Pool Removal prices in Adelaide
The price of a pool removal is set by the pool's material and size, how a machine reaches it, how much leaves the site and what goes back in. We publish no price band: no government source read for this site sets one, and a figure from a sales page would be the seller's number, not yours. If your council wants an application, the State fees are fixed and listed below with their source.
Call (08) 8330 4909Pool removal costs and rules check
The South Australian rules and State fees that can apply when a pool comes out or is filled in, and Before You Dig Australia's line, each with the page it comes from and the date it was read. Several turn on your council and on whether any of the pool stays in the ground, so check your address before work starts.
Answer two questions to see which rules apply
Pick what you know. The rules in the table below that apply to your answers are highlighted, and the main ones are listed here as the table states them, each with its source link and read date. This box adds no rule of its own and no price. If you are not sure of an answer, the rules for every possible answer stay highlighted.
| Rule | Applies to | Source |
|---|---|---|
| SA's regulations take the demolition of the whole of a building out of the definition of development, except for a local heritage place or a building in a zone, subzone or overlay identified under the Planning and Design Code. The Act defines a swimming pool as an excavation or structure, and a building includes a structure. Councils word this differently for pools: the City of Marion says demolishing a structure in its entirety does not need development approval unless it is a heritage place, while the City of Mitcham lists removing an existing pool or spa among the work that needs development approval. Check your address with your council or the PlanSA approval wizard before work starts.About pool removal | taking the whole pool out | Planning, Development and Infrastructure (General) Regulations 2017 (SA) · read Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016 (SA) · read City of Marion, Development Fact Sheet: Demolition of buildings and structures · read City of Mitcham, Swimming pools · read PlanSA, Fact Sheet: Find out if you need approval · read |
| Partial demolition is not in that exclusion. The City of Marion says the partial demolition of a building or structure needs development approval, so that what remains is structurally sound. An application for building consent to demolish part of a building must include calculations or other written information showing the remainder will comply, and a written description of the demolition procedure. Whether leaving part of a pool shell in the ground counts as partial demolition is a question for your council.About pool fill-in | leaving part of the pool in the ground | City of Marion, Development Fact Sheet: Demolition of buildings and structures · read City of Marion, Understanding what development you can do on your property · read Planning, Development and Infrastructure (General) Regulations 2017 (SA) · read |
| The State fee for an application for building consent for the demolition of a building is A$174.00, under the fees notice in effect from 1 July 2026. A lodgement fee is also payable on an application for planning or building consent.About pool removal | an application for building consent to demolish | Planning, Development and Infrastructure Fees Notice 2026, SA Government Gazette 12 June 2026, hosted by PlanSA · read |
| The lodgement fee for an application is A$98.50 where the total development cost is no more than A$10,000, A$158.00 where it is more than A$10,000 and no more than A$50,000, and A$178.00 where it is more than A$50,000 and no more than A$100,000. Development cost does not include fit-out costs.About pool removal | any development application, by total development cost | Planning, Development and Infrastructure Fees Notice 2026, SA Government Gazette 12 June 2026, hosted by PlanSA · read |
| In SA a person must not carry on business as a building work contractor except as authorised by a licence under the Building Work Contractors Act 1995. Under that Act, building work includes demolishing a building and excavating or filling a site for that work, and a building includes a wall or structure. Section 6 states no dollar threshold.About pool removal | a business doing building work | Building Work Contractors Act 1995 (SA) · read |
| Where the contract rules apply, a deposit of no more than 5% of the contract price may be taken on a contract of A$20,000 or more.About pool removal | a domestic building work contract of A$20,000 or more | Building Work Contractors Act 1995, SA · read Building Work Contractors Regulations 2026, SA · read |
| A pool owner must keep a continuous safety barrier that restricts young children's access to the pool. While a pool fence is being maintained or repaired, the owner must have temporary fencing in place that meets the requirements. The maximum penalty for breaching the pool safety requirements is A$15,000; the expiation fee is A$750.About pool removal | any pool still on the property | SA Government, SA.GOV.AU, Pool and spa safety · read Planning, Development and Infrastructure Swimming Pool Safety Regulations 2019, SA · read Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016, SA · read |
| When a property with a pool built before 1 July 1993 is sold, its child-safety barriers must comply with Ministerial Building Standard MBS 004 before settlement. No inspection is required on sale.About pool removal | selling, with a pool built before 1 July 1993 | SA Government (SA.GOV.AU), Pool and spa safety · read Planning, Development and Infrastructure (Swimming Pool Safety) Regulations 2019 (SA) · read |
| Home buyers in SA are given a prescribed notice that asks, among other questions, whether a swimming pool is installed and its barriers conform to current standards, and whether fill has been used on the site.About pool fill-in | selling later, after a pool is filled in | Land and Business (Sale and Conveyancing) Regulations 2025 (SA) · read |
| Under SA law, disconnecting pipes that carry wastewater to a sanitary drain, or disconnecting a sanitary or stormwater drain, is plumbing, and work on an electrical installation is electrical work. Each must be done by a worker registered for that work.About pool removal | disconnecting the pump, power and drains | Plumbers, Gas Fitters and Electricians Act 1995 (SA) · read |
| The EPA lists pool backwash water, pool chemicals, and soil, clay, gravel or sand among pollutants the law says must not reach the stormwater system from your property. The City of Marion says swimming pool water and backwash water should go to sewer, and the City of Mitcham that backwash water must not run into roadways or gutters.About above-ground pool removal | draining the pool and moving spoil | EPA South Australia, Stormwater: around the home · read City of Marion, Swimming pool water · read City of Mitcham, Swimming pools · read |
| A skip bin on council land needs the council's permission first. The City of Marion requires a permit before a miniskip goes on the road verge or roadway. The City of Tea Tree Gully requires a permit for a bin or miniskip on a public road, including the verge, and fees apply. Campbelltown City Council requires an application at least 14 days before, with public liability insurance of at least A$10,000,000.About concrete pool removal | a skip bin or materials on the verge or road | City of Marion, Development Fact Sheet: Demolition of buildings and structures · read City of Tea Tree Gully, Permits · read Campbelltown City Council, Undertaking works on Council land · read |
| The City of Marion holds the contractor or site owner responsible for damage to kerbs, water tables and footpaths during demolition, and advises giving the council dated photos and measurements of any existing damage before work starts.About concrete pool removal | machinery crossing the kerb | City of Marion, Development Fact Sheet: Demolition of buildings and structures · read |
| Any tree-damaging activity to a regulated tree is development under the Act. The City of Marion says this includes damage to the roots of regulated trees caused by excavation or footing removal.About pool removal | a regulated tree near the pool | Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016 (SA) · read City of Marion, Development Fact Sheet: Demolition of buildings and structures · read |
| Lodge a Before You Dig Australia enquiry before digging. It is free to lodge; in some instances, asset owners may charge to supply information.About pool removal | any job value | Before You Dig Australia, FAQs · read |
This lists each source's own lines as read; it is not legal advice, and it sets no price.
What moves the price
Pool type comes first: concrete is broken up and carted, fibreglass can come out in one piece and an above-ground pool is dismantled. Access is second: the narrowest point between the street and the pool sets the machine size, and a crane lift needs room on the street. Full removal or fill-in is third: full removal carts more material away, while fill-in leaves more in the ground and may need a development application. Disposal and the verge come next: rubble and spoil leave by truck or skip, and a skip on the verge needs a council permit; the City of Tea Tree Gully says fees apply, and Campbelltown City Council asks for 14 days' notice. The last two are backfill and finish (clean fill, compaction in layers, then levelling for turf, paving or a build) and the services (pump, power and drain disconnections by registered trades).
State fees if an application is needed
The fees notice in effect from 1 July 2026 sets A$174.00 for an application for building consent for the demolition of a building. A lodgement fee also applies, by total development cost with fit-out excluded: A$98.50 up to A$10,000, A$158.00 above A$10,000 and up to A$50,000, and A$178.00 above A$50,000 and up to A$100,000. The checker below lists every rule and State fee we could read at a government source for this job, with the date we read it. Several depend on your council and on whether any of the pool stays in the ground.
Costs and fees by service
- Pool Removal
- Concrete Pool Removal
- Fibreglass Pool Removal
- Above-Ground Pool Removal
- Pool Fill-In
- Pool Removal Options: Full Removal or Fill-In
No price is shown for any service on this site, and this site sets none. The dollar figures in the checker are fees that government bodies set. None is a price for your job.
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Last reviewed · Updated · First published