An unused pool is expensive to maintain, a liability if you have children or guests, and a problem for a lot of buyers. Veteran Pro Demolition removes in-ground and above-ground pools across Tyler and East Texas.
Partial Fill vs. Full Removal — Read This Before Deciding
This is the decision that determines your cost, and the one where people most often regret going cheap.
Partial removal (fill-in)
The top portion of the pool wall is broken off, holes are punched through the bottom for drainage, and the shell is filled with rubble and soil.
Cheaper and faster. Usually significantly so, because most of the concrete stays in the ground and far less material is hauled away.
But you must disclose it. The buried pool remains a known material fact about the property. In Texas, sellers complete a disclosure notice, and a filled pool is the kind of thing that belongs on it. Beyond disclosure, a partially removed pool is generally not considered buildable ground — you cannot put a structure or an addition over it without further work.
Settling is also a real risk over time if the fill is not properly compacted in lifts. A sunken depression appearing in a lawn three years later is the usual sign of a job done quickly.
Full removal
The entire shell — walls, floor, plumbing, and decking — is broken out and hauled away. The hole is backfilled with engineered fill and compacted properly.
More expensive. Considerably more material to remove and dispose of.
But the ground is genuinely usable, there is nothing to disclose, and no settling issue years later. If you plan to build on the area, sell in the near future, or simply want it done once, this is the option.
Our honest recommendation: if you are staying long-term and just want the yard back, partial fill done properly is reasonable. If you are selling within a few years or want the option to build, pay for full removal. The difference in cost is smaller than the difference it makes at closing.
Permits
Pool removal generally requires a permit, and jurisdictions differ on what they will accept — some are specific about fill material, compaction, and drainage, and some require inspection before backfill.
We handle permitting with the City of Tyler or Smith County depending on where the property sits. A pool filled without a permit can surface as a problem during a future sale.
The Process
- Drain the pool. Water has to go somewhere legal — usually the sanitary sewer, not the storm drain.
- Disconnect utilities. Electrical to the pump and lighting, gas to a heater if present.
- Remove equipment. Pump, filter, heater, and associated plumbing.
- Demolish the shell — partially or fully, depending on your choice.
- Handle the decking. Concrete surround removed or left, as you prefer.
- Backfill and compact in lifts, not one dump.
- Grade for drainage so water moves away from your foundation.
Above-Ground Pools
Much simpler and much cheaper. The pool is drained, dismantled, and hauled off. What remains is usually a sand base and a dead circle of lawn, which we can grade and prepare for seed.
If there is a deck around it, that comes out too. See deck and fence removal.
Access Is the Wildcard
Pools sit in back yards, which is exactly where equipment struggles to reach. A gate too narrow for an excavator, a fence that has to come down and go back up, or a neighbor’s driveway as the only approach all change the job.
Send a photo showing the route from the street. It affects the number more than the pool’s size does.
Cost
Partial fill is substantially cheaper than full removal. Both are driven by pool size, shell construction (gunite, fiberglass, or vinyl over steel), decking area, access, and how far fill and debris have to travel.
More on what drives demolition cost.
Get a Free Estimate
Call or text (903) 833-3867, or request an estimate online. Photos of the pool, the decking, and the gate or access route give us what we need.