Key takeaway: Filling in an inground pool costs $2,000 to $10,000 for a partial fill-in (breaking up the shell and backfilling in place), or $4,000 to $16,000 or more for a full removal that hauls the shell away. Above-ground pools are far cheaper to remove, usually $300 to $2,500. Most councils require a permit before you fill in a pool, and your pool safety barrier stays a legal requirement until the pool is actually gone, not just full of dirt.
Filling a pool in isn’t as simple as tipping in dirt and levelling it off. Done properly it’s a genuine construction job, breaking up or removing the shell, sorting drainage, and compacting fill in layers so the ground doesn’t sink a year later. Done badly, it’s a common source of expensive subsidence problems for whoever owns the block next.
| Removal method | Typical Australian cost |
|---|---|
| Above-ground pool removal | $300 to $2,500 (more with deck removal) |
| Partial fill-in (inground, shell broken up and backfilled in place) | $2,000 to $10,000 |
| Full removal (inground, shell demolished and hauled away) | $4,000 to $16,000+ |
Partial Fill-In vs Full Removal
- Partial fill-in. The pool floor and walls are broken up in place, drainage holes are cut so water can pass through rather than pool underneath, and the cavity is backfilled with a mix of rubble and soil. Cheaper and faster, but the broken shell fragments stay in the ground.
- Full removal. The entire shell is demolished and hauled offsite, then the hole is backfilled with clean soil. More expensive, but it leaves a genuinely clean site, which matters if you’re planning to build an extension, shed or another structure over the old pool footprint later.
Safety note: your pool remains a legal “swimming pool” under state law, requiring a compliant safety barrier, for as long as it can hold water, not just while you’re actively using it. Removing or disabling the fence before the pool is genuinely filled and re-graded is a common and serious mistake, an empty or partially filled pool cavity is still a real fall hazard. Most councils also require a permit before you fill in a pool at all, and inspect the finished job, check with your specific council before starting.
Why You Can’t Just Dump Dirt on Top
An intact pool shell holds water, which is exactly the problem. Fill dirt on top of an unbroken floor gives rainwater and groundwater nowhere to drain, so it pools inside the old shell and slowly undermines whatever’s sitting on top. Proper backfilling breaks up the shell (or drills drainage holes into it for a partial fill), then builds the fill back up in compacted layers, roughly 2 to 3 inches at a time, so there are no hidden air pockets waiting to collapse. Skipping the compaction step is the single most common cause of a lawn that sinks in a wavy patch a year or two after a DIY fill-in.
What Actually Drives the Cost
- Pool size and depth. More volume means more fill material, more labour and more disposal if you’re going the full-removal route.
- Pool material. A concrete shell needs to be broken up with heavier machinery than a fibreglass shell, which usually adds labour cost.
- Site access. Getting excavation equipment and fill trucks to a backyard pool through a narrow side gate costs more than a job with clear vehicle access.
- Disposal fees. A full removal means paying to cart away and dispose of the old shell and any concrete rubble, on top of the labour to demolish it.
If you’re weighing up filling in an old pool against just building a new one somewhere else on the block, it’s worth comparing both figures properly rather than assuming removal is the cheap option, a straightforward partial fill-in on a small above-ground pool can cost less than a single line item on a new build, but a full removal on a large concrete pool can run into real money too. Our guide to pool costs by type covers what you’d be paying to replace it, and if you’re comparing an old inground pool against an above-ground option, inground vs above-ground pools is the next thing to read.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need council approval to fill in a pool?
In most areas, yes. Councils commonly require a permit before you fill in a pool and may inspect the finished job, and skipping this step can mean fines or being asked to redo the work. Check with your specific council before starting, requirements vary by state and local government area.
What’s the difference between a partial and full pool removal?
A partial fill-in breaks up the shell in place, drills drainage holes, and backfills the cavity with rubble and soil, cheaper and faster. A full removal demolishes and hauls away the entire shell before backfilling with clean soil, more expensive but leaves a genuinely clean site for future building work.
Can I just fill my pool with dirt myself?
Not safely, no. An intact shell traps water underneath the fill, which undermines it over time, and dirt tipped in without compacting it in layers is a common cause of the ground sinking a year or two later. Breaking up the shell for drainage and compacting fill properly is a genuine job for an excavation contractor, not a weekend DIY task.
How much does it cost to fill in an above-ground pool?
Usually $300 to $2,500, well below the cost of removing an inground pool, since there’s no concrete or fibreglass shell to break up or dispose of. Cost mainly comes down to labour and whether a surrounding deck needs to come out too.
Does filling in a pool affect resale value or council records?
It can. Councils often hold records that show a pool exists on a property, and buyers or their building inspectors may ask about a filled-in pool during a sale, particularly around whether it was done with the right permits and adequately compacted. Keeping records of the permit and the work done is worth doing for exactly this reason.
