I wasn't really sure where to post this since there isn't a "Under Deconstruction" folder. My daughter is in the market to buy a home. Some of the possible homes have had above ground pools. She does not want a pool. If she finds a house she really likes but it has a pool, it won't stop her from buying but she would have the pool removed. Anyone have a ballpark figure for removing an above ground pool and restoring the yard where it sat. That could possibly involve more than the pool itself. There could be decking and electrical lines that need removed. While this would be just ballpark and could vary quite a bit, it's something to keep in mind when making an offer on the house.
Cost to remove above ground pool
- Thread starter Homebrewale
- Start date
I think this is too broad to even hatch an idea. Even just the pool removal part could be night and day. Is it a 12 foot round or a 15X30 partially buried ? Is there even a deck or is it a 1200 sq footer or just over glorified stairs ?
Are you nearby to help take it down with a sawzall ? That would be the cheapest by far and you’d only have to cut it up small enough to take to the nearest scrap yard where you would be basically giving it to them because scrap is worthless these days. If she’s looking too far away to help then you’d have to know all the details before figuring out a fair price to pay. But when she’s narrowed down the possibilities, have her get pics at the showings and maybe we can take a guess.
Are you nearby to help take it down with a sawzall ? That would be the cheapest by far and you’d only have to cut it up small enough to take to the nearest scrap yard where you would be basically giving it to them because scrap is worthless these days. If she’s looking too far away to help then you’d have to know all the details before figuring out a fair price to pay. But when she’s narrowed down the possibilities, have her get pics at the showings and maybe we can take a guess.
She will be only a few miles away. I am quite handy and probably would do a lot of it myself, depending on work schedule. Too bad she can't wait 17 months when I'll be retired. I can post again with photos if she finds a home with a pool but the market is so hot that a house doesn't stay available for more than a few days. Also I would probably need to go along and take my own photos because I have found that above ground pools are not a big selling point here so often the realtor photos don't focus on them.
Chances are it is not a 100% resin pool, but is instead either steel or aluminum.
If you are handy and there is a scrap yard nearby, and you have a means of transportation it is very cheap. A scrap yard will take a steel pool, and will likely pay you for an aluminum one.
A liner can likely go out with your normal trash, as well as the filter/pump.
If there is a wood deck involved, then you can either haul it to the dump yourself, of hire a company like 1-800-got junk, or college hunks hauling junk, big jim's clean outs, or whatever operations in your area.
IF you have a 30 foot circle to repair (a big area for a pool), you are looking at 12 or so yards of material to remove and fill back in (given a depth of 6 inches)
I would get a quote to have that much excavated and hauled away. I pay $32 a yard for topsoil here - in bulk and picked up by me. so under $400 + delivery if you cant get it yourself.
If you are handy and there is a scrap yard nearby, and you have a means of transportation it is very cheap. A scrap yard will take a steel pool, and will likely pay you for an aluminum one.
A liner can likely go out with your normal trash, as well as the filter/pump.
If there is a wood deck involved, then you can either haul it to the dump yourself, of hire a company like 1-800-got junk, or college hunks hauling junk, big jim's clean outs, or whatever operations in your area.
IF you have a 30 foot circle to repair (a big area for a pool), you are looking at 12 or so yards of material to remove and fill back in (given a depth of 6 inches)
I would get a quote to have that much excavated and hauled away. I pay $32 a yard for topsoil here - in bulk and picked up by me. so under $400 + delivery if you cant get it yourself.
A lot of folks who post here at TFP have written how they obtained their above ground pools free just because someone wanted it gone and if they'd come take it down they could have it. Advertise on Craig's List or Facebook. The person taking it down/home can get first hand look at how to put it back up and know all the pieces are there.
Then you fix your daughter's crop circle and she makes you dinner. Win-Win!
Maddie
Then you fix your daughter's crop circle and she makes you dinner. Win-Win!
Maddie
Matt F 1
Well-known member
- Feb 1, 2020
- 191
- Pool Size
- 13000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
I second YippeeSkippy. We had an old AGP and decided we wanted an inground pool. I put the AGP and composite deck up for sale on a Facebook yard sale website and someone ACTUALLY bought it. So, instead of having to pay to take it to the dump, the buyer brought over a crew of 5 and dismantled it. AND PAID ME!!! We were left with a 24 foot round hole in the ground, but the new pool was dug in the same spot, so no fixing had to be done. There were, however, 8 cement footers the excavator dug up and left in the yard. We are still building the pool, and I've yet to come up with a plan to remove the footers.
She can also tell the seller she is not interested in having a pool and ask the seller to remove it. That way the seller has the option of taking it with them, taking it to the scrap yard or finding it a new home.
- Nov 12, 2017
- 12,627
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Just to play devil's advocate... When I bought my current house a few years ago it had a pool. I never owned a pool before, or took care of one. It was totally intimidating. So I just let the previous owners' pool guy continue on. That was about six years ago. I was paying about $150 a month, because the thought of trying to figure out how to take care of it myself was too daunting. Circumstances changed a few years ago and I decided to take it on. I found this site and the rest is history. I now pay about $150 a year for chemicals and do everything myself. IT IS SO EASY! Using what I learned here, and from getting a ton of help from all the amazing folks that hang out here, I now have it down. Most weeks I only spend about 10-15 minutes a week on the pool. And because of the automation I added, usually a lot less. Once a year I clean the filter. Every few months I have a bit more to do (like 20-30 here and there). That's it. Oh, and I have a pool!!
There are a lot of good reasons not to want to own a pool. But if it's expense, or a fear of how much work it's going to be, point her to TFP and we can show her how to significantly reduce both of those. And she'll have almost a quarter-million new friends who will help her learn how easy it is to take care of a pool. She can always try it out for a while, and get rid of it later if it doesn't work out. Are home warranties, paid for by the seller, customary where she's shopping? Have the realtors negotiate a warranty that covers the pool equipment and she'd really have little to lose...
If after giving it a few months once swim season starts in 2021, she'll have a much easier time in the middle of summer getting someone to come and take it down for her for free than she will in December/January, that's for sure.
There are a lot of good reasons not to want to own a pool. But if it's expense, or a fear of how much work it's going to be, point her to TFP and we can show her how to significantly reduce both of those. And she'll have almost a quarter-million new friends who will help her learn how easy it is to take care of a pool. She can always try it out for a while, and get rid of it later if it doesn't work out. Are home warranties, paid for by the seller, customary where she's shopping? Have the realtors negotiate a warranty that covers the pool equipment and she'd really have little to lose...
If after giving it a few months once swim season starts in 2021, she'll have a much easier time in the middle of summer getting someone to come and take it down for her for free than she will in December/January, that's for sure.
She has my pool to use if she wants to swim. She really doesn't like getting in pools and uses our pool maybe once per year. But the main reason is her dog which loves pools. Her dogs gets in my pool as soon as let off leash. The funniest thing happened this fall when I installed my safety cover. The dog was left off leash out of sight of the pool. She took off on a full sprint for the pool. She hit the brakes right before getting to it. It's a pain to own a pool with a water loving dog unless you can block access to it.
- Nov 12, 2017
- 12,627
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Ah, a "non-waterbaby." I've got one of those in the family. Nothing to be done. You can bring a horse to water, but you can't make him do the back-stroke...
In that case, assuming there's to be no DIY, plan on an electrician and a plumber to do what needs to be done regarding power and water. The right handyman could handle that: disconnecting wiring and any pipes. Probably don't want to leave that to any CraigLister types. Then an ad in Craig's List for a free pool if you come get it. We have something here called FreeCycle (as in "recycle") that is the "craig's list" of free stuff. No advertising of anything for sale allowed. Seems to be a chapter of it in Apex. Perhaps there'll be one where she ends up. That'd be another place to advertise the free "come-n-get-it" pool.
In that case, assuming there's to be no DIY, plan on an electrician and a plumber to do what needs to be done regarding power and water. The right handyman could handle that: disconnecting wiring and any pipes. Probably don't want to leave that to any CraigLister types. Then an ad in Craig's List for a free pool if you come get it. We have something here called FreeCycle (as in "recycle") that is the "craig's list" of free stuff. No advertising of anything for sale allowed. Seems to be a chapter of it in Apex. Perhaps there'll be one where she ends up. That'd be another place to advertise the free "come-n-get-it" pool.
Last edited:
- Jun 7, 2017
- 9,952
- Pool Size
- 29000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
If all else fails and she has to hire someone to get rid of it, I'd say $1k-$2k is what it will cost to remove an above ground pool. Fixing the spot it was on will likely cost another $500 and I doubt the same crew would do both.
mguzzy
Gold Supporter
-My preference would be the CraigsList scenario.. let them pay YOU to take it
-Followed by make the seller take it out as a part of the condition of the sale
-Or my other favorite.. re-enact the flood scene from the 10 Commandments,.. saw-z-all it in to little pieces and chuck it in the trash. Just ask @kimkats, she is an expert at this one.
-Followed by make the seller take it out as a part of the condition of the sale
-Or my other favorite.. re-enact the flood scene from the 10 Commandments,.. saw-z-all it in to little pieces and chuck it in the trash. Just ask @kimkats, she is an expert at this one.
Last edited:
This. I've been that person, I took down an 18' steel AGP that was on craiglist cause they wanted it gone. All I did was the pool, no fixing the ground or removing electrical (which I think was an extension cord). Never got it installed, ended up scrapping it less than a year later when we moved before I finished the site prep/install. I "scrapped" it by putting it on the curb then posted to craigslist free with a scrapper curb alert. It was gone in an hour (~2017).
I sort of repeated this, got a free 18' steel AGP in 2019 from a coworker, intending to put it at a rental we were staying at. Never installed it, didn't end up staying at the rental more more than a year. Again I scrapped it by posting on craigslist free. It was gone in a day or two (2019).
Moral of this, besides that I don't think through some projects very well before starting, is that taking a pool down isn't that difficult, especially as you can cut up the wall since you're not re-using it, then scrap it by putting on the curb and posting on craigslist or Facebook and some scrapper will come pick it up.
If there is electric installed and it's not suitable for re-use ensure that gets disconnected properly.
This too. With our current Intex AGP (and perhaps later a hardsided one) I pretty much realize it adds zero value to the house in our location. I'd previously decided if we sell and the owner wants, I wouldn't object to removing the pool at my own cost if it means the sale of the house at a price I like. But that depends entirely on the market, and right now that's probably not something I'd do, as it's totally a sellers market right now. @Homebrewale was saying houses aren't on the market for more than a few days in their area. I highly doubt a seller in this sort of market would agree to removing a pool, or even for taking off some amount of money for future buyer removal of the pool. If houses are going that quick, someone will take it with the pool at the price you want. Heck, if I was selling and I had 4 decent offers on one hand an an offer on the other that said "remove the pool, or discount x so we can remove it" well, I know what I wouldn't be doing.
Got to love a sawzall!
Our pool pieces are about gone now. I have the walls cut into girl sized pieces and rolled up with tape. My can can hold two of them at a time. One day it will all be gone lol
Our pool pieces are about gone now. I have the walls cut into girl sized pieces and rolled up with tape. My can can hold two of them at a time. One day it will all be gone lol