Pool Removal and Deck Demolition: Planning the Debris

Pool removal is one of the biggest debris projects a homeowner takes on, and the debris planning is usually an afterthought. It should not be — it is a large share of the cost.

Above-ground pools

The straightforward version. A typical above-ground pool, disassembled, includes:

• **Wall panels** — thin steel or resin, bulky, flatten and stack them
• **Liner** — heavy when wet, and it holds water in folds. Drain and dry it as much as possible before loading
• **Top rails, uprights and hardware** — mostly metal and worth separating for scrap
• **The pump, filter and plumbing**
• **The base sand** — this is the surprise. A pool base is several inches of sand across the full footprint, and sand is heavy. Spread thin on the trailer floor or leave it and regrade the yard
• **The deck**, if there was one

A pool without a deck usually fits comfortably in a 10-yard trailer. Add a wooden deck around it and you are into a second load or a bigger plan.

In-ground pools

A different scale entirely, and a project that generally needs a contractor with equipment. The debris side depends on the method:

Partial removal (fill in)

The pool shell is broken up, holes are punched in the bottom for drainage, and the void is backfilled. Less debris leaves the site because much of the broken shell stays in the hole.

What leaves: the coping, the tile, the deck, the equipment and whatever shell material does not fit back in. Still a significant amount, and it is concrete — heavy material.

Full removal

Everything comes out. Considerably more debris, considerably more cost, and it is the version that avoids disclosure issues at resale.

This is multiple loads of concrete debris for any normal pool. Concrete is dense enough that weight, not volume, is the limit on every single load.

The deck

Pool decks are frequently the larger debris item.

• **Wood decking** — light and bulky, packs well once broken into flat sections
• **Pavers** — heavy, and reusable, so consider whether they are worth saving or selling
• **Poured concrete deck** — heavy material, multiple loads
• **Screen enclosure or cage** — aluminum frame and screen. Very bulky, very light, and the aluminum is scrap. Our guide to pool cage debris after a storm covers this

Equipment and chemicals

The pump, filter, heater and plumbing are fine in a trailer. What is not:

• Pool chemicals of any kind — chlorine, acid, shock, algaecide. These are household hazardous waste and some of them are genuinely dangerous mixed together
• Any remaining water in equipment
• Gas heater components, which may contain residual gas

Permits

Pool removal typically requires a permit, and the requirements differ across Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco and between cities. Fill-in removals in particular may have specific requirements about drainage and compaction.

Check with your building department before starting. Our guide to permits and HOA rules covers the general shape of it.

Plan the loads

Tell us the pool type, whether the deck and cage are coming out, and whether it is a fill-in or a full removal. We will give you a realistic load count rather than a hopeful one. Call (727) 779-8919.