California’s Building Energy Efficiency Standards are about to reshape how pools and spas get heated across the state. Starting January 1, 2026, Title 24, Part 6 introduces requirements that will shift the industry away from gas-fired heaters and toward renewable energy solutions like solar thermal systems and electric heat pumps.
For homeowners planning new pool construction or major renovations, this means one thing: the December 31, 2025 deadline matters. Permit applications submitted before this date will be evaluated under the current standards. After that, you’ll face more complex requirements, higher equipment costs, and potentially longer installation timelines.
What’s Actually Changing
The 2025 Title 24 update aligns with California’s broader push toward decarbonization and electrification. For the pool industry, this translates to strict new standards for heating equipment that effectively end gas-fired heaters as the primary heat source for new installations.
Here’s what the new regulations require:
- Primary Heating Source: Gas heaters can no longer serve as the primary heating source for new pools or major remodels that add a heater. Instead, the primary source must be a heat pump, solar thermal system, or another approved renewable energy source.
- Equipment Efficiency: All new heating equipment must meet new efficiency and certification standards that go beyond what’s currently required.
- Solar-Ready Design: New pools must include infrastructure like specific piping configurations that make future solar heating system installation easier.
- Mandatory Pool Covers: Any outdoor pool or spa equipped with a gas heater or heat pump must use a pool cover.
- Smart Controls: New pool control systems must be capable of demand response, allowing them to communicate with the electrical grid and optimize energy use during peak periods.
Five Ways to Comply
Title 24 provides five distinct compliance pathways, offering some flexibility for builders and homeowners. Gas heaters aren’t completely banned; they can still function as backup or supplemental heat sources if you meet one of these primary requirements first:
- Solar Pool Heater: Install a solar thermal system with a collector area equal to at least 60% of the pool’s surface area for single-family homes (65% for commercial or multifamily properties).
- Heat Pump Pool Heater: Use an electric heat pump sized as the primary heating source, meeting specific performance and sizing requirements.
- High Renewable/Recovered Energy System: Implement a system that derives at least 60% of its annual heating energy from on-site renewable sources like photovoltaics or recovered waste heat.
- Solar and Heat Pump Combination: Install a hybrid system that combines a solar thermal system with a heat pump, with no other supplemental heaters.
- Alternative System: Any other system that the California Energy Commission’s Executive Director determines will use no more energy than the options listed above.
What These Rules Don’t Require
The new Title 24 regulations include exemptions that clarify these changes are forward-looking, not retroactive.
- Existing Pools and Spas: The new regulations do not apply to existing pools or spas that already have a heating system installed. You don’t need to replace your current heater.
- Heater Replacements: When an existing heater needs replacement, that’s considered a repair and is exempt from the new primary heating source requirements. You can replace your old gas heater with another gas heater.
- Unaltered Systems: The rules only apply to new construction or remodels where a heater is being added for the first time. Alterations to existing heated pools don’t trigger the new requirements.
Why the December 31, 2025 Deadline Matters
The most pressing consideration for anyone considering a new pool or major remodel is getting your permit application submitted before year’s end. Applications submitted on or before December 31, 2025 will be evaluated under the current, less demanding standards.
Projects permitted after January 1, 2026 will face:
- Higher Equipment Costs: Heat pumps and solar thermal systems typically cost more upfront than traditional gas heaters. While these systems can offer lower operating costs over time, the initial investment is substantial.
- Increased Complexity: The new regulations require more sophisticated system designs. This can mean longer installation times and higher labor costs as contractors work through the more detailed specifications.
- Stricter Approvals: Compliance with the new standards involves more detailed documentation and a more rigorous approval process. Permit applications will require additional technical information about system sizing, efficiency ratings, and energy calculations.
By submitting your permit application before the end of 2025, you lock in the current standards. This results in simpler specifications, faster approvals, and lower overall project costs.
Planning Ahead for California Pool Projects
For Bay Area homeowners and those throughout California, Nevada, and Utah where Adams Pool Solutions operates, the timeline for pool projects just got more time-sensitive. Our experience with permit processes across multiple jurisdictions shows that applications are already taking longer than they did a few years ago.
In most Bay Area counties, permit approvals currently take at least one month after submittal for the first review, with another six weeks possible before the actual permit is issued. Clark County in Nevada is experiencing similar delays. These timelines mean that even if you’re thinking about a 2026 project, starting the planning and permitting process now could save you from navigating the new Title 24 requirements.
The new regulations reflect California’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting energy efficiency. For the pool industry, this represents a significant shift in how heating systems are designed and installed. While the environmental benefits are clear, the practical impact on project costs and complexity is real.
If you’re planning a new pool or considering a renovation that will add a heating system, the time to act is now. Getting your permit application submitted before December 31, 2025 gives you access to the current, more straightforward requirements. After that date, you’ll be working within a new regulatory framework that requires different equipment, more complex designs, and potentially higher costs.
For homeowners in California planning pool construction or renovation projects, understanding these changes helps you make informed decisions about timing and budgeting. The regulations are designed to move the industry toward more sustainable heating solutions, but the transition period offers a clear advantage for those who plan ahead.
