The short answer, in dollars
As at August 2026, removing a swimming pool in Perth typically costs $4,000 to $9,500 for partial removal of a concrete pool (collapse and fill), $8,500 to $16,000 for full removal of a concrete pool, and $3,500 to $8,500 for a fibreglass pool. Above-ground pools come out for $1,100 to $3,200, and in-ground spas or plunge pools for $2,200 to $4,800. Those bands cover demolition, cartage and standard backfill with reasonable machine access; tight access, crane lifts and council fees sit on top and are itemised below.
These are Perth metro guide figures gathered for this page, not quotes. For a written price on your actual pool, call (08) 6171 3458 — your enquiry goes to an independent Perth pool removal contractor who can see the site and commit to a number.
Perth pool removal price guide — August 2026
| Removal option | Typical Perth range (August 2026) |
|---|---|
| Partial removal — concrete pool (collapse & fill) | $4,000 – $9,500 |
| Full removal — concrete or gunite pool (shell dug out entirely) | $8,500 – $16,000 |
| Fibreglass pool removal (cut up in place, or pulled out whole) | $3,500 – $8,500 |
| Above-ground pool removal | $1,100 – $3,200 |
| In-ground spa or plunge pool removal | $2,200 – $4,800 |
| Tight side access surcharge (mini-machinery / hand demolition) | adds $1,200 – $3,800 |
| Crane lift (shell or excavator over the house) | adds $900 – $2,500 |
| Backfill and compaction (sand supplied, placed, compacted in layers) | $50 – $95 per m³ |
| Demolition permit (BA5) and council fees | roughly $110 – $250 — confirm with your council |
How to read the table honestly:
- Every band assumes the pool only. Removing surrounding paving, decking, pool fencing, shade sails or pool equipment is usually quoted as an extra line, not folded in silently.
- The backfill row is why volume matters. A typical 8 m × 4 m backyard pool holds roughly 40–60 m³. Full removal means buying, placing and compacting all of that volume; partial removal reuses the broken shell as part of the fill, which is most of the price difference.
- The permit row is a government fee, not a contractor charge. Demolition permit fees are set under WA building regulations and councils add their own administrative charges — check your local government's current fee schedule rather than relying on any figure republished online, including this one.
What pushes the price up
Access. The single biggest swing. Perth's older pool suburbs often have side paths under a metre wide, and a pool that a 5-tonne excavator could empty in a day becomes several days of mini-loader or jackhammer work. That is where the $1,200–$3,800 surcharge — or a crane — comes from.
Concrete versus fibreglass. A reinforced concrete or gunite shell has to be broken, ripped and carted as heavy rubble; steel reinforcement slows cutting and tipping fees are charged by weight. A fibreglass shell weighs a fraction of that and can sometimes be pulled out in one piece, which is why fibreglass sits in a lower band.
Size and depth. Demolition, cartage and backfill all scale with volume. A 10-metre pool with a 2.4-metre deep end can need half again the fill of a compact 7-metre pool, and every extra cubic metre is bought, placed and compacted at $50–$95.
Groundwater. Parts of Perth — low-lying and wetland-adjacent suburbs especially — carry a high seasonal water table. If the excavation takes on water, pumping and staged work add hours, and saturated ground compacts poorly until managed.
What pulls the price down
Straight machine access through a gate or removable fence panel, a pool already drained and stripped of equipment, flexible timing so the job can slot between others, a fibreglass rather than concrete shell, and choosing partial removal where your council and your future plans allow it. Letting the contractor leave clean crushed shell rubble in the hole (partial removal) rather than carting it out is the single biggest saving on concrete pools.
Partial or full — the decision behind the price
Partial removal is cheaper now; full removal keeps your options open later. A partially removed pool generally cannot be built over — no extension, granny flat or garage on that footprint without engineering that usually costs more than the saving — and it should be disclosed to future buyers. Full removal, done with backfill compacted in layers and documented, returns the space to something a future owner can treat as ordinary ground. The common questions page covers this in more detail, and council approvals explains the permit side.
Getting a firm number
No table prices your pool — the bands above are as honest as a webpage can be. A real quote needs the pool type, dimensions, access width and what you want the finished ground to be. Have those ready and call (08) 6171 3458, or use the enquiry form; this site refers your details to an independent Perth pool removal contractor who quotes and carries out the work in their own name.
Frequently asked questions
How much does pool removal cost in Perth?
As at August 2026, partial removal of a concrete pool in Perth — collapsing the shell inward and backfilling — typically costs $4,000 to $9,500. Full removal of a concrete pool, where the entire shell is dug out and carted away, runs $8,500 to $16,000. Fibreglass pools are cheaper to remove at $3,500 to $8,500 because the shell is light enough to cut up or pull out whole. Above-ground pools cost $1,100 to $3,200 and in-ground spas $2,200 to $4,800. Tight side access or a crane lift adds to any of these figures.
Why is partial pool removal so much cheaper than full removal?
Because most of the cost of full removal is digging out, loading and carting away tonnes of reinforced concrete, then buying that missing volume back as compacted fill. Partial removal keeps most of the shell in the ground: the floor is punctured for drainage, the top of the walls is broken down, and the rubble stays in the hole under engineered backfill. The trade-off is not just price — most councils and engineers treat a partially removed pool as unsuitable to build over, and it should be disclosed when the property sells.
What makes one Perth pool quote higher than another for the same pool?
Four things dominate: access, construction, size and water. A pool a bobcat can reach through a double gate is priced at the bottom of its band; one behind a narrow side path that forces mini-machinery or hand demolition attracts a surcharge of $1,200 to $3,800, and lifting a shell or excavator over the house adds crane time at $900 to $2,500. Reinforced concrete costs more to break and cart than fibreglass. Bigger and deeper pools need more demolition and more backfill at $50 to $95 per cubic metre. And where groundwater sits high, dewatering slows everything down.