Fill in the pool you stopped swimming in.

Two ways to do it

Why people call us

• The pool costs $2,000–$4,000 a year and nobody swims in it.
• It needs a $30,000 renovation it isn't worth.
• Small kids or grandkids in the yard, and the fence isn't enough.
• Insurance is pushing back on it.
• It came with the house and it's been green since.
• You want the yard back — grass, garden, garage, addition.

How the job runs

1. Site visit and permit

   We check backyard access for equipment, locate utilities and drainage, then pull the county demolition permit.

2. Drain and disconnect

   Water pumped off to code. Power, gas and plumbing cut and capped. Equipment pad cleared.

3. Demolition

   Deck and coping out. Shell broken down, floor punched through in multiple spots so ground water passes instead of pooling.

4. Backfill and compaction

   Clean stone in the base, then structural fill placed in 12-inch lifts and compacted each pass.

5. Grade, seed, clean up

   Topsoil capped and graded away from the house, seeded or sodded, debris hauled off, permit closed out and the paperwork handed to you.

What it costs

The spread comes down to four things: pool size, whether a machine can get to the backyard, how much fill has to be trucked in, and how much decking, fence or screen enclosure comes out with it. We price it on site, in writing, no charge.

Where we work

Based in Hampstead, working the coastal counties.

• Hampstead
• Surf City
• Topsail Island
• Holly Ridge
• Sneads Ferry
• Wilmington
• Wrightsville Beach
• Castle Hayne
• Leland
• Burgaw
• Rocky Point
• Jacksonville

Questions we get

How much does it cost to fill in a pool?

Most partial fill-ins in our area run $8,000 to $16,000. Full removal runs $15,000 to $30,000. Pool size, backyard access, trucked-in fill and how much decking comes out are what move the number.

How long does it take?

Two to four working days on site for a partial fill-in, about a week for a full removal. Permitting adds a few days up front, and new grass needs a season to fill in.

Do I need a permit?

Yes. Pender, New Hanover and Onslow County all require a permit to demolish or abandon an inground pool, and the work gets inspected. We pull it and give you the closed-out paperwork.

Can I build on it afterward?

Not after a partial fill-in. That ground is fine for lawn, patio, a shed or a garden, but not a foundation. If you may want to build there, go with full removal, engineered fill and compaction testing — and keep the test reports.

Do I have to tell a buyer?

Plan on it. An inspector or an old aerial photo will show it anyway. The permit, the fill spec and the compaction records are what keep a filled-in pool from becoming a price negotiation, so we hand you all three. Confirm your disclosure obligations with your agent or attorney.

Can't I just push the deck in and fill the hole?

That's the cheapest way to create an expensive problem. Fill that's dumped instead of compacted settles, and a shell that isn't punched through traps water. It shows up as a sinking, soggy low spot a year or two later — usually right when you're trying to sell.