Pool Removal Contractors Working in San Diego

Pool removal in San Diego needs a Demolition/Removal Permit from the city's Development Services Department, at $360.36 for plan check and $332.48 for inspection, and Pool Removal California found 16 businesses offering in-ground pool removal there, 10 with an active state licence.

This directory groups San Diego under San Diego County. Each listing below was matched to San Diego because the business names the city on its own website, serves it through a named region, or appears for it on Google Maps. Licence numbers were checked at the Contractors State License Board lookup on 11 October 2026, and businesses with an active licence are listed first.

Contractors serving San Diego

Another 4 businesses show no licence number or only a Google Maps listing for San Diego. They are being checked by phone before being listed.

Searches for pool demolition in San Diego add about 40 a month to the pool removal figure.

A pool removal in San Diego needs a licensed contractor or an owner-builder permit, because Industry Bulletin 24-07 keeps permitted work outside the $1,000 unlicensed-work exemption. The state classification guide explains the A, C-12, C-21 and C-53 classes most pool jobs use.

San Diego Pool Removal Permit Rules

San Diego's Development Services Department issues a Demolition/Removal Permit, set out in Information Bulletin 710 (September 2026). The bulletin lists $360.36 for plan check and $332.48 for inspection, plus small charges where they apply, such as a $58 lead hazard fee for structures built before 1978. A contractor with an A or C-21 licence may pull the permit, as may an owner-builder. For pools, the bulletin waives several building requirements: no waste management form, no SDG&E certificate of discontinuance, and in most cases no hazardous materials questionnaire. A site plan is needed only for sites over an acre, historic sites, Downtown or wireless sites.

Permit timing and inspections in San Diego

The permit is void if work does not begin within 60 days and expires if the job is not finished within 120, with one 60-day extension available. A construction stormwater inspection is scheduled when the permit is issued. Before the final, all gas and electric lines are disconnected and removed, open plumbing and sewer lines are capped and all debris leaves the site.

Partial fill-in or full removal in San Diego

IB 710 sets no method for the shell, holes or fill, so the inspector settles those. Its one pool-specific engineering rule turns on depth: a pool deeper than five feet needs a final soils compaction report from a licensed geotechnical or civil engineer, handed to the inspector before the job is finaled. Filling a pool does not trigger a separate grading permit, which the bulletin otherwise requires for fill deeper than five feet.

The fill-in questions page sets the two methods side by side, with typical timelines of one to four days for a partial fill-in and three to seven for a full removal.

What a San Diego job costs

San Diego's two published price lists disagree widely: Demo Diego quotes $5,000 to $9,000 for a partial fill-in and $9,000 to $15,000 for a full removal, while Villa Demolition quotes $12,000 to $30,000 and $45,000 to $60,000. City charges add about $693 in permit fees, and a pool deeper than five feet adds the soils compaction report.

The California pool removal cost guide covers what moves a quote, from side-yard access to fill dirt and the compaction report.

Hauling the debris in San Diego

San Diego's construction and demolition deposit program requires 65% diversion on covered projects, but its fact sheet lists swimming pools and spas among the exemptions, and IB 710 waives the waste management form for pool demolition. Contractors still take concrete to recyclers on the city's certified facility directory, such as Arcosa Crushed Concrete and Vulcan Otay.

Pool water has to go somewhere before demolition starts. The city's pools, spas and fountains fact sheet allows the storm drain only for dechlorinated water at a pH of 7 to 8, at air temperature and free of algae and solids, and suggests checking the chlorine over three to five days. The sanitary sewer is the other route, through a sink or lateral cleanout with Public Utilities approval at (858) 654-4100, and plaster, gunite or cement reaching the storm drain can bring fines of up to $10,000 a day.

Sellers in San Diego should keep the finaled permit, because the state's seller disclosure form asks about fill on the property and about unpermitted work.

Nearby areas

Contractors listed for San Diego also work in neighbouring communities, including Chula Vista, La Mesa, El Cajon, Poway, National City and Santee. Neighbouring cities set their own permit rules, so a job outside San Diego city limits follows that city's building department or, in unincorporated areas, the county.

Other San Diego County pages in this directory: Chula Vista, Oceanside.

Common San Diego questions

What does a San Diego pool demolition permit cost?

$360.36 for plan check plus $332.48 for inspection on IB 710, about $693 before small extras.

When does San Diego require a soils compaction report?

Only for a pool deeper than five feet.

Can a San Diego homeowner pull the permit?

Yes. IB 710 allows an owner-builder, or a contractor with an A or C-21 licence.

Does a San Diego pool removal need a debris deposit?

No. The city's fact sheet exempts swimming pools and spas, and IB 710 waives the waste management form.

How long does a San Diego pool permit last?

Work must start within 60 days and finish within 120, with one 60-day extension.