Removing a Backyard Pool Before a Landscaping Project

Talk to your landscaper first

Before you book the removal, know roughly what's going in its place. A lawn, a garden bed, a patio and a building all need different things underneath. If you're thinking about a structure, like a pergola with footings, a shed or even an addition someday, a full removal with compacted fill is usually the better choice. Share the landscape plan with your demolition contractor so the fill and grade suit it.

Full or partial removal

There are two main approaches:

• Full removal: the whole shell, coping and deck come out and the hole is filled with clean, compacted material
• Partial removal: the floor is broken for drainage, the top of the walls comes off and the rest is filled
• Vinyl and fibreglass pools have their liners or shells removed either way

Draining and disconnects

Confirm the water type and permitted discharge route before draining; saltwater must not enter a storm sewer. An electrician disconnects the pump and lights, and a qualified gas fitter handles any heater line. Required utility locates come before digging. Our guide on what's involved in removing an inground pool links the City's discharge guidance and explains the planning sequence.

Access, fill and grading

Machines usually reach the pool through a side yard or a temporary fence opening, over ground protection mats. The pool enclosure, or a temporary barrier, stays up until the hole is filled. Fill is placed in layers and compacted to limit settling, and the top layer is soil that's ready for sod or planting. Getting the final grade right is what makes the landscaper's job straightforward.

Planning the rest of the yard at the same time

A pool rarely sits on its own. There's often a concrete deck, a fence, a shed for the pump and filter, and sometimes a stone wall or planters around it. If those are coming out too, it's worth doing them at the same visit. The machines are already there, access is already set up and the landscaper gets one clean yard instead of a patchwork.

It's also a good moment to think about drainage. The area where the pool sat can collect water if the grade isn't right, so ask for the fill to be shaped to drain away from the house.

When it makes sense to bring in a professional

Pool removal needs heavy equipment, careful draining and proper compaction, and it's easy to end up with a sinking lawn if the fill isn't placed properly. A professional crew handles the machine access, the break-out, the fill and the grading as one job. If the patio, a stone wall or a fence around the pool is also going, it can all be done at the same visit. See our pool removal and outdoor structure removal pages for examples.

Conclusion

Removing a pool before landscaping works best when both plans line up. Decide what's going in, pick full or partial removal to match, drain and disconnect properly and make sure the fill is compacted. TrueNorth Demolition Richmond Hill can plan the removal around your landscape. Request a free estimate to book a site visit.