CSLB C-53 Swimming Pool (Trade Exam) — All Questions

On a $6,000 pool cover and equipment contract, what downpayment cap applies?

• a.$6,000
• b.$1,000
• c.$60
• d.$600✓

Ten percent of $6,000 is $600, which is less than $1,000, so the cap is $600. A $1,000 downpayment exceeds 10 percent.B&P Code §7159.5(a)(3)

A contractor wants to bill 40 percent of the price the day the permit is issued, before any work. What does the statute say?

• a.It is allowed with the owner's verbal agreement
• b.It is allowed because the permit itself has value
• c.Beyond a downpayment, payments cannot exceed work done✓
• d.It is allowed for specialty contractors

Except for a downpayment, the contractor may neither request nor accept payment that exceeds the value of the work performed or material delivered. A permit is not work, a verbal agreement cannot override the statute, and specialty contractors are covered.B&P Code §7159.5(a)(5)

How must progress payments be stated in a pool contract?

• a.As percentages of the price, untied to work
• b.At the contractor's choice when billing
• c.In dollars and cents, tied to specific work✓
• d.By calendar date, untied to progress

Each progress payment is stated in dollars and cents and references the work or services and the materials and equipment to be supplied. Percentages, dates and later choice do not meet the statute.B&P Code §7159(d)(9)

How does a change order become part of a swimming pool contract?

• a.By a writing signed before the changed work begins✓
• b.By billing it after the work is finished
• c.By an oral request made on the job site that day
• d.By the contractor's invoice alone, sent at completion

A change-order form becomes part of the contract only if it is in writing and signed before commencement of the work it covers. Oral requests, after-the-fact billing and invoices do not qualify.B&P Code §7159(c)(5)

Besides the drawing, what does a pool contract's project description include?

• a.The names of the owner's relatives
• b.The significant materials and equipment✓
• c.A list of the neighbors who agreed
• d.The contractor's personal phone records

The description covers the project and the significant materials and equipment, and for pools a plan and scale drawing. Relatives' names, a list of agreeing neighbors and the contractor's phone records have no place in a contract description.B&P Code §7159(d)(7)

Which Energy Code item belongs in the estimate for a new outdoor gas-heated pool?

• a.A fire pit
• b.A cover✓
• c.A diving board
• d.A slide

Outdoor pools and spas with electric or gas heaters must have a cover, so it is priced. A fire pit, a diving board and a slide are optional features that the Energy Code does not require.2025 Energy Code §110.4(b)3

Which costs must the contract amount include?

• a.Materials, with labor billed separately later
• b.Profit, with costs billed as incurred
• c.The entire cost, including profit, labor and materials✓
• d.Labor, with materials billed separately later

The statute says the contract amount shall include the entire cost, including profit, labor and materials, but excluding finance charges. Each other statement leaves out one cost class (labor, materials or profit) or defers it to later billing.B&P Code §7159.5(a)(1)

A pool surface measures 14 feet by 28 feet. What is the 60-percent solar collector area?

• a.About 157 square feet
• b.About 168 square feet
• c.About 392 square feet
• d.About 235 square feet✓

Surface area is 392 square feet and 60 percent is 235. The figure 157 is 40 percent, 392 is the whole area, and 168 is a slip in the arithmetic.2025 Energy Code §110.4(c)

A pool is 24 feet by 48 feet with a flat 4-foot depth. At 7.5 gallons per cubic foot, how many gallons does it hold?

• a.69,120 gallons
• b.34,560 gallons✓
• c.17,280 gallons
• d.4,608 gallons

Area is 1,152 square feet, volume is 4,608 cubic feet, and x 7.5 = 34,560 gallons. The figure 4,608 skips the conversion, 69,120 doubles the volume, and 17,280 halves it.CSLB C-53 study guide 13E-53 (computation questions)

An excavation for a pool is 5 feet 6 inches deep in firm clay. What must protect the workers inside?

• a.A warning tape placed around the top edge
• b.A protective system, such as sloping✓
• c.A spotter watching from the top of the hole
• d.A ladder provided for each worker entering

Excavations 5 feet or deeper need a protective system such as sloping, benching, shoring or a shield unless in stable rock. Tape marks the area, a spotter cannot stop a collapse, and a ladder gives egress but no cave-in protection.Title 8 §1541.1(a)

A competent person finds firm cohesive soil, no fissures and no vibration, in a 4-foot-deep pool hole. What may be allowed?

• a.Unprotected sides after a safe finding✓
• b.Skipped examination, since the hole is shallow
• c.Sloping at 2 to 1 in pool excavations
• d.Sloping when the hole exceeds 10 feet

Excavations under 5 feet with a competent person's finding of no indication of cave-in need no protective system. A 2:1 slope is not a rule, 10 feet is invented, and the examination is the condition.Title 8 §1541.1(a)(1)(B)

What is the maximum simple slope in Type A soil, 20 feet or less deep?

• a.1 horizontal to 1 vertical
• b.3/4 horizontal to 1 vertical✓
• c.1/4 horizontal to 1 vertical
• d.1-1/2 horizontal to 1 vertical

Type A allows 3/4:1. The 1:1 slope is Type B, 1-1/2:1 is Type C, and 1/4:1 is steeper than any of the table's soil values.Title 8 §1541.1 App. B, Table B-1

A 10-foot-deep pool hole in Type B soil is cut as a simple slope. How far back is the top edge from the bottom edge on one side?

• a.7.5 feet
• b.10 feet✓
• c.5 feet
• d.15 feet

Type B is 1:1, so the run equals the depth, 10 feet. The 7.5-foot figure is the Type A slope, 15 feet is Type C, and 5 feet is a 1:2 slope.Title 8 §1541.1 App. B

A 6-foot-deep pool hole in Type A soil is sloped at the maximum Type A slope. What is the run on one side?

• a.6 feet
• b.4.5 feet✓
• c.8 feet
• d.9 feet

Type A is 3/4:1, so 6 × 0.75 = 4.5 feet. The 6-foot run is Type B, 9 feet is Type C, and 8 feet inverts the ratio.Title 8 §1541.1 App. B

Which soil is automatically Type C?

• a.Cemented soil such as caliche or hardpan
• b.Stable rock in a natural solid mass
• c.Cohesive soil at 2 tsf that is unfissured
• d.Soil from which water is freely seeping✓

Submerged soil or soil from which water is freely seeping is Type C. Stable rock is its own class and not a soil type, cemented soils like caliche and hardpan are Type A, and cohesive soil at 1.5 tsf or more without disqualifiers is Type A.Title 8 §1541.1 App. A

A pile of spoil is 8 inches from the edge of a 7-foot excavation. What does Title 8 require?

• a.Wet it down so it stays in place
• b.Move it 2 feet back or restrain it✓
• c.Leave it, since 8 inches is enough room
• d.Move it 25 feet back from the edge

Material and equipment must be kept at least 2 feet from the edge or held by retaining devices. Eight inches is too close, 25 feet is not the spoil rule, and wetting does not restrain a pile.Title 8 §1541(j)

A trench-type pool utility excavation is 6 feet deep. How must workers be able to get out?

• a.Waiting at the bottom for rescue
• b.Climbing the sloped bank near the corner
• c.A stairway, ladder or ramp nearby✓
• d.A rope tied off to a parked truck

Trench excavations 4 feet or deeper need a safe means of egress so that no more than 25 feet of lateral travel is required. Bank climbing, a rope on a truck and waiting for rescue are not safe means.Title 8 §1541(c)

Who must inspect an excavation each day and after changes in conditions?

• a.The homeowner
• b.The supplier's sales representative
• c.The delivery driver
• d.A competent person✓

Daily inspections of the excavation, adjacent areas and protective systems are made by a competent person. The owner, driver and sales representative are not designated for that duty.Title 8 §1541(k)

A pool hole has 6 inches of rainwater and is still raining. What does Title 8 say about working in it?

• a.Work may continue if the pump is switched off
• b.Work may continue, since water is a nuisance
• c.Not without adequate precautions✓
• d.Work may continue if boots are worn

Employees may not work in an excavation with accumulated or accumulating water unless adequate precautions protect them. Boots, a switched-off pump and calling it a nuisance do not control the hazard.Title 8 §1541(h)

Below what oxygen percentage is an excavation atmosphere considered deficient under Title 8?

• a.19.5 percent✓
• b.21 percent
• c.10 percent
• d.25 percent

Atmospheres containing less than 19.5 percent oxygen are deficient. Twenty-one percent is normal air, 25 percent is oxygen-enriched, and 10 percent is not the threshold.Title 8 §1541(g)

Why is a pool excavation hand-dug near a marked gas line?

• a.To keep the hole looking neat and square
• b.To save the cost of running the excavator
• c.To find its exact location by safe means✓
• d.To reduce the volume of soil to haul

When digging approaches an installation's approximate location, its exact location is determined by safe means that prevent damage. Cost, appearance and soil volume are not the reason.Title 8 §1541(b)(3)

Which pre-gunite item concerns the hole itself?

• a.Loose soil left in place as cushioning
• b.A layer of mud left as a working base
• c.Water left in the hole to keep walls damp
• d.Water, mud and loose soil removed✓

The checklist requires the dig to match the plans with standing water, loose soils and mud removed. Water, mud and loose soil all leave a weak or wet subgrade.City builder guide (Menifee)

A site plan shows a pool 5 feet from a lot line and a crew digs 2 feet past the line to fit the steel. What is the problem?

• a.The excavation is temporary, so it is allowed
• b.The spoil will be returned later, so it is allowed
• c.The overdig affects the finish color
• d.The dig goes into the neighbor's land✓

Excavation follows the approved layout and distances to property lines, and over-digging into a neighbor's land is a trespass and stability problem. Temporariness, returning spoil and finish color do not cure it.CSLB C-53 outline (Site preparation and excavation)

What is the first step in excavation planning for an area where gas, water and electric lines may cross the yard?

• a.Probe with the excavator bucket first
• b.Start digging at the corners of the pool
• c.Ask the homeowner where the lines run
• d.Mark and get owners' responses✓

Marking and positive responses from owners of subsurface installations must come before excavation. Corner digging, bucket probing and the owner's memory are not responses from owners.Title 8 §1541(b)(1)

Rain turns a previously stable bank into wet, slumping soil. What does the competent person do?

• a.Let the crew work from the bank edge
• b.Reclassify and clear the workers out✓
• c.Keep the old classification for the day
• d.Add one more ladder and continue

Changing conditions require reinspection and removing employees from the hazard until precautions are in place, and the soil class changes with the soil. Keeping the old class, working at the edge or adding a ladder ignores the hazard.Title 8 §1541(k); §1541.1 App. A

What is a benchmark in pool layout?

• a.A mark showing the owner's preferred pool color
• b.The line between the lawn and the deck
• c.The location of the deepest point of the shell
• d.A fixed elevation used for depths✓

A benchmark is a stable reference elevation from which depths and heights are measured. Color marks, the deepest point and the deck line are not references.CSLB C-53 outline (Lay out and set forms)

A level shows rod readings of 4.20 at the benchmark and 4.80 at the bond beam stake. What does this say?

• a.The stake is 4.80 feet above the benchmark
• b.The stake is level with the benchmark reading
• c.The stake sits 0.60 foot lower than it✓
• d.The stake is 0.60 foot higher than benchmark

A larger rod reading means a lower point, so the stake is 4.80 − 4.20 = 0.60 foot lower. Calling it higher reverses the sign, 4.80 is a reading and not a height, and unequal readings are not level.CSLB C-53 outline (Lay out and set forms)

A 16 by 30 foot layout has both diagonals measured at 34 feet 0 inches. The calculated diagonal is 34 feet 0 inches. What does this mean?

• a.The layout is a trapezoid
• b.The layout is out of square by 2 feet
• c.The layout is square✓
• d.The long side is wrong

The diagonal is the square root of (16^2 + 30^2) = the square root of 1,156 = 34, and measured diagonals that are equal and match the calculation indicate a rectangle. A trapezoid would give unequal diagonals, an error of 2 feet would show up as a difference from the calculated value, and a wrong long side would change the diagonals as well.CSLB C-53 outline (Lay out and set forms)

A crew checks a corner with 6-foot and 8-foot legs. What diagonal indicates a square corner?

• a.12 feet
• b.9 feet
• c.10 feet✓
• d.14 feet

A 3-4-5 triangle scaled by 2 gives 6-8-10. Twelve and 14 are sums or products, and 9 is not the hypotenuse.CSLB C-53 outline (Lay out and set forms)

What does the Building Code say forms for shotcrete shall be?

• a.Flexible and thin sheeting
• b.Substantial and rigid✓
• c.Plain wood boards
• d.Sealed and airtight steel

The code requires forms to be substantial and rigid and built to let air and rebound escape. Flexible forms are not rigid, the code does not limit forms to wood, and airtight forms trap rebound.2025 CBC ch. 19 (shotcrete forms)

Why must forms for shotcrete allow air and rebound to escape?

• a.The shell color would change after curing
• b.Rain would drain out of the forms faster
• c.The concrete would dry sooner in the sun
• d.Trapped rebound and air leave voids✓

Trapped rebound and air prevent full encasement and create defects. Rain drainage, faster drying and color are not the reasons.2025 CBC ch. 19 (shotcrete forms)

What is the role of ground wires in shotcrete work?

• a.Conductors that carry stray current to ground
• b.Ties that join the bonding grid together
• c.Substitutes for the reinforcing steel
• d.Screeds that set thickness, planes and form✓

Ground wires are set as screeds to establish thickness, surface planes and form. They are not electrical grounds, structural steel or the bonding grid.2025 CBC ch. 19 (shotcrete forms)

When can vertical forms generally be removed after shotcrete placement?

• a.Within 5 minutes of placement
• b.The day following installation✓
• c.After 90 days of curing
• d.Before the shotcrete is placed

The shotcrete association says vertical formwork can generally be removed the day following installation. Five minutes after placement is too early, 90 days is excessive, and forms cannot be removed before the shotcrete is placed.American Shotcrete Association Pool FAQ

A soffit form carries the weight of a shotcrete member. What governs its removal?

• a.The surface color has turned gray
• b.The member can carry its weight✓
• c.The crew is ready to move on
• d.The calendar shows the third day

A load-carrying form stays until the member can support its weight. The date, the crew schedule and the color are not the test.American Shotcrete Association Pool FAQ

In a public pool, what is the tolerance on the water level of a pool with a nonadjustable overflow system?

• a.1/2 inch
• b.1 inch
• c.1/8 inch✓
• d.2 inches

The tolerance is 1/8 inch, while other figure dimensions allow up to 2 inches. The larger values are too loose for an overflow edge.2025 CBC §3109B.2

Where must stairs or ramps be provided in a public pool if the pool bottom is more than 1 foot below the deck?

• a.At the deep end of the pool
• b.In the shallow part✓
• c.At each of the four corners
• d.Beside the diving board

Stairs or ramps are provided in the shallowest portion if the drop from the bottom to the deck is over 1 foot. The deep end needs its own second means of entry only in deeper pools, the four corners are not a code location, and a diving board has no tie to entry.2025 CBC §3111B.1

A public pool is 6 feet deep at its deepest. What entry feature does the code require beyond the shallow-end stairs?

• a.A second skimmer near the stairs
• b.A second pump on the equipment pad
• c.A diving platform at the deep end
• d.A second means of entry at depth✓

A second means of entry and exit is required in the deep portion of a pool deeper than 4-1/2 feet. A platform, skimmer or pump does not satisfy it.2025 CBC §3111B.1

A ladder on a public pool is installed 8 inches from the pool wall. What is wrong?

• a.Ladders clear the wall 3 to 5 inches✓
• b.Ladders may sit at varied distances
• c.Ladders must rest on the pool wall
• d.Ladders must clear the wall by 12 inches

The code requires a clearance of not less than 3 inches or more than 5 inches. Any distance, 12 inches and contact all fall outside the range.2025 CBC §3111B.2

What is the minimum tread and width of ladder treads and recessed steps in a public pool?

• a.2 inches tread and 6 inches width
• b.8 inches tread and 20 inches width
• c.5 inches tread and 14 inches width✓
• d.3 inches tread and 10 inches width

Treads and recessed steps have a minimum tread of 5 inches and width of 14 inches. The pairs 2 by 6 and 3 by 10 are smaller than the minimum, and 8 by 20 is larger than the minimum rather than the figure the code names.2025 CBC §3111B.4

What is the maximum distance of a handhold above the waterline in a pool?

• a.24 inches
• b.9 inches✓
• c.18 inches
• d.3 inches below the waterline

Handholds are installed not greater than 9 inches above the waterline. The larger distances exceed the limit.2025 CBC §3112B.1

What clearance to the earth must reinforcing steel maintain at a pre-gunite inspection in one city?

• a.At least 6 inches
• b.At least 3 inches✓
• c.At least 1 inch
• d.At least 1/4 inch

The checklist requires at least 3 inches of clearance to earth. One inch and a quarter inch are too small, and 6 inches is more than stated.City builder guide (Menifee)

ACI 350 requires how much cover over reinforcement for concrete cast against and permanently in contact with ground?

• a.6 inches
• b.1 inch
• c.1-1/2 inches
• d.3 inches✓

The shotcrete association's position statement says ACI 350 requires 3 inches. The smaller values are below it and 6 inches is above it.American Shotcrete Association Position Statement #8

ACI 350 requires at least how much cover for primary bars in floors and walls exposed to earth, liquid or weather, regardless of bar size?

• a.4 inches
• b.1/2 inch
• c.3/4 inch
• d.2 inches✓

The statement says section 12.7 requires a minimum of 2 inches for that exposure. The figures 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch are too thin for earth, liquid or weather exposure, and 4 inches is more than the statement requires.American Shotcrete Association Position Statement #8

A designer wants more than 3 inches of cover on pool steel. What caution does the association give?

• a.Surface crack widths also increase✓
• b.Cover has little effect on cracking
• c.The permit is voided at 3 inches
• d.Thicker cover is the better choice

The statement notes that increasing cover increases crack widths at the surface and suggests considering a maximum of 3 inches. Cover does affect cracking, the permit is not voided at 3 inches, and thicker cover is not simply better.American Shotcrete Association Position Statement #8

What bar spacing center does the association suggest designers try to keep to avoid congestion?

• a.About 18 inches
• b.About 36 inches
• c.About 6 inches✓
• d.About 1 inch

The statement suggests the designer strive for 6 inch centering so intersecting planes are not less than 3 inches. One inch is too tight, and 18 and 36 inches are too open.American Shotcrete Association Position Statement #8

Which reinforcing practice makes it nearly impossible to encase all bars in shotcrete?

• a.Using chairs
• b.Bundling bars✓
• c.Spacing bars at 6 inches
• d.Cleaning the steel

Bundling bars hides individual bars from the shotcrete. Chairs hold the steel off the earth, 6-inch spacing leaves room for the material to flow around each bar, and clean steel bonds, so all three improve encasement.American Shotcrete Association Position Statement #8

According to the association, where are pipes placed relative to shell reinforcement?

• a.On top of the top layer of steel
• b.Outside the shell on the earth side
• c.Beneath the bottom steel on the soil
• d.Between top and bottom steel✓

Pipes are placed between the top and bottom reinforcement. On top of the top steel leaves the pipe without cover, and outside the shell on the earth side or beneath the bottom steel leaves it outside the structural plane.American Shotcrete Association Position Statement #8; ACI 350 §6.3.9

What is the minimum copper wire size a city requires for bonding the pool shell?

• a.#14
• b.#12
• c.#16
• d.#8✓

The builder guide requires a minimum #8 copper wire bonding the shell and terminating at the equipment. The smaller wires are too light.City builder guide (Menifee)

How many bonding wires does a city require for the pool deck at pre-gunite?

• a.A minimum of one wire
• b.A minimum of four wires✓
• c.A minimum of two wires
• d.A minimum of three wires

The guide requires a minimum of four #8 copper wires for the deck bonding. Fewer wires do not meet the minimum, and three is also short of four.City builder guide (Menifee)

What does the equipotential grid equalize?

• a.Pressure across the filter
• b.Voltage between touchable objects✓
• c.Water temperature across the pool
• d.Soil moisture around the shell

The grid exists to avoid significant voltage differences between simultaneously touchable objects. Temperature, moisture and pressure are unrelated.City bonding handout (Menifee), 2022 CEC §680.26