Project Case Study. Etobicoke. Full concrete pool removal and backyard restore. Free on-site quote: 416-317-3090
Etobicoke Pool Removal — Full Concrete Demo and Backyard Restore
An Etobicoke homeowner wanted her backyard back. 18 by 36 ft. concrete in-ground pool from the 1980s, tile cracking off the bond beam, liner past saving, chain-link safety fence boxing off two-thirds of the yard. Five working days for full removal, code-compliant fill, flat sod-ready grade. Free assessment: 416-317-3090.
Project Snapshot
- Location: Kipling Avenue corridor, Etobicoke (street area only)
- Job type: Full concrete pool removal, code-compliant fill, regrade for sod
- Crew: 3, plus licensed gas and electrical subs on disconnect day
- Timeline: 5 working days on site, 4 weeks from quote to start
- Equipment: Yanmar SV40, Vio17 (38 in. tracks, 39 in. gate buffer), GEHL RT135, 14-yard dump trailers
- Approximate cost: $18,000-$26,000 all-in (removal scope, excludes sod or hardscape rebuild)
- Permits: Toronto demolition permit, Toronto Water pool decommissioning, Ontario One Call
The Setup
Post-war bungalow on a 50 ft. lot. Gunite shell from the 1980s, vinyl liner pulled at three corners and leaking into surrounding clay. Coping tile lifting. The pool fence (required while the pool is operational under Toronto’s enclosure by-law) made the yard unusable for kids and a dog. Pool out, enclosure down with it.
Side yard between house and neighbour’s fence: 42 inches at the narrowest, just past the gas meter. SV40 at six feet wide does not fit. We planned the Vio17 (38 in. tracks, 2 in. clearance each side) for the side run, craned the SV40 over the rear fence on Day 1. Gas line to the pool heater ran along the side path. Electrical to the pump shed was on its own 30-amp circuit. Both came out before we touched concrete.
The Plan
Two options. Partial removal (knock the top 3 ft. of walls, punch drainage holes in the floor, fill the bowl) is cheaper. Full removal (break out the entire shell, haul it, fill the void in compacted lifts) is the right call when the homeowner wants a usable flat yard with future build options. This homeowner wanted the option to put a detached studio on the back third of the lot down the road. Partial would have meant a buried concrete shell under that footprint and a mandatory geotechnical investigation before any future build. Full made the math simple.
Fill plan: 19A clear stone in the deep end to 2 ft. below grade, then granular A in 8-inch lifts compacted to 95 percent standard Proctor, capped with 6 inches of topsoil. 2 percent slope to the side-yard swale, away from the house. Volume in: ~95 yards clean fill, 18 yards granular A, 12 yards topsoil. Volume out: ~60 yards broken concrete and rebar (registered recycler), 14 yards liner, sand bedding, debris.
The Execution
Day 1. Locates verified. Licensed gas sub disconnected and capped the heater line at the house. Licensed electrician killed the pump circuit at the panel, pulled the breaker, capped the wire. Liner pulled and rolled. Skimmer, returns, light niche cut out. Pump, filter, heater tagged for the scrap sub. SV40 craned in over the rear fence by 2 p.m.
Day 2. Bond beam and top 4 ft. of wall broken out with the SV40 hammer attachment. Vio17 shuttled rubble out the side gate to a 14-yard dump trailer on the street. Two trailer loads off site by end of day. Coping tile and deck slab lifted and stacked separately for clean recycling.
Day 3. Floor and remaining walls broken out. Rebar cut and bundled. Sand bedding under the floor (~6 inches) removed and hauled. Clean rectangular void by end of day, walls of native clay, ready for fill. Two more trailer loads gone.
Day 4. Fill day. 19A in the deep end, compacted in 12-inch lifts with a 1,000 lb. plate. Granular A above in 8-inch lifts, moisture-conditioned where the load came in dry. Nuclear density gauge by an independent CET-stamped testing house, three readings across the footprint, all at or above 95 percent standard Proctor. Records into the homeowner’s file in case she pulls a permit later.
Day 5. Final grade. Topsoil placed at 6 inches, 2 percent slope to the side-yard swale. Pool fence dismantled, panels stacked for scrap pickup. SV40 craned out. Site walk, sign-off, broom-clean handover. Seeded the next weekend.
The Result
Where the pool was: a flat 18 by 36 ft. patch of fresh topsoil, 2 percent slope to the swale. Compaction documented to 95 percent standard Proctor. No buried concrete, no settling risk, no future geotechnical headache if the studio permit happens. Enclosure gone, dog has the yard, kids are not boxed in any more.
Cost Breakdown
Rough ranges for a comparable Etobicoke full concrete pool removal on a tight-access lot. This job landed mid-range.
| Phase | Cost Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Permits, locates, site setup | $900-$1,600 | Toronto demo permit, pool decommissioning, One Call |
| Gas and electrical disconnects | $1,200-$2,000 | Licensed gas sub, licensed electrician, capped and certified |
| Demolition, hammer-out, sort and load | $6,500-$9,500 | SV40 + Vio17, hammer attachment, rebar separation |
| Hauling, concrete and debris | $3,000-$4,500 | 4-5 trailer loads to registered recycler |
| Fill, compaction, density testing | $4,400-$6,200 | 19A, granular A in 8-inch lifts, third-party density gauge |
| Topsoil, final grade, fence removal | $1,600-$2,400 | 6 inches of topsoil, 2 percent slope, enclosure dismantled |
| All-in removal scope | $18,000-$26,000 | Excludes sod, deck rebuild, hardscape, future shed pad |
What We Would Do Differently
Time the fill delivery to the hour, not the night before. We had granular A dropped on the driveway the evening before Day 4 to get a head start, overnight rain meant we had to spread and dry it before placing. Half a day burned. On a tight-access pool removal where every yard of fill comes through the same 42-inch gate the demo waste went out, the load has to land at start of shift, not before. Applied to the next three pool jobs since.
Want a Similar Project Done?
OCM Excavation runs pool removals, backyard restores, and demolition across Etobicoke, Toronto, Mississauga, Vaughan, and the rest of the GTA. Free on-site quote within 24-48 hours. Concrete, vinyl-liner, fibreglass, tight access through the side gate, that is the conversation to have. Call 416-317-3090.