Pool Removal Prep: Massachusetts Homeowner Checklist

A pool that hasn't been used since the Obama administration is not a backyard feature. It is a liability with water in it. (If your pool has been hosting a frog colony longer than your kids used it, that is a sign.) If you have decided to get rid of it, good. The hard part is over. The second-hardest part is making sure the removal goes smoothly, and that starts with preparation.

I am Keith McDonald. My family runs McDumpsters out of Billerica, and we handle above ground pool demolition and debris hauling across Middlesex County. We have hauled away enough pool liners, frames, and decking to fill a small landfill. The jobs that go well all have one thing in common: the homeowner did their prep work. The jobs that go sideways? Nobody cleared the fence gate.

Here is everything you need to do before the crew shows up.

The Short Version

Drain the pool. Disconnect the power. Clear the area. Check permits. Call us. That is the five-step version. The rest of this post is the "why" and "how" behind each step, plus the things most people forget.

Step 1: Drain the Pool (The Right Way)

Above ground pools drain by pulling the plug or using a sump pump. Inground pools need a pump rated for the volume. Either way, the water has to go somewhere legal.

Where the water can go:

• Your own yard, if it slopes away from the house and your neighbors
• A sanitary sewer cleanout, if your town allows it (check with the building department)
• A storm drain, if your town allows it (many do not — chlorinated water in storm drains goes straight to rivers)

Where the water cannot go:

• Your neighbor's yard
• The street
• Any body of water, brook, or wetland

Chlorinated pool water is not hazardous waste, but it is not something you want dumping into the Merrimack River either. If the pool has been sitting for years and the water is green, it may have algae, bacteria, and whatever fell in during the last three autumns. Treat it like greywater, not drinking water.

How long does draining take? A standard garden hose sump pump moves about 1,000 gallons per hour. A typical above ground pool holds 5,000 to 15,000 gallons. Plan on 5 to 15 hours of pump time. Start it the night before and let it run overnight.

Step 2: Disconnect All Electrical

Pool pumps, lights, heaters, and salt chlorinators all run on electricity. Before anyone touches the structure, every electrical connection needs to be properly disconnected — not just unplugged, but shut off at the breaker and, ideally, the wiring removed or capped by an electrician.

Why this matters:

• Water and electricity are not friends
• The crew will be cutting metal frames and handling wet materials
• A live wire in a pool shell is a lawsuit waiting to happen

If you are not comfortable with electrical work, hire an electrician for this step. It is a 30-minute job and costs a couple hundred dollars. Worth it.

Step 3: Clear the Area Around the Pool

The crew needs room to work. That means more than moving the lounge chairs.

What to move:

• All pool furniture, toys, and accessories
• Potted plants within 10 feet of the pool
• Anything leaning against the pool fence or wall
• Garden hoses, sprinklers, and landscape lighting near the work area
• Vehicles parked within 20 feet of the pool (equipment needs access)

What to check:

• Fence gates: Can a person walk through them with a 4-foot-wide piece of pool wall? If not, the crew may need to remove a fence section. Tell us about narrow gates before we arrive.
• Overhead wires: If there are power lines or cable lines within 15 feet of the pool, we need to know. We will not touch them, but we need to plan around them.
• Septic system: If your pool is near the septic tank or leach field, tell us. Heavy equipment over a septic system is a recipe for a very expensive bad day.
• Underground utilities: Call 811 (DigSafe) at least 72 hours before any digging. This is free and legally required in Massachusetts. They mark gas, electric, water, and telecom lines so nobody hits them with an excavator.

Step 4: Check Permit Requirements

Most Massachusetts towns require a demolition permit for inground pool removal. Above ground pools are usually exempt because they are not permanent structures, but check with your town building department to be sure.

Towns we serve and what we know:

• Billerica: Permit required for inground. Above ground typically exempt.
• Chelmsford: Permit required for inground. Building department is on Billerica Road.
• Lowell: Permit required. City inspection may be needed after backfill.
• Tewksbury: Permit required for inground. Check with the building commissioner.
• Wilmington, Burlington, Bedford, Carlisle, Dracut, Westford, Andover, Woburn, Lexington: Requirements vary. Call the building department or ask us — we have dealt with most of them.

What the permit typically requires:

• A completed demolition permit application
• A site plan showing the pool location relative to property lines
• Proof that utilities have been disconnected
• Sometimes, an inspection after the work is done

Permits usually cost $50 to $200 and take 1 to 2 weeks to process. Factor this into your timeline.

Step 5: Decide What Happens to the Space

This is the step most people skip, and it matters more than you think.

If you plan to build something on the site (patio, shed, addition, driveway), you need full removal — the entire pool structure excavated and hauled away. Partial removal (filling in the pool) leaves concrete and rebar underground, which is fine for grass but not for foundations.

If you just want grass, partial removal is cheaper and faster. The contractor punches drainage holes in the bottom, collapses the walls below grade, fills with gravel and topsoil, and grades it flat. You seed or sod over it in a few weeks.

If you are selling the house, partial removal must be disclosed to future buyers. A filled pool underground affects soil stability, drainage, and may require special disclosure forms. Full removal avoids this complication entirely.

What We Handle vs. What You Handle

| Task | You | McDumpsters |

|------|-----|-------------|

| Drain the pool | ✓ | |

| Disconnect electrical | ✓ (or hire electrician) | |

| Clear the area | ✓ | |

| Check permits | ✓ (or we can advise) | |

| Call 811 / DigSafe | ✓ | |

| Dismantle above ground pool | | ✓ |

| Haul away all debris | | ✓ |

| Level and clean the site | | ✓ |

| Inground pool excavation | | (need licensed excavator) |

| Concrete deck removal | | ✓ |

| Dumpster for debris | | ✓ |

McDumpsters handles above ground pool demolition and removal. We dismantle the frame, liner, pump, and decking, load everything onto trucks, and haul it away. For inground pools, you need a licensed excavation contractor with heavy equipment. We can handle the concrete deck removal and all debris hauling portions of an inground job.

How Much Does Pool Removal Cost?

Above ground pool removal:

| Pool Size | Cost Range |

|-----------|------------|

| Small (12-15 ft round) | $500 - $800 |

| Medium (18-24 ft round) | $800 - $1,200 |

| Large (27+ ft round or oval) | $1,200 - $2,000 |

All prices include dismantling, loading, hauling, and disposal. Concrete deck removal is extra if applicable.

Inground pool removal (full excavation by licensed contractor):

| Method | Cost Range |

|--------|------------|

| Partial removal (fill-in) | $5,000 - $10,000 |

| Full removal | $10,000 - $15,000+ |

These are Massachusetts averages. Your actual cost depends on pool size, access, soil conditions, and whether the contractor needs to deal with bedrock or high water table.

When Is the Best Time to Remove a Pool?

Early spring (March-April) is the sweet spot. The ground is firm, the vegetation is not overgrown yet, and equipment can get in without tearing up a green lawn. You also beat the summer rush — every contractor in Middlesex County gets busy from May onward.

Fall (September-October) is the second-best window. The ground is dry, the heat is gone, and contractors are winding down their season.

Summer works but expect longer lead times and higher demand. Winter is possible for above ground pools but the frozen ground makes inground excavation difficult.

Things People Forget (The "I Didn't Think of That" Section)

As Jeff Goldblum said in Jurassic Park: life finds a way. So does water, electricity, and the neighbor's opinion about your demolition project.

A few items that come up on almost every job:

• Pool chemicals. If you have leftover chlorine, shock, algaecide, or pH chemicals sitting in the shed, those need to go to a hazardous waste collection day. Do not dump them in the yard or the drain. Most Middlesex County towns hold hazmat collection events twice a year.
• Pool covers. A heavy winter cover is not going in the dumpster with the pool debris. It is bulky, waterlogged, and full of stagnant rainwater. We can take it, but tell us about it ahead of time so we bring the right truck.
• The fence. Massachusetts law requires pools to be fenced. Once the pool is gone, the fence may not be needed. Removing the fence is a separate job, but we can quote it at the same time.
• The deck. If you have a wooden or composite deck attached to the pool, that comes down too. We handle deck demolition — just let us know the size so we can plan the truck space.
• The neighbors. Pool demolition is loud. Excavators, trucks, metal cutting. If you have close neighbors, a heads-up goes a long way. We work during daylight hours and try to keep the noise to the actual work hours, not the "arriving at 6am" hours.

Get a Free Quote

McDumpsters provides free quotes for above ground pool removal across all 13 towns in our service area. We come out, look at the pool, check access, and give you a flat price. No surprises, no hidden fees, no "we will see when we get there."

Call us at (978) 375-2272 or text photos of the pool and the access path to the same number. We usually respond the same day.

Serving Billerica, Chelmsford, Lowell, Tewksbury, Wilmington, Burlington, Bedford, Carlisle, Dracut, Westford, Andover, Woburn, and Lexington.

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About the Author: Keith McDonald owns McDumpsters with his wife Michelle and daughter Marisa. He has been driving routes across Middlesex County for over 20 years. He knows every back road from Nutting Lake to the Lowell Connector, every tight driveway in North Billerica, and every transfer station from Billerica to Covanta SEMASS. Keith personally oversees every delivery and handles most customer calls himself.

Straight Answers

Do I need to be home during the pool removal?

Not necessarily, but we need access to the backyard and someone to confirm we are taking the right pool. If you have multiple pools (hey, it happens), we need to know which one. Most homeowners leave us a gate code or leave the fence open and we handle it.

How long does above ground pool removal take?

Most above ground pools come down in 2 to 4 hours. Large pools with attached decks may take a full day. We load everything onto trucks and haul it away the same day — no debris sitting in your yard for a week.

Can you remove the concrete deck around the pool?

Yes. Concrete deck removal is a standard add-on. We break it up, load it, and haul it away. Typical cost is $3 to $6 per square foot depending on thickness and access.

What happens to the area after the pool is removed?

For above ground pools, we level the ground and leave it ready for topsoil and seed. Most homeowners have grass growing within a month. For inground pool fill-ins, the contractor grades and seeds as part of the job.

Do I need to call DigSafe before pool removal?

Yes, if any digging is involved. For above ground pools on a flat pad, digging is usually minimal. For inground pools, DigSafe is legally required. Call 811 at least 72 hours before work starts — it is free.

Can you remove a pool that is still full of water?

We need the pool drained before we start. If you do not have a pump, we can sometimes arrange draining for an additional fee. Ask when you call for a quote.

What if my pool is near the septic system?

Tell us before we arrive. Heavy equipment near a septic tank or leach field can cause serious damage. We will assess the situation and may need to use lighter equipment or a different approach.

Do you remove pool equipment like pumps and heaters?

Yes. All pool equipment — pumps, heaters, filters, salt chlorinators, diving boards, slides — gets removed and hauled away as part of the job. We strip it all out.