Concrete Pool Demolition
Full removal of concrete and gunite pool shells, with the excavation backfilled and compacted so the space is ready to landscape.
Learn more →How a fibreglass pool comes out
Fibreglass shells were dropped into Perth backyards by the thousand through the 1980s and 90s — Thornlie, Gosnells, Ballajura and Padbury are full of them. Removal reverses the installation:
- Drain and disconnect. Water pumped out under local rules, pump and filter lines capped, electrical isolated by your electrician.
- Expose the shell. The sand backfilled around the shell at installation is excavated back — easy digging in Perth's free-draining sands.
- Cut or lift. The shell is sawn into panels and carried out, or craned whole where access allows.
- Backfill and compact. Clean sand goes back in layers of roughly 200 to 300 mm, each compacted, so the surface won't sink under lawn or paving — the full method is on the pool backfill and compaction page.
Most fibreglass removals are finished within 2 to 3 days, and quotes come in well under concrete work — current ranges are in the Cost Guide.
Fibreglass vs concrete removal
Not sure which shell you own? Tap the wall below the waterline — fibreglass sounds hollow and flexes slightly; concrete is dead solid. It matters, because the jobs differ:
| Fibreglass | Concrete | |
|---|---|---|
| Shell weight | ~1–2 tonnes | ~20–40 tonnes |
| Method | Cut and cart, or lift whole | Hydraulic breaker |
| Typical duration | 2–3 days | 2–7 days |
| Noise and vibration | Low | Higher |
| Relative cost | Lowest | Highest |
If yours turns out to be concrete or gunite, the process and pricing are covered under concrete pool demolition.
Which option fits you?
- Standard backyard, lawn planned — cut-and-cart full removal. Because the shell is light, full pool removal is affordable for fibreglass, and it leaves nothing buried and nothing to disclose at sale.
- Wide access, shell in good condition — ask about a whole-shell lift; occasionally the shell has resale value that offsets crane hire.
- Tightest possible budget — a cut-down-and-bury approach exists, but the saving over full removal is small for fibreglass and it carries the same disclosure trade-offs as partial pool removal. Most owners choose full removal here.
Approvals, briefly
Many Perth councils treat pool removal as demolition work needing a BA5 demolition permit under the Building Act 2011 (WA), and all expect notification once the pool is gone so inspections stop. Until the shell can no longer hold 300 mm of water, your pool fence must stay compliant. Council-by-council detail is on the Council Approvals page.
Your enquiry is referred to independent local contractors for quoting; we ask the contractors we work with to hold the relevant WorkSafe WA licences and public liability cover — ask to see them. Call (08) 6171 3458 to get started.
More services
Explore our other services
Full Pool Removal
Complete removal of the pool shell, plumbing and surrounds down to clean fill, so no structure is left underground.
Learn more →Partial Pool Removal
The shell is punctured, sections removed and the hole backfilled in engineered layers — a lower-cost, council-compliant option.
Learn more →Spa Removal
In-ground spas taken out and the recess backfilled and compacted to match the surrounding yard.
Learn more →Pool Backfill & Compaction
Engineered backfill placed and compacted in layers so the reclaimed area stays stable for lawn, paving or a future build.
Learn more →
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Can a fibreglass pool be removed in one piece?
Sometimes. If there's crane access and the shell is sound, it can be lifted out whole in a day — occasionally for reuse or resale. But most Perth backyards have a house, patio or powerlines in the way, so the more common method is cutting the shell into panels with power saws and carrying them out through side access. Cutting is still quick: a typical shell is out within a day or two.
Why is fibreglass cheaper to remove than concrete?
Weight and machinery. A fibreglass shell is usually 1 to 2 tonnes; a concrete pool is 20 to 40 tonnes of rubble that has to be broken, loaded and tipped. Fibreglass needs smaller machines, fewer truck movements and less time on site — most of the cost sits in excavation of the surrounding sand, backfill and compaction rather than the shell itself. Typical Perth ranges are in our Cost Guide.
Can a fibreglass pool just be buried instead of removed?
Burying an intact fibreglass shell is a poor idea — an empty shell left in sandy ground can flex, collapse under fill, or pop upward under groundwater pressure, and the void it creates causes sinkage later. Partial approaches for fibreglass involve cutting the shell down so nothing can hold water or create a void, then backfilling in compacted layers. Full removal of the shell is cheap enough that it's usually the smarter call.
Free, no-obligation