This Article Was Last Updated on January 29, 2023
Sometimes your pool just isn’t worth saving. Maybe it was built too close or too far from the house. Perhaps it was built at too low of an elevation and the drainage just doesn’t work out. Maybe it’s just plain an eyesore and you can’t stand looking at it any longer. In any case it’s time to remove the pool. So, how much does it cost to remove an inground pool?
Which Type Of Inground Pool Costs The Most To Remove?
There are some major variables to how much your pool removal will cost starting with the type of pool you have. If you have a vinyl liner pool, the demolition and removal will be the least expensive. Vinyl pools are usually wood, metal, or polymer walls and come apart easily. In some cases vinyl pools are built with concrete walls. In these cases, it will be more difficult to remove. Next is the fiberglass pool. These need to be cut up into sections and removed, but again they are much easier to break apart than a gunite or concrete pool. Ultimately, the most expensive pool to remove is a gunite pool.
How Much Does It Cost to Remove An Inground Pool?
The least expensive vinyl pool removal will cost somewhere around $5,000 or so. Then you need to factor in the cost to fill the hole, level the yard and landscape. The most expensive gunite pool removal we’ve ever been a part of was around $45,000. However, gunite pools typically can be removed for closer to $15,000 if you have decent access and the pool isn’t painted. Ultimately, demolition costs are variable geographically, so if you want to have your pool removed, it’s best to get pricing from local excavators to harden up the budget numbers.
Backyard Access Considerations
Next, there’s access to your backyard to consider. If you have 9’ wide access and can crawl a large excavator into your backyard and back a dump truck up to the pool location, you’ll have the lowest price possible. In most cases, you can’t get the dump truck to the pool location. Therefore, you’ll need another machine to shuttle the pieces of the pool to the front yard to load the truck. In the worst case scenario, you can’t get the excavator to the pool area, and you have to use small machines for the entirety of the demolition. This adds time which means added cost.
Painted Gunite Pool Considerations
Finally, if you have a gunite pool and it’s painted, you will have more issues to contend with. Gunite pools will usually be sent to a concrete recycler who will crush the concrete, remove the rebar and repurpose the crushed concrete into structural fill. If you have a painted pool, now that isn’t possible because the paint would contaminate the crushed concrete. Now your pool has to be taken to the landfill, and this causes the price to spike yet again.
How Much Does It Cost to Remove An Inground Pool Summary
The cost removing an inground pool depends a lot on which type of pool you have. From lowest to highest price of removal, it goes: vinyl liner, fiberglass, gunite. Your backyard access and any modifications you’ve made to the pool also contribute to the removal cost.