Above-Ground Pools a Hauler Takes Down

Above-ground pools last roughly 7 to 20 years, and soft-sided ones only a few seasons. When one is done, it comes out in a set order: water, liner, top rails and uprights, wall, bottom track, and finally the sand or foam base. In-ground pools are a different job that needs excavation.

Round above-ground pool with a corrugated steel wall, rusted top rails and a sagging blue liner, half drained, in a backyard

Round steel-wall pools

Once the liner is cut out, the steel wall unrolls from its track and gets cut or folded into manageable lengths. The edges are sharp, so this is gloves-and-long-sleeves work. Steel and aluminum walls can go to a metal recycler, which can bring the disposal cost down; ask whether the hauler credits it. Resin and vinyl parts typically go to the landfill.

Long oval above-ground pool with steel side buttresses and support straps running under the pool floor

Oval pools with buttresses

Oval pools are held straight along their long sides by buttresses, or by steel straps that run underneath from one side to the other. If the pool sits partly below grade, the base may need digging out and the ground leveled afterward. Mention the shape and the buttresses when you call; there is more metal to cut and more of the yard disturbed.

Rectangular metal-frame pool with a torn vinyl wall drooping between its legs, next to a deflated round soft-sided pool

Frame and soft-sided pools

Metal-frame and inflatable-ring pools are the small end of the job. Drained, the vinyl folds up and the frame legs pull apart. A small one may be priced as a single-item pickup rather than a teardown; ask the hauler.

Wooden pool deck with steps beside an above-ground pool, with a sand filter and pump on a concrete paver next to it

Pool decks, pumps and filters

The deck, stairs, fencing, pump, sand filter, heater and ladder often come out with the pool. Cost guides add $700 to $1,700 for the deck and $800 to $2,000 for an enclosure. Pool stairs are usually folded into the main price. The pump needs an electrician to disconnect it if it's hardwired. Keep leftover chlorine and other pool chemicals out of the load and see the homepage for the county's hazardous waste drop-off. For a bigger standalone deck, see deck removal.

Gloved worker carrying an old wooden kitchen chair down brick porch steps toward a white pickup with another chair in the bed

Why Winston-Salem homeowners call Winston-Salem Junk Co.

Your request goes to a single independent hauler
Hear the all-in figure before anything is carried out
Calling is free; the hauler bills only the job you OK
Mention stairs, a gate code or a hot tub when you call

Draining and the Ground Underneath

Water
Chlorinated water can kill grass and plants, so ask the hauler where they plan to pump it, and check with the City before letting it run toward a storm drain. Many crews fold draining into the price.
Base material
Sand, foam cove and pavers under the wall are part of the job only if the quote says so.
Bare ground
Removal leaves a dead patch. National guides put reseeding at $0.25 to $0.75 per square foot, sod at $1 to $2, and leveling at $500 to $1,000 if the pool sat in a dip.
Sold, not scrapped
A pool still in good shape can sometimes be sold to someone who will take it down themselves.

See swing set removal if the trampoline or playset is going too.

Above-Ground Pool Removal in Winston-Salem, NC

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