Royal Pools by Adams is advising homeowners planning a new swimming pool that the heating choices now begin at the design table, because every new pool permitted in California since January 1, 2026 is built under the 2025 California Energy Code. Under that code, gas cannot serve as a newly built heated pool's primary heat source. Royal Pools by Adams designs and builds custom inground pools and spas for homeowners in San Jose, Los Gatos, Saratoga, Palo Alto and across the South Bay.
The change matters most at the start of a project. For a new pool that will be heated, the heating system must satisfy one of five code pathways, which in practice means a heat pump or solar collectors. Gas can still be used as a booster behind a compliant heat pump. Which rules apply is set by the day the permit application is filed, not the day construction starts. One solar pathway calls for collectors covering at least 60 percent of the combined pool and spa surface on a single-family lot.
As licensed Royal Pools by Adams pool builders, the company reports that a new build is where these choices are easiest to make, because the roof and yard are still open and solar collectors remain a live option. For that reason, Royal settles heating during design rather than at the equipment order. The first step of the company's five-step process is a free in-home consultation with a designer, followed by design, engineering and planning, then permits, construction and the finished pool. Plan approval by a city or county building department can take three to six months, and timeframes vary widely across the Bay Area.
Ray Langford, Marketing Director, said the code rewards early planning. "Homeowners who think about heating when the yard and roof are still open have the most options on the table," Langford said. "Deciding between a heat pump and solar collectors during design, rather than at the equipment order, keeps a project on a clear path through permitting and construction."
The company's Royal Pools by Adams custom pool design work includes tile, plaster, coping and water feature selections, and homeowners can view samples at the company's showroom. Royal also manages the permit application process for clients across San Jose neighborhoods including Willow Glen, Almaden Valley, Berryessa, Evergreen and Cambrian Park, as well as Campbell, Cupertino, Los Altos, Menlo Park, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Milpitas, Fremont, Morgan Hill, Gilroy and the wider South Bay and Peninsula.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsmxACvNwu8
Royal Pools by Adams designs and builds new custom inground swimming pools and spas for homeowners. The company was founded in 1969 and is led by Tony Adams, Owner and CEO of Adams Pool Group. Royal holds California contractor license #278052 (C-53 Swimming Pool) and is Diamond Certified. Its San Jose showroom displays tile, plaster, coping and water feature samples for homeowners planning a new pool. Royal Pools by Adams, 2258 Camden Avenue, San Jose, CA 95124, (408) 371-8000, royalpools.com.
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For more information about Royal Pools by Adams, contact the company here:
Royal Pools by Adams
Ray Langford
(408) 371-8000
info@royalpools.com
2258 Camden Ave, San Jose, CA 95124
