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

On a plan drawn at 1/4 inch = 1 foot, a patio measures 5-1/2 inches. How long is the patio?

• a.5-1/2 feet
• b.22 feet✓
• c.11 feet
• d.44 feet

At 1/4 inch to the foot each paper inch is 4 feet, so 5.5 × 4 = 22 feet. Eleven feet uses 1/2 inch = 1 foot, 44 feet uses 1/8 inch = 1 foot, and 5-1/2 feet ignores the scale.CSLB C-53 study guide 13E-53 (computation questions)

A detail drawn at 1/2 inch = 1 foot shows a spa width of 2-1/4 inches. What is the real width?

• a.4-1/2 feet✓
• b.9 feet
• c.18 feet
• d.1-1/8 feet

At 1/2 inch = 1 foot each paper inch is 2 feet, so 2.25 × 2 = 4.5 feet. Nine feet doubles twice, 18 feet uses the wrong scale, and 1-1/8 feet divides instead of multiplying.CSLB C-53 study guide 13E-53 (computation questions)

Which sheet in a pool plan set gives the excavator the depth profile of the shell?

• a.The site plan, which shows the pool's location
• b.The electrical notes, which cover service and bonding
• c.The section or profile sheet✓
• d.The specification cover page, which lists the project

Sections and profiles show depths, floor slope, wall thickness, beam and coping, so they set excavation depth. The site plan shows placement, the electrical notes cover power and bonding, and a cover page lists the project without dimensions.Plan reading; 2025 CBC §3103B

What does the steel schedule on the structural sheet tell the crew?

• a.Bar size, spacing, laps and cover for each part of the shell✓
• b.The pump make and horsepower for the equipment pad
• c.Delivery dates for each shotcrete load
• d.The finish color and tile line for the shell

The steel schedule is the reinforcement instruction. Delivery dates are scheduling data, pump selection is in the equipment specification, and finish color and tile are in the finish specifications.Plan reading; ACI 350 cover per shotcrete association

A city's builder guide asks for the equipment location on the site plan. Which other item does the same guide list for that plan?

• a.The owner's bank statements for the permit file
• b.The fence location, type and height✓
• c.The neighbors' floor plans within 100 feet
• d.The pool builder's other open projects

The guide lists structures, the pool and equipment, the fence location, type and height, distances to property lines and sewage systems, and gas and electrical routing. Bank statements, neighbors' floor plans and the builder's other projects are not part of a site plan.City builder guide (Menifee) plan submittal list

Who must approve a public pool's plans in writing before construction starts?

• a.The owner's insurance carrier for the property
• b.The enforcing agent✓
• c.The licensed tile contractor on the project
• d.The pool equipment supplier named in the specifications

Chapter 31B requires written approval by the enforcing agent before construction, and the building department may not issue the permit until then. Suppliers, subcontractors and insurers do not approve public pool plans.2025 CBC §3103B.1

At what scale are public spa plans drawn unless the enforcing agent approves another?

• a.1/2 inch = 1 foot
• b.1/8 inch = 1 foot
• c.1 inch = 1 foot✓
• d.1/4 inch = 1 foot

Spa plans are drawn at 1 inch = 1 foot. The 1/4 inch = 1 foot scale belongs to other public pool plans, and 1/2 inch and 1/8 inch = 1 foot are not scales the code names for spas.2025 CBC §3103B.2

A public pool's plans were approved on June 15. How long are the approved plans valid unless the enforcing agent extends them?

• a.Until the building permit expires
• b.Two years from approval✓
• c.Three years from approval
• d.One year from approval

Approved plans are valid for two years from the date of approval or as extended by the enforcing agent. One year and three years misstate the period, and the permit's term is not the measure.2025 CBC §3103B.4

Which two factors must be weighed when setting a residential bond beam elevation?

• a.Heater fuel type and the gas line pressure
• b.Pump size and the filter's media type
• c.Pool plaster color and the tile style
• d.Deck drainage and coping thickness✓

The beam sets where the deck drains and how thick coping sits above it. Equipment, finishes and fuel choices do not set the elevation.CSLB C-53 outline (Planning and Estimating); 2025 CBC §3114B.3

A building's footing setback from a slope is 12 feet. What setback applies between a regulated pool and that slope?

• a.3 feet
• b.24 feet
• c.6 feet✓
• d.12 feet

The pool setback is one-half the building footing setback, so 6 feet. Twelve feet is the building figure, 24 feet doubles it, and 3 feet halves the answer a second time.2025 CBC §1808.7.3

What must the pool wall within 7 feet horizontally of the top of a slope be able to do?

• a.Stand free of the bond beam and coping
• b.Support the water without soil support✓
• c.Support the deck load with the soil in place
• d.Resist wind load with the shell left empty

The code requires that portion of the wall to be capable of supporting the water without soil support. A deck load, wind load or freestanding behavior is not the stated test.2025 CBC §1808.7.3

A public pool has a shallow portion 4 feet deep. What is the steepest floor slope allowed there?

• a.1 foot vertical in 20 feet horizontal
• b.1 foot vertical in 6 feet horizontal
• c.1 foot vertical in 3 feet horizontal
• d.1 foot vertical in 10 feet horizontal✓

Any part of a public pool 4-1/2 feet deep or less has a uniform slope not steeper than 1 in 10. The steeper figures exceed it, and 1 in 20 is gentler than the limit rather than the limit itself.2025 CBC §3109B.3

A public pool floor must change 1-1/2 feet in the 4-1/2-foot-or-less zone at the maximum slope. What is the shortest horizontal run?

• a.1.5 feet
• b.7.5 feet
• c.45 feet
• d.15 feet✓

At 1 foot in 10 feet, a 1.5-foot change needs 15 feet of run. The figure 1.5 feet confuses the change in depth with the run, 7.5 feet uses a slope of 1 in 5, and 45 feet uses 1 in 30.2025 CBC §3109B.3

A 30-foot dimension on a public pool plan is built 1-1/2 inches long. How does the code treat that?

• a.It is within the 2-inch construction tolerance✓
• b.It requires the plans to be resubmitted
• c.It exceeds the 1/8-inch tolerance on dimensions
• d.It exceeds the 1-inch tolerance on figure dimensions

A tolerance not exceeding 2 inches is allowed on figure dimensions; 1/8 inch applies only to the water level of a nonadjustable overflow system. The 1-inch tolerance is not in the code.2025 CBC §3109B.2

The utility's response says the gas line is probably under the lawn but its depth is unknown. What must the excavator do as the dig approaches?

• a.Mark the lawn and continue with the machine
• b.Locate it by safe means before digging further✓
• c.Dig until the line is struck and then stop
• d.Assume a depth of 18 inches and dig a foot above that

When excavation approaches the approximate location, the exact location must be determined by safe and acceptable means that prevent damage. Assuming a depth, striking the line and machine digging over marks all risk damage.Title 8 §1541(b)(3)

How far ahead of digging must the notification center and known owners be told?

• a.At least 2 hours, with a call on the morning of the dig
• b.At least 2 working days before digging begins✓
• c.At least 10 working days for pool work
• d.Notice is waived when the owner marked the lawn

Title 8 requires notice at least 2 working days before digging. Two hours and same-day notice are too short, 10 days is longer than the rule, and an owner's marks are not notice.Title 8 §1541(b)(2)

What must the excavator have received from known owners before excavation begins?

• a.A discount for the extra care taken near the lines
• b.Written permission to dig beneath their lines
• c.Positive responses from the owners✓
• d.A list of the utility crews on call that week

Excavation may not begin until positive responses from known owners confirm that they have located their installations or have none affected. Permission, discounts and crew lists are not the required responses.Title 8 §1541(b)(1)(A)

An overhead line runs 8 feet from the planned excavator swing. How should it be treated in planning?

• a.As safe, because the black covering is insulation
• b.As dead, if the neighbor says the power company shut it off
• c.As ignorable, since 8 feet is beyond reach
• d.As energized, with the equipment path planned around the clearance✓

Any overhead conductor is energized until its owner verifies otherwise and it is visibly grounded at the work site; clearance tables then apply. Hearsay, coverings and distance guesses do not make a line safe.Title 8 §2946(d)

Why does a high water table matter on a pool bid?

• a.It changes the required plaster color on the shell
• b.Dewatering during the dig and relief for the shell✓
• c.It raises the required fence height around the yard
• d.It removes the need for a building permit on the work

High groundwater floods the hole during construction and pushes on an empty shell later, which is why public pools in such areas require a hydrostatic relief device. It does not change plaster color, permits or fences.2025 CBC §3137B.1(d)

A county assumes soils are expansive unless the owner shows otherwise. What shows otherwise?

• a.Tests by a recognized soils laboratory✓
• b.A signed statement from the homeowner
• c.A visual check by the sales representative
• d.A photograph of the dry yard

The handout requires actual tests by a recognized laboratory. Statements, a visual look and a photograph are not tests of soil properties.County of Sonoma CNI-044

The yard's perimeter fence is open on one side when construction starts. What does one building department require?

• a.A warning sign taped to the excavator until plastering
• b.A temporary construction fence and gate in place at the start✓
• c.A neighbor's existing fence accepted as the barrier
• d.A fence installed after the shell is shot

The guide requires a temporary fence and gate if the yard fence or wall is open at the start. A sign, a neighbor's fence or later fencing does not secure the site.City builder guide (Menifee)

Where may construction portable toilets be placed under one city's guide?

• a.Within the private property lines✓
• b.On the sidewalk in front of the house
• c.In the neighbor's driveway by agreement
• d.In the street along the curb

The guide bars the public right-of-way, such as sidewalks and streets, and keeps toilets within the private property lines. A neighbor's driveway is not the owner's property.City builder guide (Menifee)

A pool is staked 4 feet from the top of a slope where the building footing setback is 10 feet. What is the review result?

• a.It meets the setback because pools face a lesser one
• b.It violates the 5-foot pool setback✓
• c.It meets the setback if the fence is raised
• d.It meets the setback because pools may sit closer than buildings

The pool setback is half the footing setback, 5 feet, so 4 feet is too close. Pools do have a setback, and a taller fence does not change it.2025 CBC §1808.7.3

A competent person finds sandy soil with water freely seeping from the bank. How is the soil classified?

• a.Stable rock
• b.Type C✓
• c.Type A
• d.Type B

Granular soil and soil from which water is freely seeping are Type C. Type A needs cohesive soil of at least 1.5 tsf, Type B is intermediate cohesive soil, and sand is not rock.Title 8 §1541.1 App. A

What does Title 8 say about storing material near energized overhead lines?

• a.It is allowed if the pile is covered with a tarp
• b.Prohibited where handling could close the clearance✓
• c.It is allowed below 600 volts without limit
• d.It is allowed on weekends while work is paused

The rule expressly prohibits storing tools, equipment or material under, by or near energized lines if handling could bring them within clearance. A tarp, the day of the week or a voltage guess does not remove the prohibition.Title 8 §2946(b)(4)

When must a person be designated to watch equipment clearance from overhead lines?

• a.When conditions make clearance hard to judge by sight✓
• b.When the homeowner requests it in writing
• c.When the lines run lower than 6 feet
• d.On public works jobs under bid

A person is designated to observe and give timely warning where conditions or equipment configuration make visual judgment difficult. Line height, public status and the owner's request are not the triggers.Title 8 §2946(e)

Which site finding is most likely to add a pump line or conveyor to the bid?

• a.The color of the owner's house
• b.The name the owner gives the pool
• c.A narrow side yard blocking the truck✓
• d.The brand of tile the owner prefers

Access limits drive the placement method and the price. House color, tile brand and a name do not change how concrete reaches the shell.CSLB C-53 outline (Evaluate job sites)

A homeowner asks whether a Cal/OSHA excavation permit is needed for a 6-foot-deep pool hole. What is the correct answer?

• a.Yes, an annual permit is needed for a hole over 5 feet
• b.No permit, but the pool excavation safety rules still apply✓
• c.No permit, and the excavation rules are waived too
• d.Yes, a project permit is needed for each pool hole

Title 8 lists excavation for swimming pool construction as an exception to the permit, while the excavation article still governs the work. The permit options misread the exception, and the last option extends it to safety rules.Title 8 §341(e)(6); §1540(a)

Which pool does one city's checklist exempt from the building permit?

• a.A pool 30 inches deep with a plug-in pump
• b.An in-ground pool with a gas heater
• c.A pool with a built-in slide
• d.A pool not exceeding 18 inches in depth✓

The city exempts swimming, bathing and wading pools not exceeding 18 inches deep. The deeper pool, the heated in-ground pool and the slide pool are not covered by that exception.City of Dublin checklist (Municipal Code 7.28.310)

A prefabricated spa 3 feet deep rests on a slab and is hardwired. What does the same checklist require?

• a.No building permit, but an electrical permit✓
• b.No permits at all, since the spa is prefabricated
• c.A full engineered building permit with plan review
• d.A planning approval in place of the other permits

Prefabricated spas up to 4 feet deep resting on the ground or a slab are exempt from the building permit, while electrical connections other than plug-in need a permit. No permits at all ignores the hardwiring, a full engineered building permit is not needed for an exempt spa, and a planning approval does not replace the electrical permit.City of Dublin checklist

A homeowner wants a hardwired circuit for a spa heater. Which permit applies?

• a.An electrical permit✓
• b.A sign permit
• c.A demolition permit
• d.A plumbing permit

A permit is required for electrical connections other than plug-in, and a hardwired heater circuit is one. A sign permit covers signs, a demolition permit covers tearing structures down, and a plumbing permit covers water and gas piping, not an electrical circuit.City of Dublin checklist

What must a contractor give the consumer under the Swimming Pool Safety Act?

• a.A 20-year written warranty
• b.A copy of the contractor's tax returns
• c.A free safety cover for the pool
• d.Notice of the Act's requirements✓

The Act requires notice to the consumer of its requirements when entering an agreement to build a pool or spa or to do permitted work. Tax returns, a free cover and a warranty are not part of the section.Health and Safety Code §115924

Who inspects the Act's drowning-prevention features before final approval?

• a.The local building official✓
• b.The pool equipment supplier
• c.The CSLB registrar
• d.The neighbors on both sides

The local building code official inspects the required features and gives final approval if no violations are found. Suppliers, neighbors and the registrar do not perform that inspection.Health and Safety Code §115922

The Act and Building Code say the Act's regulations are subject to what?

• a.Approval by the contractor
• b.Local government changes✓
• c.Annual renewal by the owner
• d.Federal override

The Building Code notes that the regulations are subject to local government modification, and the Act reserves modification authority to local jurisdictions. Approval by the contractor, annual renewal by the owner and a federal override appear nowhere in the text.2025 CBC §3109.2 note; Health and Safety Code §115927

A city lists four residential pool inspections. Which is called first?

• a.Pre-gunite✓
• b.Pre-deck
• c.Final
• d.Pre-plaster

The order is pre-gunite, pre-deck, pre-plaster and final, following the order in which work is covered, so pre-gunite is first. Pre-deck is second, pre-plaster third and final last.City builder guide (Menifee)

One city requires the permanent barrier to be installed, inspected and approved before which work?

• a.Excavating the pool hole
• b.Pouring the deck footing
• c.Plastering and filling✓
• d.Placing the steel cage

The guide says the barrier is installed, inspected and approved prior to plastering or filling with water. Excavating, placing the steel cage and pouring a deck footing all happen earlier and are not tied to the barrier.City builder guide (Menifee)

A pool pump trench is dug. When must the underground wiring be inspected?

• a.After the deck concrete is poured
• b.After the pool is filled with water
• c.Before the trench is backfilled✓
• d.At the first yearly service visit

Underground wiring is inspected before backfill, and whoever conceals it pays to uncover it. The later events cover the work.City electrical handout (Menifee), 2022 CEC summary

For which excavation work does Cal/OSHA require an annual or project permit?

• a.An excavation deeper than 1 foot of depth
• b.Excavation for the digging of graves
• c.Excavations 5 feet or deeper that a person enters✓
• d.Excavations 20 feet deep or more

The permit applies to trenches or excavations 5 feet or deeper into which any person is required to descend. A 1-foot trigger is too shallow, 20 feet is too deep, and graves are an exception.Title 8 §341(d)(5)(A), (e)(5)

Before a public pool opens, what must the owner have from the enforcing agent?

• a.A sticker from the pool supplier
• b.A verbal OK from the building inspector
• c.A passed final inspection with no written approval
• d.Written approval✓

No public pool opens without the written approval of the enforcing agent. Verbal approval, a supplier sticker or a passed inspection alone is not that approval.2025 CBC §3105B

Which inspections does the public pool code list for the owner to schedule?

• a.Exposed plumbing, pre-pneumatic concrete, pre-final surface, completion✓
• b.A color inspection of each plaster batch delivered
• c.Yearly operating inspections for the first five years
• d.A final inspection, with none scheduled earlier

Section 3105B lists those four points. A final-only schedule and yearly operations are not construction inspections, and plaster color is not an inspection point.2025 CBC §3105B

What must the permit set for a residential pool in one city include?

• a.Paint chips for the fence
• b.Tile samples for the waterline
• c.A guest list for the opening party
• d.Engineered plans, stamped and signed✓

The guide requires engineered pool construction plans stamped and signed. Paint chips, tile samples and a guest list are not plan documents.City builder guide (Menifee)

What is the gallon capacity of a rectangular pool 25 feet by 12 feet with a uniform slope from 3 feet to 7 feet, at 7.5 gallons per cubic foot?

• a.22,500 gallons
• b.9,000 gallons
• c.11,250 gallons✓
• d.1,500 gallons

Area is 25 x 12 = 300 square feet, average depth is (3 + 7) / 2 = 5 feet, volume is 1,500 cubic feet, and 1,500 x 7.5 = 11,250 gallons. The figure 22,500 adds the depths instead of averaging them, 9,000 uses a 4-foot average depth, and 1,500 is the volume before the gallon conversion.CSLB C-53 study guide 13E-53 (computation questions)

A round spa has a 4-foot radius and a 3-foot average depth. At 7.5 gallons per cubic foot, how many gallons does it hold?

• a.About 1,130 gallons✓
• b.About 150 gallons
• c.About 510 gallons
• d.About 3,770 gallons

Area is 3.14 x 16 = 50.24 square feet, volume is 150.7 cubic feet, and x 7.5 = 1,130 gallons. The figure 150 skips the gallon conversion, while 510 and 3,770 come from the wrong geometry (not the area of a circle times the depth), one far too small and one far too large.CSLB C-53 study guide 13E-53 (computation questions)

A 20,000-gallon pool must turn over in 10 hours. What flow rate is required?

• a.About 3.3 gpm
• b.About 33 gpm✓
• c.About 2,000 gpm
• d.About 200 gpm

Flow is 20,000 / (10 x 60) = 33.3 gpm. The figure 2,000 leaves the time in hours, so it is gallons per hour of flow, 200 uses the wrong divisor, and 3.3 slips the decimal by a factor of ten.CSLB C-53 study guide 13E-53 (computation questions)

A pump delivers 48 gpm to a 15,000-gallon pool. How long is one turnover?

• a.About 18.8 hours
• b.About 5.2 hours✓
• c.About 312 hours
• d.About 0.19 hours

Time is 15,000 / (48 x 60) = 5.2 hours. The figure 312 reads minutes as hours, 0.19 inverts the ratio, and 18.8 comes from a wrong flow figure.CSLB C-53 study guide 13E-53 (computation questions)

A sand filter rated at 3 gpm per square foot must handle 66 gpm. What minimum filter area is needed?

• a.2.2 square feet, from dividing by 30
• b.66 square feet, the flow alone
• c.22 square feet✓
• d.198 square feet, from multiplying

Area is flow divided by rate, 66 ÷ 3 = 22 square feet. Multiplying gives 198, the flow alone is 66, and dividing by 30 gives 2.2.2025 CBC §3129B.1

How many cubic yards are in 189 cubic feet of concrete?

• a.7 cubic yards✓
• b.567 cubic yards
• c.21 cubic yards
• d.63 cubic yards

A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so 189 / 27 = 7. The figure 567 multiplies by 3, 63 divides by only 3 (a linear factor), and 21 divides by 9 (a square-yard factor).CSLB C-53 study guide 13E-53 (computation questions)

A 3-foot-wide, 4-inch-thick slab strip runs 90 feet. How many cubic yards of concrete, with no waste?

• a.About 3.3 cubic yards✓
• b.About 90 cubic yards
• c.About 1.1 cubic yards
• d.About 10 cubic yards

Area is 3 x 90 = 270 square feet, times 1/3 foot is 90 cubic feet, divided by 27 is 3.3 cubic yards. The figure 90 stops at cubic feet, 10 drops the thickness, and 1.1 uses a thickness only a third as large.CSLB C-53 study guide 13E-53 (computation questions)

How many linear feet of waterline tile surround a rectangular pool 18 feet by 36 feet?

• a.72 feet
• b.108 feet✓
• c.54 feet
• d.648 feet

The perimeter is 2 × (18 + 36) = 108 feet. The area is 648, half the perimeter is 54, and twice the length is 72.CSLB C-53 study guide 13E-53 (computation questions)

What is the most a contractor may require as a downpayment on a $75,000 pool?

• a.$1,000✓
• b.$3,750
• c.$750
• d.$7,500

The cap is $1,000 or 10 percent of the price, whichever is less, and 10 percent here is $7,500, so $1,000 governs. The figure $7,500 ignores the cap, while $3,750 (5 percent) and $750 (1 percent) are not statutory figures.B&P Code §7159(d)(8); §7159.5(a)(3)