Pool Resurfacing in Orlando, FL

Resurfacing a pool in Orlando: what is different here

Rainy season and the scheduling window

NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for Orlando International Airport show 51.45 inches of rain a year, and 29.57 inches of it, about 57 percent, falls from June through September. June is the wettest month at 8.05 inches and November the driest at 1.79 inches. Central Florida also sees 80–100 thunderstorm days a year (NWS Melbourne; Florida Division of Emergency Management). Because a resurface needs a drained pool and dry days for the finish, many homeowners plan for the drier October-to-May window.

Groundwater matters when a pool sits empty. Trade publications such as AQUA Magazine and WaterShapes describe how rising groundwater can crack, bulge or float an empty shell. That is trade guidance, not law, so ask how the contractor checks groundwater and the hydrostatic relief valve before draining. Hurricane Ian brought 13.11 inches to the Orlando-area threaded record on Sept. 28–29, 2022 (ACIS).

Heat and hard water

Orlando International averages 109.9 days a year at or above 90 °F. Orlando Utilities Commission reports that the average hardness of OUC water is about 129 ppm, roughly 7 grains per gallon. Ask how the contractor handles start-up on a new finish with that fill water.

Housing eras and HOAs

The ACS 2024 5-year estimates put Orlando’s median year built at 1992, with 39.0 percent of homes built from 1970 to 1999 and 40.7 percent built in 2000 or later. Under Fla. Stat. §720.3035, an association’s architectural review is limited to what its declaration states, and it may not require a building permit before reviewing plans. An interior finish color is often not visible from the street, but decks, pavers, coping and screen enclosures often are. Check your declaration and get ARC approval where it applies.

Draining and Orange County discharge rules

Orange County’s pool pollution guidance says to stop adding chlorine about 10 days before draining, and to discharge to the lawn only when total chlorine is 0.01 mg/L or less and pH is between 6.5 and 8.0, at 25 gallons a minute or less. Pool water must never go to storm drains, streets or septic systems, and contaminated water from a neglected pool is pumped out by a sanitary service. St. Johns River Water Management District approval may apply to dewatering.

Permits

Permit rules for resurfacing vary by city and county, and no Orange, Seminole or Lake county source we found states the residential rule in writing. Orange County has treated pool resurfacing as a pool renovation, and it requires a permit for new concrete or paver decks (pavers need a zoning permit). The licensed contractor confirms and pulls any permit required.