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OK, so you know that we remove LOTS of swimming pools by now. But do you know how we do it? With our many years of experience we have acquired a fleet of equipment that is designed with your swimming pool demolition in mind.

The Breaking:
Swimming pools that are made out of concrete or gunnite are often 12" thick and reinforced with rebar. In order to safely and efficiently break this concrete we use and excavator with a Jack Hammer (breaker) attachment. An excavator is ideal because you can
place it in a stationary position and then spin the turret around as you work which places the operator at least 10 feet away from breaking. Some people will try to use a Skid Steer (Bobcat) with a breaker attachment. A warning to do it yourselfers and
inexperienced contractors. This is very dangerous for the operator because the skid steer is not designed to work with a load over head while moving the machine and can cause it to tip over. Also, because the operator is working directly under the work he is in
danger of being hit by falling concrete or rebar. We do not advise using a skid steer for the demolition portion of the project.

Moving the concrete out and the dirt in:
This is where the skid steer comes in. In order to safely move the concrete out of the swimming we send in a bobcat with a grapple attachment to "grab" the material and transport it to the trucks. In order to move the soil into the swimming pool cavity we use the
same skid steer but we switch the bucket out to a smooth bucket which allows us to evenly spread the material. Evenly spreading the material is very important because the compactor needs a perfectly level surface in order to achieve uniformity. This machine
also allows us to set the final grade to the customer specifications

The trucks:
Because our soils come from our own sources rather than unknown excavations delivered by other contractors we need a fleet of trucks to handle very large volumes. Our fleet consists of 10 wheel dump trucks and transfers. A transfer is like a 10 wheeler but has
a trailer that carries a second load of soil or up to 22 yards of soil. The average swimming pool requires 130 cubic yards of soil to fill and compact. With our fleet we can easily transport the needed soil in 1-2 days.

Compaction:
In order to compact soil to 90-95% density it is best to use what is called a padded drum roller or "sheep foot" roller. The machine has a large vibrating drum with "knobs" covering the drum. The purpose of these "knobs" are to essentially knead the soil much like
you would with bread dough to bind the dirt. In rare occasions where we do not have access we use what is called a plate compactor. The plate compactor can be used in much smaller lifts and still be effective to achieve proper density but can take much more
time and requires a great deal of experience.

Other misc tools of the pros:
Grinder or cut-off saw to cut the rebar
Transit or Level to set your finish grade
Geotextile filter fabric to prevent soils migration
Storm water run-off protection such as silt sifting bags for EPA compliance
Pressure washer to clean up your property when we are all done.

When it comes to a task as specialized as swimming pool removal it is important to use the proper equipment. The companies that truly "specialize" in swimming pool removal know how important each piece of equipment is to operations. Not only do these
pieces of equipment allow for a safe and proper job but also speed the job along so that we can give your yard back as soon as possible. Most of our projects are completed in 3-5 days.

Take a look here at our process in action!

Did you know that keeping and maintaining a pool might be costing you $2,000 to $3,000 a year for an average-size model? Thousands of dollars a year for the rest of your life that might be better spent on traveling, remodeling, or kids’ college expenses. And that’s not even counting any repairs that you’ve had to do over the years.

You’ve been thinking about getting your pool removed, but how do you know if it’s really time? While there’s no one-size-fits-all definitive reason to get rid of an old pool, lots of factors can affect your decision.

The kids are gone. Maybe you bought your pool when your children were little and it seemed worth the investment rather than joining a swimming club or going to the water park all the time, but now they’ve grown up. What’s the point of keeping an expensive pool when you and your spouse barely use it, and the kids only visit once in a while?

You want to sell. If you’re thinking about selling your home, you might be surprised to learn that having an expensive pool to maintain may actually hurting the value rather than helping it. Especially if the pool is older and hasn’t been maintained in pristine condition. Consult with your realtor to see if they believe they can get you a better offer if the pool is removed.

You have to repair it. Normal maintenance isn’t the only expense involved in keeping a pool. If you ever have to pay for repairs, you might find yourself out thousands. In fact, many people discover that it’s actually less expensive to simply remove the pool than to fix something they’re not getting a lot of us out of.

You want your yard back. Having a pool always seems like a great idea at the time, but after the novelty wears off, many people discover that they simply have an expensive hole in the ground taking up their yard. It’s only usable a few months out of the year, so the rest of the time the pool is just a reminder of the nice yard they used to have.

You want to buy. Not everyone wants a pool, but if you truly love a house with one already built in, that doesn’t mean that you have to give up on it. The cost of pool removal is something that will even out within 2 to 3 years when you consider how much it takes to maintain a pool. Some buyers even negotiate the price down to cover the cost of pool removal.

You want to free up money for your future. The cost of pool removal isn’t insignificant, but it’s a one-time expense and then it’s done. Keeping a pool is like a car payment that never ends. Without a pool to pay for, all that money can go towards allowing you to live the life you want.

Whatever the reason, every year thousands of people come to the decision that keeping and maintaining their pool just isn’t worth it, but they don’t know how to get rid of it. A professional pool removal service can help by making the endeavor fast and easy. All you have to do is sit back and watch while everything is handled – from the demolition, to the backfill, and through the final grade. In as little as a week, you can have your yard back the way you want it and stop worrying about the continuing costs of keeping a pool.

A swimming pool is a swimming pool right? Why the fluctuation in price? In fact, the end result is the same but the process varies depending upon several factors. Below is a list of a few of the most important factors influencing the price of removing your swimming pool.

1. Access: Typically the bigger equipment and trucks that can access your pool the better the price for your swimming pool removal. The absolute best case scenario is to have access such that a large dump truck can backed right up to your pool to dump the fill material right in. This is rarely the case and swimming pools can be removed with much tighter access.
2. Permit: Different cities have different fees for a swimming pool removal permit. The price typically ranges from $150-$1,600. Some of the higher priced permits include refundable recycling deposits that will be returned upon proof of recycling.
3. Size of swimming pool: Larger pools typically require more demolition and more fill material and therefore increase the cost of removal. An average pool contains 25,000 gallons and we have removed swimming pools ranging from 5,000 gallons to 100,000 gallons.
4. Type of Swimming Pool Construction: Liner, above ground, in gound gunnite, concrete etc. These are a few of the different types of swimming pools and each requires different techniques for demolition.
5. Full, Partial, Engineered: These are the different types of swimming pool demolition. Depending on what your plans are for the site of your old swimming pool will influence which technique will suit you best.

These are only five of the major factors influencing your swimming pool removal cost and are very important to keep in mind when you are getting bids for the removal. If your favorite bush stands in the way of your access to your pool you may want to consider the cost of removal and replacement as opposed to the additional cost of your pool removal.

For a free, no obligation estimate please call me anytime:
925-933-4448
Ryan Crownholm
www.diganddemo.com