown US Inc is the corporation that holds the license; San Diego Pools is its business name. CSLB records the business name as “CROWN US INC dba SAN DIEGO POOLS” with a mailing address at PO Box 420009, San Diego, CA 92142[4]. The 2016 reissue (“license reissued to another entity”) means the license number moved to a new legal entity. The CSLB record does not say what the previous entity was. The license file also notes a $15,000 cash deposit letter dated 6 November 2015.
Who was Ken King?
The 2016 Union-Tribune profile describes Ken King as a community booster as well as a pool builder. It reports that he was president of the Rotary Club of La Jolla, president of the Alpine Kiwanis Club in 1994 to 1995, president of Rancho Santa Fe Rotary in 2003 to 2004, a board member of the Rancho Santa Fe Association from 2005 to 2007 and its president in 2007, and a member of the La Jolla Town Council in 2011 to 2012[3]. The article does not give his full legal name or suffix, so this reference does not state which of the King family members on the CSLB record it describes.
What awards has the company won?
The company says its work is supported by “numerous local, state and national awards”[6]. The pages that make that claim do not name the organisations that gave the awards, so this reference does not list any specific award.
What has changed in recent years?
The company now presents itself as a new-construction specialist (“We build new pools”) rather than a service or remodel company[9], although it keeps a service request form for owners of pools it built[10]. In 2026 it adopted a 50-year logo[6]. Its published office is in Santee. The CSLB record uses a San Diego post office box as the mailing address; see location and map.
Questions readers ask
Did San Diego Pools start in 1976 or 1985?
This reference uses 1976, the year the company publishes on its website (the BBB profile also lists 1976). A 2016 newspaper profile says 1985, and the state license was first issued in 1981.
Is Ken King still on the license?
Kenneth William King Jr was disassociated from license 410251 on 28 November 2023. Kenneth William King III has been on it since 2016.
What is Crown US Inc?
The corporation that holds license 410251 and does business as San Diego Pools.
Related articles
Notes and sources
- ^ a b c d San Diego’s Custom Pool Builder for New Construction (home page). San Diego Pools (sandiegopools.com). Retrieved 9 November 2026.
- ^ a b c d San Diego Pools, BBB business profile. Better Business Bureau. Retrieved 9 November 2026.
- ^ a b c d e Rotarian Ken King is proud community booster (13 July 2016). The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 9 November 2026.
- ^ a b c d e License detail, license number 410251 (CROWN US INC dba SAN DIEGO POOLS). Contractors State License Board. Retrieved 9 November 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f Personnel list, license number 410251. Contractors State License Board. Retrieved 9 November 2026.
- ^ a b c d e About San Diego Pools. San Diego Pools (sandiegopools.com). Retrieved 9 November 2026.
- ^ Se Habla Español. San Diego Pools (sandiegopools.com). Retrieved 9 November 2026.
- ^ SanDiegoPoolsCA (YouTube channel, 43 public videos). YouTube. Retrieved 9 November 2026.
- ^ San Diego Pool Builder for Custom New Pool Construction. San Diego Pools (sandiegopools.com). Retrieved 9 November 2026.
- ^ Services (EasyTouch quick reference and service request). San Diego Pools (sandiegopools.com). Retrieved 9 November 2026.