Cicarelli Contractors is a licensed swimming pool removal contractor working across nine Bay Area counties, on concrete and gunite shells as well as fiberglass and vinyl. We pull the city permit, break out and haul the shell, backfill in compacted layers and stay through every inspection until the permit is finaled.
Pool removal
Pool removal is the demolition of an in-ground swimming pool and the rebuilding of the ground where it sat. The water is drained, the gas, water and electrical lines are capped, the shell is broken apart, and the hole is filled in compacted layers so the yard is solid again.
There are two ways to do it. A partial removal breaks out the top of the walls, opens the floor for drainage and leaves the lower shell buried, which suits a yard that will stay lawn or turf. A full removal hauls every piece of concrete away, the safer route if a patio, deck or ADU may go there later.
Nearly every Bay Area city and county requires a permit and inspects the open pit before any fill goes in. Cicarelli Contractors files that permit, takes out concrete, gunite, fiberglass and vinyl pools, and provides the engineering compaction report when the city asks for one.
Nine Google reviews from homeowners who hired us as their pool removal contractor, quoted word for word. Use the arrows or swipe to read them all.
Ciccarelli demoed and filled our fiberglass pool very quickly and efficiently. Highly recommend them if you are looking to fill in your pool. They handled the city permit process for demo and provided an engineering compaction report. The cost was very reasonable compared to other quotes I received.
I recently hired Cicarelli Contractors for demolition of my swimming pool. From our initial discussion to our final completion Athalyson and his crew were true professionals. Our pool is on a hill with limited access. His crew was able to get their equipment in place for the demolition and wheelbarrow fill dirt up hill. Some of those days had 90+ temps.
I was consistently impressed with the quality and professionalism of his crew. His crews seemed to always have a smile. The project was completed in a timely manner. His crew were consistently courteous and respectful of my property and maintained a clean work environment, restoring the site to its original condition.
I highly recommend Cicarelli Contractors for any construction needs. Their commitment to quality, efficiency, and customer satisfaction is commendable.
I wouldn’t hesitate to hire Cicarelli again!
Bernardo from Cicarelli contractors was great to work with. We had our vinyl pool and deck demoed and synthetic grass put in. They took care of all our needs. Thank you Bernardo
Cicarelli just completed our pool demolition job promptly and professionally. I was very pleased that he was able to start so quickly. And I would recommend him. It was very convenient for me that he was able to text me updates and send me photos along the way of the work done. Super for the great work completed!
Couldn’t be happier with how our yard turned out! We had Cicarelli remove an old concrete pool and install pavers around the new garden area. The whole process was smooth, and the crew was polite and professional.
I hired Cicarelli contractor for the demolition of my swimming pool. From the initial consultation through to the final walk through. I was consistently impressed with the quality of their service. Athalyson demonstrated exceptional responsiveness to my inquiries and concerns. The project was completed according to the agreed timeline. Any unforseen issues were addressed promptly and efficiently. The team exhibited a high degree of professionalism throughout the project. They were consistently courteous and respectful of my property. They diligently maintained a clean work environment, restoring the site to its original condition daily. Always on time.
I highly recommend Cicarelli contractors for any construction needs. Their commitment to quality, efficiency, and customer satisfaction is commendable. Furthermore, he can give you a significant discount, making their services even more valuable.
We recently hired Cicarelli Contractors to remove our old, unused pool, and we couldn’t be more pleased with the results! From the start, their team was professional, punctual, and extremely knowledgeable. They walked us through the entire process, providing clear explanations and a fair estimate.
Bernard completed our pool demolition job promptly and professionally. I was very pleased that he was able to start so quickly as I had a deadline to meet. I would recommend him. It was especially convenient for me that he was able to text me updates and send me photos along the way as I handled the job remotely. Thank you, Bernard!
Did a great job of demolishing old pool! Would hire again.
Pools coming out
Short clips from our own pool demolitions in San Ramon, Fremont, Hillsborough and Vacaville: the breaker on the walls, the rubble going out and the hole being filled.
Watch On YouTubeChoose a method
The real question is whether any concrete stays underground. Pick the method from what the space will hold later.
The top of the shell is broken out, the floor is opened for drainage and the basin is filled. Also called a fill-in or abandonment.
Walls and floor come out completely, every piece of concrete leaves the site, and the excavation is rebuilt with compacted soil.
The fill stage behind both methods: the material that goes in, the layers it is placed in and how compaction is tested.
| Question | Partial removal | Full removal |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete left in the ground | Lower walls and floor, opened for drainage | None |
| Best suited for | Lawn, artificial turf, garden | Patios, decks, additions, ADUs |
| Building over the spot later | Usually limited by the city | Possible on engineered fill |
| Soils engineer involvement | Required in some cities | Common, especially for future building |
| Relative upfront cost | Lower | Higher |
Pool removal step by step
Each stage has a reason, and the inspector sees the work before anything is covered.
Start With A Free EstimateText us photos of the pool and the side yard; when access is tight, we come out and measure.
We file the demolition permit and call 811 so buried lines are marked before digging.
Water is drained the legal way, and gas, water and power to the pool are capped.
The breaker takes down the walls and opens the floor, or lifts the whole shell out.
Work pauses until the city signs off on the broken shell, before any fill.
Fill goes in by layers, gets compacted and tested, and the permit is closed.
Former pools
Drag each slider to see the same yard before and after the pool came out. The first one is in Burlingame.
See All Projects
BeforeAfterBurlingame · Pool removal, turf and pavers
BeforeAfterPool removal and turf
BeforeAfterPool removal and pavers
Pricing
We do not publish flat prices, because two pools of the same size can cost very different amounts to remove. These are the things we look at before writing a number.
More shell and a deeper end mean more concrete to break, more truckloads and more fill.
Concrete and gunite are broken with a breaker; fiberglass and vinyl pools come apart differently.
Full removal hauls all the concrete and needs more fill than leaving the lower shell in place.
A wide driveway lets machines in; a hillside or narrow side yard means smaller equipment and more hand work.
Surrounding decking, an attached spa and old pumps or heaters add to what comes out.
Some cities ask for a soils engineer, compaction testing or extra inspections, and those are part of the scope.
Read the full breakdown in our pool demolition cost guide, or send photos for a written, itemized quote. Get a written quote
Permits
Bay Area cities and counties generally require a permit to remove or fill a pool, but each one sets its own rules for how much shell is broken, how many drainage openings go in, how fill is compacted and whether a soils engineer signs off. We read your city's handout before quoting.
More cities in our pool demolition permit guide. Call 811 before any digging, as USA North 811 asks.
Homeowner guide
Swimming pool removal in the Bay Area is priced, permitted and inspected pool by pool, so the useful answers explain what changes the number and the paperwork. These are the questions homeowners ask pool removal contractors most, answered with published data and with the rules cities and clean water programs put in writing.
Angi's cost guide, updated October 12, 2026, puts the national average for pool removal at $6,000, with partial fill-ins at $2,500 to $10,000 and full removals at $4,000 to $16,000. Its California range is $3,500 to $8,000. Your own number depends on size, access, method and what your city requires.
Those are national figures, not a Cicarelli quote. We price each pool after photos or a site visit and send a written, itemized estimate, so demolition, hauling, fill, compaction and permit costs show up line by line. Our pool demolition cost guide walks through each line.
Not quite. Filling in a swimming pool usually means a partial removal: the upper walls are broken out, the floor is opened for drainage and the basin is backfilled with rubble and soil. Removing it means the whole shell is hauled away before the hole is filled and compacted.
Both end with fill and compaction, and both need a permit in most Bay Area cities. The difference shows up later, when you want to build on that spot or sell the house, as the comparison table near the top of this page shows.
It can raise questions, because a buyer, lender or inspector may ask how the pool was closed. A finaled demolition permit and, where the city required one, a soils engineer's compaction report answer them. Some cities also have the owner sign an acknowledgement so a partial removal is disclosed at sale.
Millbrae does this with its partial demolition acknowledgement. A full removal leaves no buried shell to explain. If a sale is a few years away, ask for both documents at the estimate and keep them with your house records.
No. Storm drains carry water straight to creeks and the bay without treatment, so pool water should never go into the street or a storm drain. Bay Area clean water programs ask owners to dechlorinate first and drain to the sanitary sewer, or onto a lawn that can absorb it without runoff.
The West Valley Clean Water Program spells out each step on its pool draining page, including testing the water before it goes anywhere. Draining is planned before demolition day, because the breaker cannot start until the pool is empty.
In a partial removal, much of the broken shell stays in the basin as part of the fill, under the soil that goes on top. In a full removal, every piece of concrete is loaded and hauled off site. The method decides how many truckloads leave your street and how much new fill comes in.
Either way, the city inspects the broken shell before any fill goes in, which is why the crew stops at that point and waits for the inspector.
| Item | Published range |
|---|---|
| National average | $6,000 |
| Most projects | $5,000 to $8,000 |
| Partial fill-in | $2,500 to $10,000 |
| Full removal | $4,000 to $16,000 |
| California range | $3,500 to $8,000 |
| Permits and inspections | About $200 |
Third-party national data from Angi's pool removal cost guide, not a Cicarelli price.
Updated · By Athalyson Bernardo, Owner of Cicarelli Contractors · CSLB #1109419
FAQ
Send photos of the pool and the access to your yard and we will reply with a written estimate. Our phone line is open Monday to Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm; other questions are answered in the full FAQ.
Call (650) 404-7049It depends on the house. Taking a pool out usually helps when it is old, rarely used or eats most of a small yard, and the space turns into finished lawn, a patio or ground you could build on. A pool in good shape on a large lot may be worth keeping, and no honest contractor can promise a dollar figure.
You can keep it, close it with a partial removal that leaves the lower shell buried, or remove it completely. Partial removal suits yards that will stay lawn or turf. Full removal suits anyone who may build a patio, deck, addition or ADU there later, because no concrete is left underground.
Almost always. Bay Area cities and counties generally require a demolition or building permit to remove or fill in a pool, plus inspections of the open pit and the finished fill. Contra Costa County, for example, requires a permit to demolish or abandon a pool. We file the permit and book the inspections.
Usually only after a full removal with engineered, compacted fill, and often with a soils engineer's report. Cities tend to restrict building over a buried shell. If an ADU or addition is even a possibility, tell us at the estimate so we plan full removal and the paperwork for it.
Yes. Besides concrete and gunite pools, our Google reviews include a fiberglass pool we removed and filled, with the city permit and an engineering compaction report, and a vinyl pool and deck we demolished before installing artificial turf. Each material comes apart differently, so the method is set at the estimate.
Call or text (650) 404-7049, Monday to Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm, or send photos of the pool and the path into your yard through the free estimate form. We reply with a written, itemized quote within 24 hours of the site visit or the photos we need.
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