Pool Removal in Richmond Hill — OCM Excavation
If you’ve got an old inground pool in Richmond Hill that’s costing you in liner replacements, chemicals, and insurance, and you’re not using it anymore, you’re not alone. A lot of Richmond Hill homes from the 1970s, 80s, and early 90s were built with backyard pools that are now 30 to 50 years old. The shells crack, the heaters fail, and the cost to keep them legal under the enclosure bylaw keeps climbing. We take them out, properly, for a fair price. Call OCM at 416-317-3090 for a free site walk and a written number.
My name is Avi. I’ve been digging in Richmond Hill, Vaughan, and Markham for 18 years. I run every job myself, with my own crew, on my own equipment. No subcontractors disappearing on day three. We’ve removed dozens of pools across York Region and we know how Richmond Hill backyards are built, because we’ve been in most of them.
Partial vs Full Pool Removal — what’s right for you
Two ways to do this. They cost different money and they give you different yards at the end.
Partial Pool Removal — $12,000 to $18,000
We break the top 3 feet of the pool walls down into the shell, punch holes through the bottom so water drains instead of pooling, fill the cavity with 3/4 clear stone, cap with screened topsoil, and rough-grade. You end up with lawn or garden over the footprint. It’s faster, cheaper, less disruption to your driveway and neighbors. If you’re never going to build anything on that spot, partial is the right call.
Full Pool Removal — $18,000 to $28,000
We pull the entire shell out. Concrete gets broken up and trucked. Fiberglass gets cut and trucked. Vinyl liners come out, steel walls come out. Once the hole is clean, we backfill with 3/4 clear stone in lifts, cap with topsoil, and grade. You can build on this spot later: an addition, a garage, a workshop, a granny suite. If you’re selling and the buyer wants a clean lot, this is what they want to see.
Price varies with pool size, material, and access. A 16×32 concrete pool with a wide driveway is faster than a 20×40 fiberglass with a 38-inch side gate. We walk the site, we measure, we give you the number in writing before we touch a shovel.
Why Richmond Hill homeowners choose OCM
- Owner on every job. I’m Avi. I’m on your site. Not a project manager forwarding emails.
- Yanmar Vio17 + SV40 on the trailer. The Vio17 fits through side gates as narrow as 38 inches. The SV40 brings more horsepower for breaking concrete when access allows. Most Richmond Hill 70s and 80s subdivisions have narrow access. We built the fleet around that.
- Real backfill spec. 3/4 clear stone in compacted lifts. Not pit-run. Not whatever’s cheap that week. Your yard won’t sink in five years.
- $2M commercial general liability. fully insured crew. Certificates on request before we start.
- 5.0 stars across 16 verified Google reviews. All from York Region homeowners. Real names, real jobs.
- Permits handled. We file with Richmond Hill on your behalf. You sign one form.
Our process — step by step
- Site walk and quote. Free. I come out, measure your pool, look at the side access, check for overhead wires and underground utilities, ask what you want the yard to be after. You get a written quote, usually within 24 hours.
- Permit application. We file the demolition permit with the City of Richmond Hill. We tell you exactly when the city signs off so you know the start date.
- Mobilization. Trailer arrives. Yanmar SV40 or Vio17 mini-excavator (depending on gate access), dump trailer, hand tools, fence-panel removal kit if needed. We protect your driveway and walkways with plywood.
- Dewatering. Pump the pool down to the right level for cutting, discharged to the sanitary or storm per Richmond Hill direction.
- Break the top. Walls broken inward into the shell. Concrete is reduced in place to a size we can either bury (partial) or truck (full).
- Break the bottom for drainage. Critical step. If the bottom doesn’t drain, the fill sits in a bowl of water and your lawn becomes a swamp. We punch holes through to subsoil.
- 3/4 clear stone backfill. Placed in lifts and compacted. This is the structural part. Skip this and you’ll have a sinkhole in the yard.
- Topsoil cap and rough grade. Screened topsoil over the stone, graded to shed water away from the house.
- Haul-away. All debris off your property. Concrete to a registered recycling facility. We give you the dump tickets if you want them.
- Final walk. We walk the yard with you, sign off, and submit the permit close-out to the city.
Permits and Richmond Hill bylaw compliance
Richmond Hill requires a demolition permit for inground pool removal, and your property file needs the pool enclosure record cleared once the pool is gone. We handle the permit application as part of the job. You don’t go to City Hall, you don’t fill out forms, you don’t chase inspectors. We do.
If your pool is close to a property line, has a fence directly tied into the pool structure, or is near a septic system (some older properties up in the King-Vaughan side of Richmond Hill still have these), we plan around it during the site walk. If anything needs a separate sign-off (an electrical disconnect, a gas line, a sprinkler abandonment), we tell you and coordinate the trade.
One thing to know: the swimming pool enclosure bylaw treats your pool as a regulated structure until it’s officially removed and the file is closed. That’s why filing the permit matters. Not just for legal compliance, but for your home insurance and for any future sale.
What you get when you call us
A real Richmond Hill phone conversation, not a chatbot. A site visit usually within 3-5 business days. A written quote with the scope, the price, the backfill spec, and the timeline. No surprise change orders unless we hit something underground that wasn’t in the drawings, in which case we stop and call you before we spend your money.
in Richmond Hill? Let’s talk.
FAQ — pool removal in Richmond Hill
How much does pool removal cost in Richmond Hill?
Partial pool removal in Richmond Hill runs $12,000 to $18,000. Full removal (complete shell out, clean fill) runs $18,000 to $28,000. Price depends on access, pool size, and material (concrete, fiberglass, vinyl). We give you a written quote after walking your yard, not over the phone with no info.
Do I need a permit to remove a pool in Richmond Hill?
Yes. Richmond Hill requires a demolition permit for inground pool removal, and the pool enclosure record on your property file needs to be cleared. We handle the permit application and the paperwork as part of the job, so you don’t have to deal with City Hall yourself.
Partial or full removal: which one should I pick?
Partial is cheaper and faster: top of walls broken down, bottom punctured for drainage, filled with 3/4 clear stone and topsoil. Good for lawn or garden. Full removal pulls the whole shell out. It’s required if you ever want to build on that footprint: addition, garage, accessory structure, or just a clean lot for resale.
Can you get equipment into my Richmond Hill backyard?
Most likely yes. Our Yanmar Vio17 compact mini-excavator fits through side gates as narrow as 38 inches with its retractable undercarriage. For wider access we bring the bigger Yanmar SV40. A lot of Richmond Hill 70s and 80s subdivisions have tight side access, so we built the fleet around that. If we can’t fit, we tell you up front and quote a fence-panel removal and reinstall instead.
How long does pool removal take?
Partial removal is usually 3 to 5 days on site. Full removal is 7 to 10 days depending on pool size and how many truck cycles the haul-away needs. Dewatering is usually done the day before we mobilize. Weather can push the schedule, but we don’t leave an open hole overnight.
What kind of backfill do you use?
3/4 clear stone for the structural fill. It compacts properly, drains, and doesn’t settle out the way unscreened pit-run does. We cap with screened topsoil and rough-grade for sod or seed. If you’re planning a future build over the spot, we tell you up front whether the location needs engineered fill instead.
Ready to get that pool out of your Richmond Hill yard?
Call 416-317-3090 or use the free quote form. I’ll come out, walk your yard, and give you a written number. No pressure, no upsell, no disappearing crew. 18 years in Richmond Hill, Vaughan, and Markham. Owner on every job. Avi, OCM Excavation & Construction.