Arizona Pool Contracts, Payment Schedules and Bonding

The statutory limits on what a pool builder may collect and when, and the bond you are entitled to request.

All entries on this page were verified against primary sources on 2026-09-12.

What payment schedule is a pool builder allowed to use in Arizona?

A.R.S. 32-1158.01 sets statutory maximums for residential in-ground pool and spa contracts: down payment no more than 15 percent of the original contract price, then no more than 25 percent after excavation, 25 percent after steel, plumbing and pneumatically applied concrete, and 25 percent after decking, with the remainder due before interior finish.

A.R.S. 32-1158.01 governs residential in-ground swimming pool and spa construction contracts with an owner-occupant.

The statutory draw ceiling: down payment not more than 15 percent of the original contract price; not more than 25 percent after excavation; not more than 25 percent after the steel, plumbing and pneumatically applied concrete stage, or after a prefabricated unit is set; not more than 25 percent after decking; the remainder before the interior finish.

Subsection (B): if the purchaser requires a payment and performance bond, the parties may renegotiate the draw schedule freely. Subsection (C): changes require written change orders. Subsection (D): noncompliance is a violation under 32-1154(A).

A schedule that front-loads beyond these percentages is not a negotiating position. It is a statutory violation.

Authority: A.R.S. 32-1158.01. Verified 2026-09-12. Primary source. Evidence grade: VERIFIED. Read from the adopting ordinance or the published code section.

Can I require my pool builder to be bonded, and who pays for it?

Yes. A.R.S. 32-1158.01(A)(1) requires the contract to give you the opportunity to request standard payment and performance bonds in a Registrar-approved form. You pay the premium, and the contractor is prohibited from adding a surcharge or service charge on top of it.

A licensed contractor entering a residential in-ground pool or spa contract with an owner-occupant must include a provision giving the purchaser the opportunity to request standard contractor’s payment and performance bonds in a form approved by the Registrar. The cost of the bond is paid by the purchaser, and the contractor shall not charge a surcharge or a service charge.

This is distinct from two other instruments that are frequently confused with it. The ROC license bond under A.R.S. 32-1152 is a fixed dollar amount by classification and estimated annual volume, not a percentage, and is paid by the contractor. Residential and dual licensed contractors must either post a 200,000 dollar bond for 32-1132 claimants or participate in the Residential Contractors’ Recovery Fund. The Recovery Fund under A.R.S. 32-1132.01 caps an individual award at 30,000 dollars for residential property only, and the fund assessment under 32-1126(G) is not more than 600 dollars per biennial license period, paid by the contractor.

Payment and performance bond premiums are set by the surety on underwriting. Arizona law sets no percentage.

Correction. An internal claim of a statutory 3 to 5 percent client-paid bond premium. No percentage appears in Arizona statute. Premiums are surety-underwritten market pricing.

Important. Do not publish a percentage as a legal requirement. If a range is published at all, source it to Omni’s actual surety quotes and label it market pricing.

Authority: A.R.S. 32-1158.01(A)(1); 32-1152; 32-1132.01; 32-1126(G). Verified 2026-09-12. Primary source. Evidence grade: VERIFIED. Read from the adopting ordinance or the published code section.