What must be in a Nevada pool contract?

Among other items: a scale drawing, description of work, materials and equipment, the estimated completion date, the total price including taxes, a stage-based payment schedule, the deposit amount within the legal cap, change-order terms and required notices. See NRS 624.940.

How much deposit can a Nevada pool builder take?

No more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the aggregate contract price, whichever is less.

Can I cancel a pool contract after signing?

The Nevada State Contractors Board states that homeowners have the right to cancel within three business days of signing, and that the contract must include that notice in bold type.

Should I pull the permit myself to save money?

The Contractors Board advises against taking out permits in your name when hiring a contractor. Nevada law requires the contractor to obtain the necessary permits.

Questions to Ask Before Building a Pool in Las Vegas

Some pool decisions are easier to make early: whether to include a spa, where the equipment pad goes, how the contract prices rock. This guide collects useful questions, in the order you will need them, and ends with the questions to ask before you sign a Nevada pool contract.

Questions to ask yourself first

Answer these before you meet builders. Your answers become the brief every bid is priced against.

Who will use the pool, and how? Laps, lounging, kids, entertaining and therapy lead to very different shapes and depths.
Do you want a spa? Adding one later can mean new plumbing, electrical work and permits, so ask builders to price it both ways.
How long will you stay in the house? Your time horizon can shape how much you spend on finishes and on equipment that affects operating costs.
Will you heat the pool? Heating changes equipment, gas or electrical service, and operating cost. SNWA notes that warmer water evaporates faster and cites 78 degrees as a commonly recommended recreational temperature (SNWA).
Who will maintain it? Tell builders whether you plan to maintain the pool yourself or hire a service, so equipment choices fit.
What else do you want in the yard? Patio covers, kitchens and landscaping may be separate trades and budgets, but they affect layout.

Questions for your HOA and your jurisdiction

Does the HOA require design approval before work starts? Check your association’s rules. Summerlin West, for example, requires committee approval before construction and prohibits construction access through association or Summerlin Council common walls or property (Summerlin West guidelines).
What setbacks apply? Summerlin West requires the water’s edge to stay at least three feet from all property lines. The Southern Nevada amendments to the 2024 pool code say a pool or spa may not be placed closer than 60 inches to a building or structure, or encroach on public utility easements, unless a Nevada-licensed structural or civil engineer substantiates an exception (Southern Nevada ISPSC amendments).
Which building department issues my permit? Clark County, Las Vegas, Henderson or North Las Vegas, depending on your parcel.
Is there a pool size limit? SNWA supports a 600-square-foot surface area limit on new residential pools, adopted by local water agencies and jurisdictions. Confirm how your jurisdiction counts spas and water features.
Am I on sewer or septic? Clark County requires a sewer receipt or a Health District septic stamp before permit issuance (BPG-185).

Questions to ask every builder

License and company

What is your Nevada contractor license number, classification and monetary limit? (Verify it with the NSCB license search.)
Who will supervise my job day to day? Nevada law requires residential pool work to be supervised and controlled directly by the contractor’s qualified employee or officer (NRS 624.930).
Which trades do you self-perform, and which do you subcontract?

Site and structure

How do you price caliche or rock if you hit it? Is there an allowance, and what happens when it runs out?
How will equipment reach the yard? Will a block wall come down, and who rebuilds, stuccos and paints it?
Will my lot need a soils report or special engineering near walls, slopes or the house?
Where will the equipment pad go, and how will noise and access be handled?
Where does the pool drain for maintenance? SNWA says pool water must be drained to the sanitary sewer, not the street or storm drain.

Equipment and operation

What pump, filter, heater, sanitizer and automation are included, by model?
Does my electrical service need an upgrade?
What is the expected monthly run schedule, and how will you set it up?
What cover options work with this design, and would an automatic cover fit the shape?

Finish and deck

What interior finish is included, and can I see an installed example that has been in service for a few years?
How hot does the proposed deck material get in summer sun? Can I see a sample outdoors?
What is the start-up process after plaster, and who performs it?

Schedule and communication

When will you start after permits are issued, and how will you communicate delays?
What happens during extreme heat on shotcrete, deck and plaster days?

Questions to ask before signing a Nevada pool contract

Nevada law sets mandatory elements for residential pool and spa contracts. A contract that does not comply with them is void and unenforceable against the owner (NRS 624.940). Use this table as a pre-signing checklist.

Ask	What Nevada law or the Contractors Board says
Is there a plan and scale drawing?	Required: shape, size, dimensions, construction and equipment specifications
Are materials and equipment described?	Required: description of work, materials and equipment, and the agreed price
Are start and completion dates stated?	Required: execution date and estimated completion date; the Board’s brochure also lists the start of construction
Is the deposit within the limit?	Not more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less
Is each payment tied to a stage?	Payments must be in dollars and cents, tied to stages, and not exceed the value of work performed
Are phases limited to 30 days?	Schedule may not set a phase longer than 30 days unless delayed by an act of God or you agree in writing
Are lien releases promised?	Contractor must provide a full, unconditional lien release after each paid portion, unless bonded
Are subcontractors paid promptly?	The contract must include the contractor’s agreement to pay subs and suppliers promptly
Are change orders in writing?	Changes must be in writing, state scope and price, and be signed by the owner
Is there space for your initials?	Required method for the owner to initial provisions
Is the bond notice present?	Notice that you may request a payment and performance bond, and may contact the Board for help
Is the text readable?	Contract information must be in at least 10-point bold type
Will you get copies and receipts?	Contractor must give you legible copies of all signed documents and a signed receipt for money paid
Who pulls permits?	The contractor must apply for and obtain all necessary permits
Is the cancellation right stated?	The Board says you may cancel within three business days, with notice in bold type
Is there a subcontractor and supplier list?	The Board’s brochure lists subcontractor and supplier information among the items to verify

Sources: NRS 624.935 and 624.940, NAC 624.6958 and 624.6964, and the Contractors Board’s pool guide and brochure.

Questions the law does not answer for you

What is excluded? Look for rock, wall work, electrical upgrades, gas runs, deck beyond a set square footage, landscape repair and haul-off.
What does the warranty cover, and for how long? Ask for written terms for structure, finish and equipment, and ask what the equipment manufacturers’ warranties require.
What is the final payment trigger? Nevada allows final payment after plastering and final inspection unless contracted equipment, decking or fencing is incomplete.
What happens to landscaping and drainage? The Board’s brochure notes that pool construction will likely disturb landscaping and grading, and that original grading should be restored to maintain drainage.

If anything is unclear, the Board’s brochure lists its Pool Ombudsman at (702) 486-1100 in Southern Nevada.