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When you first bought your home, your pool might have been an attractive feature. You wanted the ability to teach your kids how to swim at home, throw pool parties for their birthdays, and keep them active during the summer. Those memories made the investment worthwhile.

But after your kids have moved out to go to college or start their careers, it might be time to consider whether or not you want to keep that pool.  How often do you and your spouse go for a dip? Is the hassle of maintenance worth it? Where else can you spend all the money you’re now “sinking” into your pool? What about all that space it’s taking up in your backyard?

You may not have considered pool removal, but for many, it’s the right option. As you’ve regained your freedom, you may be looking for funds to go on that vacation you’ve been putting off or take up a new hobby. If you don’t use your pool often, visiting a community pool every now and then is much cheaper than spending $200 on maintenance, not to mention the added electricity and water costs.

Many people assume that they should keep their pool to maintain their home value, but the truth is that, as a pool ages, it can negatively affect the value of your home. And in neighborhoods where pools aren’t the norm, it can make selling your home harder. To find out how pool removal affects the value of your home, get a professional opinion from a real estate agent.

And consider how you could use the extra space in your backyard. Thinking about getting a dog to fill the empty nest? He’ll appreciate the room to run around. Or you could start that vegetable garden you’ve always dreamed of having. The possibilities are endless!

Getting rid of that pool you rarely use? You may not realize just how much money you’ll be saving in the long run. With maintenance fees at around $200 a month, you’ll have an extra $2,400 every year to do with as you please! Here are just a few of the ways you could use that money.

1. Work on your swing. Why not join a country club? After the one-time initiation costs, it’s likely your monthly fee will be less than your old pool maintenance charge. Perhaps you could invest your extra dough in a few drinks at the bar.

2. Discover Hawaii. Start an annual tradition of a week-long trip to the Aloha state. Packages for your hotel and flight will run you between $800 and $2000, so you may even be able to bring along a friend. Visit the volcanoes, go hula dancing, enjoy a luau, catch a wave, or just relax by the ocean.  Why not visit a different island every year?

3. Plan a monthly spa day. Relieve your stress from the work week, or get a break from those screaming kids. A nice massage or body wrap will help you feel your best, and why not try a facial, so you look your best, too? With a budget of $200 a month, you can go to town!

4. Learn to fly a plane. While costs vary depending on your region, flight school costs between $3,000 and $4,000 to complete, so throw that money you’re saving in an account and, in less than two years time, you’ll be ready to get in the cockpit, enjoying life among the clouds.

5. Go on a second honeymoon. Didn’t have the budget to do what you wanted the first time? Now you do! Visit the Venice canals in Italy. Take a safari in Africa. Enjoy fine French dining in Paris. The world’s your oyster!

6. See the Super Bowl live. In 2010, tickets for the big game went for anywhere from $1,350 to $315,401. Sure, you’ll be on the lower end of the range, but you’ll still get to see the action in person.

7. Buy a home entertainment system.  How great would a 60” screen look in your living room? What about a surround sound system to go along with it?  Get the experience of the movie theater right in your own home.

8. Learn to play the guitar. Who doesn’t secretly want to be a rock start? Now’s your chance. For a few hundred dollars, you can invest in a nice Martin or Fender, and then spend the rest of the money on lessons from a professional.

Okay, you might just save the extra cash in an emergency fund, pay down credit card debt, or invest it for your child’s college education, but now you have a sense of just how much money you are throwing away on a pool you rarely use.  Let us help you take the leap!

Clients often ask me why we require that all pools be permitted with the city and/or county.
My typical answer is "Why not". That answer usually doesn't get me very far so I figured I would elaborate.

1. Permit Costs are usually only a fraction of the cost of the job. They typically are over the counter permits that require a simple plot plan, job plan, description etc. An average permit only takes 3-4 hours of work for an experienced pool removal contractor.
2. Property value. If there is a discrepency of County records (ie. records say pool but there is not) the potential buyer may see this as a liability. The cost of permitting the work, if required, would be a concern.
3. Tax benefits. I have been told by clients that they have petitioned the county to lower their taxes based on the reduced "value" of their home without a pool. I have not verified the validity of this so check for yourself.
4. Having another set of eyes "AKA Building Inspector" visit your jobsite verifies that the pool removal process is done to the satisfaction of local requirements and keeps your contractor on track as well.
5. The cost of going back and permitting and unpermitted pool will far exceed the oringinal cost.
6. Most cities will require a plot plan for the permit which will show the location of the former pool. This will be very important if you ever decide to build near or over the site.
7. Neighbors! If anything will invoke the inner tattle tale of your friendly neighbors it will be the jackhammering, trucks, equipment, etc. used to accomplish your job. There is nothing worse than trying to obtain a permit after recieving a stop order from an angry building inspector.

The only advantage to not obtaining a permit is to save $100-$500 in permit cost . In terms of Risk / Reward I feel there is no question here. Hence my "Why not" statement.

If your contractor tries to talk you out of getting a permit or tells you to take care of the permit I would suggest finding another contractor. An experienced pool removal contractor can handle everything for you in far less time than if you do it yourself.

Ryan Crownholm
Owner
Dig & Demo
http://www.ihatemyswimmingpool.com/

Soon the rains will start coming and it will be time to deflate the water wings, put away the margarita machine, and retire it for the season....But one word of warning....
Many of my customers have decided to defer maintenance on their swimming pool and drain it in the mean time. The often unforeseen consequence is that a swimming pool with no water can also be a boat. As the water table rises during the rainy season or water seeps in from the sides, the pool can lift out of the ground. I have seen them as little as 6" to as much as 5 feet out of the ground.

If the plan was to remodel the pool, it will now have to be removed completely, back filled and then re-dug in the shape of the new pool. A BIG mistake. Alternately, if your plan had been to remove the swimming pool using the partial removal technique it changes the process significantly and would include an increase in price. On the flip side, if you had planned on a full removal it makes no difference exept that we may need to wait a few days in between demolition and backfill to allow the cavity to dry.
Click Here to watch what happened when I poked some holes in the bottom of the above pool....
It actually surprised me that so much water was still under this pool because it was late July but due to the clay type soil in the area it held the water for months.
If you must drain your pool I would suggest the following to avoid this problem:

1. Break 2 holes. One in the deep end and one in the shallow end. The holes should be broken at least 2 ft. X 2 ft. Do not cut the holes with a concrete saw because you will cut the rebar and the repair will be more difficult. Use a small jack hammer and break small bits of concrete and remove all of the rubble leaving dirt and rebar exposed.
   BEWARE: Do not drain your pool completely all at once during the rainy season. It is best to drain it until the shallow end is exposed. Break your first hole in the shallow end. Then drain the rest and break the hole in the deep end. This process does not guarantee that your pool will not move but will reduce the likelyhood.
   Swimming Pools are designed to hold water and that is what is best for them. If at all possible do not drain your pool until you are ready to act on your remodel or removal. If you have any questions regarding your swimming pool removal or draining feel free to call me.

Ryan Crownholm
925-933-4448
http://www.ihatemyswimmingpool.com/

I have seen a lot of customers with interesting ideas for their pool but none as creative as this:
Family makes subterranian garden from swimming pool.

The Argument of Remodel or Removal...
This is the starting point for most of my customers. The pool is 30 years old and something must be done. But what? Can you justify the cost of remodel with the frequency in which you use your pool? Is keeping the pool going to help the value of your home? Perhaps you have always dreamed about having a backyard garden full of tomatoes and squash and the only space is right over the old swimming pool. Over the years, I have seen hundreds of homeowners in this dilemma and have seen them go both ways including one incident when a client went with a remodel and then called me back three years later to remove the remodeled swimming pool! If you are in this situation and need some advice please give me a call. I can come by and give you a no cost estimate as well as refer you to a remodeling contractor.
Below is a list of what some of my clients have done over their old swimming pool:

1. Vegetable Garden
2. Koi pond
3. Basketball Court
4. Worm Farm
5. Landscape
6. Artificial Grass
7. RV Parking

If you are reading this blog right now, you are most likely among the thousands of Americans who are fed up with the maintenance, repairs, and liability of having a Swimming Pool. I have personally removed hundreds of swimming pools in the San Francisco Bay Area, and thought I would share some of my clients' experiences and how they came to the final decision to hire Dig & Demo to get rid of it.

Top 10 Reasons Most people remove their Swimming Pool.

1. "The kids used it for years and now they have moved out and it never gets used"
2. "The pool is in desperate need of a remodel but the cost of the remodel is too high to justify"
3. "The pool is leaking and the cost of repair is more than the cost of removal."
4. "We are moving out and renting the property and don't want the liability of a pool."
5. "We never wanted a pool but the home of our dreams already had one."
6. "The pool takes up our whole yard and we want room for the kids, dogs, us to play"
7. "We want a pool more suiting of the house (make my round pool square)."
8. "We want to put an addition on our existing home and the pool is in the way."
9. "I drained my pool to save water and it popped 2 feet out of the ground!" True story
10. "I'm greening my home and want to save water and engergy."

Top 10 Things to Consider When Hiring a Pool Removal Contractor.

1. Check the contractors license number at http://www.cslb.ca.gov/ or by calling 1-800-321-2752.
2. Get at least 3 bids from quality swimming pool removal contractors
3. Get a minimum of 10 references and call at least 3 of them.
4. Make sure all project expectations are in writing and only sign the contract if you understand the terms. There should be NO change orders or up charges for a pool removal if bid is done properly.
5. Confirm that your pool removal contractor has general liabilitiy insurance and workers compensation. Also, make sure they will not be using any subcontractors without your knowledge.
6. Never pay more than 10% or $1000, which ever is less, for a deposit. Additionally, never let the payments get ahead of the work.
7. Before work commences, make sure your contractor has pulled the proper permits.
8. Ask your contractor what techniques they will use for compaction and ensure it is appropriate for the soil type.
9. Whoever you decide to hire, it is important that they have substantial experience in removing pools. If the process is done incorrectly, the cost to correct the mistakes will be more than the original cost of the removal.
10. Do NOT make your final payment until all work is done to your satisfaction and all items in the contract have been fulfilled. (This includes the city permit being finalized)

Thank you for reading and I hope you find this helpful. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have. Please feel free to call me.

Ryan Crownholm
Dig & Demo
925-933-4448
General Engineering Contractor
lic # 834630
http://www.ihatemyswimmingpool.com/