Pool Removal in Vaughan — OCM Excavation

If you have an old inground pool in Vaughan that you do not swim in anymore, we take it out. OCM Excavation is an owner-operated crew based in the GTA. We do partial and full pool removals across Vaughan — Maple, Woodbridge, Concord, Thornhill, and Kleinburg included. Most of our Vaughan pool removals run between $12,000 and $28,000 depending on size, access, and how much concrete is in the deck. Call or text 416-317-3090 and we will come look at the job.

A lot of Vaughan homes were built between the 1980s and the early 2000s, which means a lot of the backyard pools out here are 20 to 40 years old. The liner is shot, the heater is dead, the kids moved out, and now it is a hole in the yard costing you insurance money. That is the call we get every week.

Partial vs Full Pool Removal in Vaughan

There are two ways to take an inground pool out, and the right one depends on what you want to do with the yard after.

Partial Pool Removal — $12,000 to $18,000

This is the most common pool removal we do in Vaughan. We break up the top 3 feet of the pool walls, punch drainage holes in the bottom, drop the broken concrete into the shell, and backfill with 3/4 clear stone compacted in lifts, then topped with clean fill and topsoil. The yard ends up flat, usable for lawn, garden beds, a patio, a shed, a deck, or a basic play area.

Partial removal is faster, usually 3 to 5 working days. You still have to declare it to the buyer if you sell, but the yard looks and acts like a regular yard.

Full Pool Removal — $18,000 to $28,000

Full removal means everything comes out. Walls, floor, plumbing, skimmers, every piece of concrete and rebar. We haul it off, then backfill the void from the bottom up with engineered fill compacted in layers. This is what you want if you plan to build a house addition, garage, pool house, or anything structural on top of the spot. It costs more and takes longer (5 to 8 working days on most Vaughan lots), but the ground is clean and there is nothing to disclose.

If you are still on the fence, we will tell you straight on site which one makes sense for your property and your plans. We are not going to upsell you to a full removal if a partial gets you where you want to go.

Why Vaughan Pool Removals Are Their Own Kind of Job

Vaughan has a specific problem not every excavation contractor is set up for: tight side access. A lot of the subdivisions in Maple, Concord, and parts of Woodbridge were built on narrow lots with the house pushed close to the property line. The gate between the house and the fence is sometimes only 38 to 42 inches wide. A standard excavator does not fit.

That is why we run a Yanmar SV40 mini-excavator and a Yanmar Vio17 compact. The Vio17 squeezes through gates as narrow as 38 inches with its retractable undercarriage and the cab turned. We get into backyards in Maple and Vaughan-side Thornhill (west of Yonge) where a full-size machine would have to break through the fence. The other option is craning the machine in over the roof, and crane jobs in Vaughan run an extra $2,500 to $5,000 just for the lift. Driving the machine through the side gate saves you real money.

Older Woodbridge and Kleinburg properties on bigger lots usually let us bring in the SV40 for faster digging. Either way we match the equipment to the lot. We do not show up with the wrong machine and start damaging your interlock or your fence.

Our Process for a Vaughan Pool Removal

• Site visit. We come out, measure the pool, check the access, look at where the gas line and electrical run, and write you a fixed quote. No drone surveys, no sales pitch.
• Locates and permit. We call Ontario One Call for utility locates. If the City of Vaughan requires a demolition permit for your pool, we pull it. (Check with your local pool removal contractor or the City directly for the current fee, since it can change.)
• Drain and disconnect. We drain the pool to municipal spec, cap the gas, disconnect the electrical at the panel, and cut the plumbing back to the house.
• Demolition. Deck and coping come off first. Then the walls get knocked in (partial) or removed (full).
• Drainage. On a partial, we punch drain holes through the pool floor so water never pools under the yard. This is the step lazy contractors skip and it is why some old pool fills sink years later.
• Backfill. 3/4 clear stone in the bottom 2 to 3 feet for drainage, then clean granular fill, compacted with a plate or jumping jack in 8-inch lifts. Topsoil on top, graded to drain away from the house.
• Cleanup. Concrete and rebar get hauled to a licensed recycling facility. Your driveway and lawn get washed down. We leave the site clean.

Permits and Paperwork in Vaughan

Most inground pool removals in Vaughan require a demolition permit from the City. The pool fence enclosure permit also has to be closed out properly once the pool is gone, otherwise it stays on the property file and shows up when you sell. We handle the permit application as part of the job. If your pool had a gas heater, we coordinate the gas disconnect with a licensed gas tech.

One thing we always tell homeowners: keep the paperwork. The disposal manifest from the concrete recycling, the compaction notes, the permit final, all of it. If you sell the house in five years and the buyer’s lawyer asks about the old pool, you hand them the folder and the deal keeps moving.

Pool Removal FAQ — Vaughan

How long does a pool removal take in Vaughan?

A partial inground pool removal in Vaughan usually takes 3 to 5 working days. A full removal takes 5 to 8 working days. Weather, frost, and how tight the side access is can stretch that. We give you a real schedule before we start, not a marketing schedule.

Do I need a permit to remove my pool in Vaughan?

Most inground pool removals in Vaughan need a demolition permit from the City. The pool enclosure (fence) permit also has to be cleaned up on the property file. We handle the permit paperwork as part of the job and pass the closed-out permit back to you when we finish.

Will removing the pool hurt my Vaughan home value?

Most real estate agents in Vaughan will tell you a derelict pool hurts the sale more than no pool. Buyers see an old liner pool and think “$30,000 problem.” A clean backyard with grass or a patio shows better and appeals to more buyers, especially families with young kids who do not want the safety risk.

What is 3/4 clear stone and why do you use it?

3/4 clear stone is washed crushed gravel with no fines in it. Water drains right through it instead of getting trapped. We put 2 to 3 feet of it at the bottom of the filled-in pool so groundwater has somewhere to go. That is what keeps the yard from sinking five years down the road.

Can you fit your equipment through a narrow Vaughan side gate?

Most of the time, yes. Our Yanmar Vio17 mini-excavator fits through gates as narrow as 38 inches with its retractable undercarriage. The Yanmar SV40 needs about 6 feet of clear access width. If the gate is too tight we either remove a fence panel (and put it back) or, on rare jobs, bring in a crane. We tell you which option fits your property at the site visit.

Do you take old above-ground pools too?

Yes, but above-ground pool removal is a different price bracket, usually $1,500 to $4,000 in Vaughan depending on size, deck, and disposal. The pricing on this page is specifically for inground pool removal in Vaughan, Maple, Woodbridge, Concord, Thornhill, and Kleinburg.

Ready to Take the Pool Out?

If you are done with the pool, call 416-317-3090 or text the same number. Tell us the cross streets in Vaughan, send a couple photos of the pool and the side gate, and we will book a site visit. The quote is free, the visit is free, and the number we give you is the number you pay. We work across Vaughan, Maple, Woodbridge, Concord, Thornhill, and Kleinburg.

OCM Excavation. Owner on every job. $2 million liability insurance. cleared. 5-star Google rated.