Pool resurfacing across the Sarasota area
Sarasota Pool Refinishing is a guide run by Terragroupe, LLC. We do not resurface pools or do any pool work, and we are not taking requests yet. A licensed pool contractor does this work, and we are lining one up.
Use the Pool Surface Condition Check to see where your pool stands, wherever you live in the area. The license rules for pool work are set by the state, so they apply across Sarasota and Manatee counties 1. Permits and water rules differ by city and utility, so each town below has its own page.
Sarasota Pool Refinishing is a guide run by Terragroupe, LLC. We do not resurface pools or do any pool work, and we are not taking requests yet. A licensed pool contractor does this work, and we are lining one up.
Last reviewed October 18, 2026 against the cited sources. A guide, not legal, tax or engineering advice.
Updated . Sources
What this guide gives you now
Plain answers about your pool surface, before you call any contractor. We do not do pool work, so nothing here is a sales pitch.
- A surface check you can do at the pool
The Pool Surface Condition Check walks you through what to look and feel for. It tells you whether to watch, plan or ask for an inspection. - Plain notes on each finish
Plaster, quartz, pebble, and the tile and coping at the edge. See how each one wears and what to ask about it on the finishes page. - A license check in a few minutes
Florida's contractor law lists pool interior refinishing in a pool contractor scope. The license guide shows how to look up any contractor on the state site. - A written scope to ask for
Ask any contractor to write down the finish, the prep of the old surface, the tile and coping work, the start-up water care, the warranty and the price. Nothing should start until you agree in writing. - A timing plan for the Sarasota area
Draining a pool and storm season do not mix well. The timing guide lays out the storm calendar and the local watering order. - Water questions to ask
Tap water is treated differently from one utility to the next. Ask your utility for its water report, and ask your contractor how they will balance your fill water after the new finish goes on.
This site is free to read. It sells no pool work and takes no payment. Any work is agreed in writing between you and the licensed contractor who does it. If you see cracks in the pool shell, a licensed contractor should inspect it before anyone talks about a new finish.
Services in Sarasota Area
Illustration Plaster and marcite resurfacing
The classic smooth white finish. It costs the least of the main finishes and wears out first.
Illustration Quartz pool finishes
A plaster-type finish with quartz in the mix. It sits between plaster and pebble on lifespan.
Illustration Pebble pool finishes
Small stones set in the surface. The longest-lasting of the main finishes, with a textured feel.
Illustration Pool tile and coping
The tile band at the waterline and the cap along the pool edge, often redone in the same drain.
From a rough surface to a written scope
Look at the pool first. The finish choice comes after.
- Check the surface. Run your hand over the walls and steps. Look for rough spots, flaking, stains that will not scrub off, cracks and loose stones. The surface check scores what you find.
- Find the cause of any water loss. If the pool loses water with no clear reason, ask for a leak check before a new finish. A new surface does not fix a leak.
- Check the license. Ask each contractor for a state license number and look it up on the state licensing site. Write down the license type and the date you checked.
- Get the scope and price in writing. The scope should name the finish, the prep, the tile and coping work, the refill and start-up plan, and the warranty. Compare scopes line by line, not only the total.
Cities we cover in Sarasota Area
One state rule for every town
Florida sets contractor licenses, not each town. The state's servicing scope for pools and spas names interior refinishing and draining a pool for repair or renovation 1. The residential and commercial pool scopes include interior finishes 1.
That holds in Sarasota, Venice, North Port, Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch alike. What changes from town to town is the building department, the water utility and the address-level details.
Certified or registered: where a license works
As of October 19, 2026
A certified contractor may work anywhere in Florida 1. A registered contractor may work only in the places where they met the local rules, and only for the work covered 2.
The state's licensing board notes that certified license codes start with C and registered ones with R 3. Ask which kind your contractor holds. If it is registered, ask whether it covers your city or county, and check on the state site.
A license belongs to a person who qualifies the business. Write down the name on the license as well as the company name.
Doing it yourself
Florida lets an owner act as their own contractor on a home they live in, with limits 4. That part of the law does not mention pools 4. Whether it covers refinishing a pool interior is not stated, so ask your building department before you rely on it.
Storm season is the same across the coast
The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 305. Every town on this stretch of the Gulf coast shares that calendar. Plan any drain-and-refinish job with it in mind, and read the timing guide.
Which towns have a page
These towns have a page: Sarasota, Bradenton, North Port and Lakewood Ranch. Each one lists its own permit office, what its pool pages say and what its water report shows.
Venice has no page yet. We could not read its city pages, so we hold no verified Venice facts. A town gets a page only when we hold local facts for it.
Until then, the state rules above and the guides apply to every town.
Guides
Evidence: the facts and sources behind this page
Sarasota Area facts
As of October 18, 2026
| Fact | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| NOAA: the Atlantic hurricane season runs 1 June to 30 November, peaking around 10 September, with most activity from mid-August to mid-October. | June 1 to November 30 | [5] undated (retrieved October 18, 2026) |
| Florida s. 489.105(3)(l) defines the Swimming Pool/Spa Servicing Contractor scope to include interior refinishing and substantially or completely draining a pool for repair or renovation. | interior refinishing is in the servicing scope | [1] 2026 (2026 Florida Statutes online edition) |
| Under s. 489.105(3)(j) (commercial) and (k) (residential) pool/spa contractors may build, repair and service pools, including installing interior finishes, and everything in the servicing scope. Direct sanitary-sewer and potable-water connections are excluded. | resurfacing is within scope of all three pool categories | [1] 2026 (2026 Florida Statutes online edition) |
| Section 489.117(4)(a)1 lists 'plastering' among job scopes a local government may not license, while 489.105(3)(l) names pool interior refinishing as a licensed pool scope. | possible overlap: plastering vs pool interior refinishing | [6] 2026 (2026 Florida Statutes online edition) |
| Section 489.103(7) lets an owner act as own contractor on a one- or two-family home for the owner's own use, with a one-year sale presumption. The subsection does not mention pools; whether it covers interior pool refinishing is not stated. | no explicit pool language | [4] 2026 (2026 Florida Statutes online edition) |
| Swimply's 2026 guide lists signs that a pool surface needs resurfacing: rough patches, flaking or peeling plaster, stains that will not scrub off, visible cracks, blotchy color, loose aggregate, algae that keeps coming back in rough spots, water loss with no clear cause, and water chemistry that is hard to balance. It says visible cracks can be structural and call for an inspection.A national guide's list. A contractor still has to look at your pool. | 9 signs, cracks need an inspection list | [7] February 9, 2026 |
| DBPR's 'Understanding DBPR Codes' page lists CPC as Certified Pool/Spa Contractor (occupation code 0607) and RP as Registered Pool/Spa Contractor (0621), each with classes A (Commercial Pool/Spa Contractor), B (Residential Pool/Spa Contractor) and C (Pool/Spa Contractor Service). It does not explain what 'certified' and 'registered' mean for a license. | CPC (certified) and RP (registered); classes A, B, C | [8] undated (retrieved October 19, 2026)As of October 19, 2026 |
| DBPR's code list also shows certified specialty contractor (0612) classes PFC (Swimming Pool Finishes Specialty Contractor), PLL (Plaster and Lath Specialty Contractor), RPS (Residential Pool/Spa Servicing Contractor), PPC (piping), PSC (structural), PTC (trim), PDC (decking), PEC (excavation) and PLC (layout). | PFC = pool finishes specialty; RPS = residential pool/spa servicing | [8] undated (retrieved October 19, 2026)As of October 19, 2026 |
| In the 2026 Florida Statutes, s. 489.105(3)(j) (commercial) and (k) (residential) pool/spa contractors cover building, repairing and servicing pools and installing interior finishes; (l) the swimming pool/spa servicing contractor covers repair and servicing, names 'interior refinishing' and substantially or completely draining a pool for repair or renovation, and excludes direct sanitary-sewer and potable-water connections. Installing or replacing permanently attached water treatment or cleaning equipment needs a license; chemical-only water treatment and cleaning that does not affect structural integrity do not. | (j),(k) interior finishes; (l) interior refinishing and draining | [1] 2026 (2026 Florida Statutes online edition)As of October 19, 2026 |
| DBPR's online license search at www.myfloridalicense.com/wl11.asp lets anyone search by name, license number, city or county, or license type. | search by name, number, city/county or type | [9] undated (retrieved October 19, 2026)As of October 19, 2026 |
Sources
- Florida Statutes, section 489.105 (definitions, pool and spa contractor scopes), Online Sunshine, 2026
- The Florida Senate, 2026 Florida Statutes, section 489.117 (registration; specialty contractors), 2026
- Florida DBPR, Construction Industry Licensing Board, October 18, 2026
- Florida Statutes, section 489.103 (exemptions, owner as contractor), Online Sunshine, 2026
- Tropical Cyclone Climatology, undated (retrieved October 18, 2026)
- Online Sunshine, Florida Statutes: s. 489.117, 2026 (2026 Florida Statutes online edition)
- How Much Does It Cost to Resurface a Pool? 2026 Guide - Swimply Host Blog, February 9, 2026
- Understanding DBPR Codes (Florida DBPR MyFloridaLicense.com), undated (retrieved October 19, 2026)
- Verify a License (Florida DBPR Licensing Portal), undated (retrieved October 19, 2026)
Questions people ask
Which towns do you cover?
Sarasota, Bradenton, North Port and Lakewood Ranch have a page today. Venice and other towns get one when we have facts about their own permits and water. The license rules on this page apply everywhere in Florida.
My contractor has a registered pool license. Can they work in my town?
As of October 19, 2026
Only if the license covers your city or county 2. Ask them which places it covers, and check the license on the state site. A certified license is good statewide 1.
Is the pool deck part of resurfacing?
Not on this site. Resurfacing here means the inside of the pool, plus waterline tile and coping. Deck and patio slab work is outside what this guide covers.