Getting rid of an old pool is a demolition job, not a landscaping job. There is a concrete shell in the ground, usually reinforced, often in a backyard with no access, and whatever you do with it has to be recorded properly or it becomes the next owner's problem.
We remove pools in Sydney and greater NSW, in Brisbane and South East Queensland, and along the East Coast.
We use the same machines we use on demolition sites, including remote demolition robots that fit through a side gate and work where a person should not be standing. That is the difference between a two day job and a fortnight of jackhammering.
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Where we work
Sydney and greater NSW from Marrickville, Brisbane and South East Queensland from Slacks Creek. City specific detail here:
Swimming pool removal in Sydney
Swimming pool removal in Brisbane and South East Queensland
Full removal or partial fill
There are two ways to do this and the difference matters more than most people are told.
Full removal. The entire shell comes out, the hole is backfilled in compacted layers and the ground is left able to be built on. More work and more truck movements, and the only option if you intend to build over it or you want the property clean of it entirely.
Partial fill. The top section of the shell is removed, the base is broken up so water can drain through, and the void is filled and compacted. Cheaper and faster. It has to be disclosed on sale, it can restrict what you build on that footprint later, and some councils have a view about it.
We will tell you which one suits what you are planning to do with the yard. If you are subdividing or building an extension over it, full removal is usually the only sensible answer.
Getting a machine into a backyard
This is the part that decides the price. Almost every pool we remove is behind a house, down a side path, sometimes with a level change and usually with something that has to be protected on the way through.
We use small excavators that fit through a standard side gate, rubber tracks where the driveway is staying, and remote demolition machines for breaking the shell. Where nothing can get in, the shell can be craned out in sections, which costs more but is often still cheaper than weeks of hand work.
Send a photo of the side access with the quote request. It tells us more than the pool dimensions do.
Where the concrete goes
A pool shell is a lot of reinforced concrete. It is broken down, the steel is separated, and the concrete goes to a crusher to be recycled rather than buried.
We cart it on our own tippers, sized to the street rather than to the volume, so a narrow residential road does not end up with a truck that cannot turn around. You get the weighbridge dockets.
Fill for the hole is brought in clean and placed in compacted layers with the compaction recorded. Tipping uncontrolled spoil into a hole and raking it flat is how a block ends up unable to carry a slab.
Things people find out too late
Services under the pool surround. Pool plumbing, electrical to the pump, and sometimes the property's stormwater. Located before anything digs.
The pool fence. Once the pool is gone the fencing obligation goes with it, but while the hole is open the site still has to be secured.
The neighbours. Machines in a backyard, trucks in the street, and a couple of noisy days. We work to the hours and we talk to people before they complain rather than after.
Reinstatement. We leave the ground compacted and level. Turf, paving and landscaping are a separate trade and we are happy to hand it over clean.
Frequently asked
Do I need council approval? Often yes, and it varies by council and by whether you are removing or filling. We will tell you what your area requires.
How long does it take? A straightforward concrete pool with reasonable access is usually a few days. Access is what changes that, not the size of the pool.
Can you remove a fibreglass pool? Yes, and it is normally quicker than concrete because the shell can often come out in one or two pieces.
Can I build over it afterwards? After a full removal with recorded compaction, generally yes subject to your engineer. After a partial fill, usually not without further work. That is the main reason to choose one over the other.
Do you take the fence and the equipment too? Yes. Pump, filter, heater, fencing and paving can all go in the same job.
Send a photo of the pool and the side access
Two photos and the rough size will get you a real price. Tell us whether you want it gone completely or filled, and what you are planning to do with the space afterwards.
Sydney 02 7908 4944. Brisbane and South East Queensland 07 2145 6581.
Perfect Stripout & Demolition acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as Traditional Custodians of the country on which we live and work. We pay our respects to the Traditional Custodians and Elders past, present and future, and honour their connection to the land and ongoing contribution to society.