Pool Removal Cost Perth: Prices, Permits and the 40m² Rule

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Pool removal in Perth costs about $4,000–$9,500 to collapse and fill a concrete pool and $8,500–$16,000 to take it out entirely, on one Perth contractor's August 2026 prices; another publishes $3,500–$6,000 and $5,500–$20,000 plus GST. WA council guidance asks for a demolition permit for full removal of a pool over 40m²: $121 plus a $61.65 levy.

The short answer

Perth contractors' published prices disagree. Fill-in of a concrete pool: $4,000–$9,500 (one) or $3,500–$6,000 plus GST (another). Full removal: $8,500–$16,000 or $5,500–$20,000 plus GST. Fibreglass: $3,500–$8,500, or $3,000–$4,000 plus GST.
The 40m² rule. WALGA's best practice note, used by several Perth councils, says full removal of a pool over 40m² in area needs a demolition permit. An 8 × 4m pool is 32m²; a 10 × 5m pool is 50m².
The permit costs $182.65 on a job of $45,000 or less: a $121 application fee plus the $61.65 building services levy, both set by the State.
Burying the shell has a method. Two 500mm × 500mm holes in the deep end, walls cut down at least 600mm (500mm at one council), and fill compacted in layers of no more than 300mm.
Tell the council when it is done. One Perth council says pool inspection fees keep applying until it is formally notified; another charges $49.67 a year on the rates.

Perth pool removal: when WA council guidance asks for a demolition permit, and what it costs (read 6 October 2026)
Pool	Area	Full removal: demolition permit?	Permit and levy	Burying the shell instead
Plunge pool 3 × 2m	6m²	Not under the 40m² guidance	—	Holes in the floor, walls cut down, council inspects
Small pool 7 × 3.5m	24.5m²	Not under the 40m² guidance	—	Same; one council asks for a title notification
Family pool 8 × 4m	32m²	Not under the 40m² guidance	—	Same
Pool 10 × 4m	40m²	Not ‘in excess of’ 40m²; confirm with council	—	Same
Pool 12 × 4m	48m²	Yes	$121 + $61.65 = $182.65	Same
Pool 10 × 5m	50m²	Yes	$182.65	Same
Any pool closer to a boundary than it is deep	—	Neighbour comment or a BA20 form may be needed, and a shoring plan	—	BA20 and BA20A may be needed before removal

How much does pool removal cost in Perth?

Three Perth contractors publish prices, and they do not agree. Read on 6 October 2026:

Job	Contractor A (August 2026)	Contractor B (plus GST)
Concrete pool, partial removal (collapse and fill)	$4,000–$9,500	$3,500–$6,000
Concrete pool, full removal	$8,500–$16,000	$5,500–$20,000 (concrete and liner)
Fibreglass pool	$3,500–$8,500	$3,000–$4,000 full removal
Above-ground pool	$1,100–$3,200	From $1,000
Tight access	+$1,200–$3,800	About +$1,000 for a smaller machine
Draining the pool	—	From $250

Contractor A adds $900–$2,500 for a crane lift and $50–$95 a cubic metre for backfill and compaction, and puts the demolition permit and council fees at roughly $110–$250. A third contractor gives $1,000–$18,000 across all jobs. Contractor B's figures exclude GST, which adds 10%; Contractor A's page does not say whether its figures include GST.

The quotable version: in Perth, partial removal is about half the price of full removal on every contractor's figures, but a buried shell is the option you have to disclose when you sell. How much fill a pool takes, worked by volume, is on the cost to fill in a pool, and the national price spread on the cost to remove a pool in Australia.

Do I need a demolition permit to remove a pool in Perth?

For full removal of a larger pool, usually yes. WA's Building Act 2011 and Building Regulations 2012 do not define the decommissioning or removal of a pool, so WA local governments work from a WALGA best practice note (2018). For total removal it says: if the pool is in excess of 40m², issue a demolition permit. The Cities of Kalamunda, Fremantle and Wanneroo publish the same 40m² rule, and the City of Rockingham links the WALGA note from its pool page.

The fees are set by the State. Building and Energy's approvals page (last updated 4 August 2026) sets the demolition permit application fee for a Class 1 or Class 10 building or incidental structure at $121.00. The building services levy on a demolition permit is $61.65 where the work is worth $45,000 or less, and 0.137% of the value above that. A pool removal is well under $45,000 on every price above, so the State's share is $182.65. The application form is the BA5.

Proximity to the boundary is the other trigger. WALGA's note says that where a pool is closer to a boundary than it is deep, neighbour comment or a BA20 form may be required, with a shoring plan, and that BA20 and BA20A forms may need to be signed by the adjoining owner before a below-ground pool is removed.

The quotable version: in Perth, measure the pool's area before you call anyone; over 40m², full removal needs a $121 demolition permit and the $61.65 levy. NSW's different approval pathways are on do I need council approval to remove a pool.

Filling in a pool in WA: the method councils accept

Burying the shell is the cheap option, and WA councils publish what it has to involve. From WALGA's note and the Cities of Fremantle and Wanneroo:

Cut at least two 500mm × 500mm squares in the floor at the deep end, and disconnect the filtration system and ladders.
Cut the walls down at least 600mm from the top. The City of Kalamunda's page says 500mm, so check your own council's figure.
Take the demolished material to an approved disposal site, and fill the hole with soil endemic to the site, compacted in layers of no more than 300mm.
Have the council inspect: WALGA suggests an inspection of the holing before filling and another once filled.

Two cautions from the same documents. Where soils are impervious or there is a high or perched water table, holing the pool may not work, and an engineer's advice may be needed. And the City of Kalamunda's guidance lists a Section 70A notification on the property title, advising of the buried pool, where a shell is buried.

The quotable version: in WA a buried pool can end up recorded on the title, so filling in is cheaper today and dearer to explain when you sell.

Perth sand, compaction and building over the old pool

One Perth demolition contractor says most of the metropolitan area sits on the deep, free-draining sand of the Swan Coastal Plain, which makes excavation and backfill straightforward, with Tamala limestone near the coast and clay toward the scarp behaving differently. That is the contractor's description, not a soil survey; for the limestone question, see what a pool costs in Perth.

If you want to build over the spot, the paperwork matters more than the soil. Contractor B says a compaction or engineer's certificate is needed before you can apply for a building permit on the old pool footprint, prices it at $350–$1,000 depending on access, and says it is only valid for 4–8 weeks because weather changes the compaction. That validity period is the contractor's statement; ask the engineer issuing it.

The quotable version: in Perth, order the compaction certificate when you are ready to build, not when the pool comes out, because one contractor says it lapses in 4–8 weeks.

After the pool is gone: stop the inspection charge

WA councils inspect pool barriers at least every four years and many charge for it on the rates notice. The City of Rockingham publishes $49.67 a year, $198.68 over the four-year cycle. The City of Melville says pool inspection fees still apply until it is formally notified of removal or decommissioning. The City of Fremantle asks you to email it once the pool is decommissioned; an authorised inspector then checks the site and the rates section is told the pool has gone.

Draining comes first, and in WA the water cannot go to the sewer: see can I drain my pool to the sewer in WA. The register steps for each state are on how to take a pool off the register.

The quotable version: removing a Perth pool does not stop the council charging for it; telling the council does. When you know the pool's area and access, compare quotes from contractors on the same scope, or browse pool businesses in Perth.

Common questions

How much does it cost to remove a pool in Perth?

One Perth contractor publishes $4,000–$9,500 to collapse and fill a concrete pool and $8,500–$16,000 to remove it entirely; another publishes $3,500–$6,000 and $5,500–$20,000 plus GST. Fibreglass pools are cheaper, at $3,000–$8,500 across the two. Tight access and cranes are extra.

Do I need a permit to remove a pool in Perth?

For full removal of a pool over 40m² in area, usually yes. WALGA's best practice note on decommissioning pools says a demolition permit should be issued for total removal of a pool in excess of 40m², and several Perth councils publish the same rule.

How much is a demolition permit for a pool in WA?

Building and Energy sets the demolition permit application fee for a Class 1 or Class 10 building or incidental structure at $121. The building services levy adds $61.65 where the work is worth $45,000 or less, so most pool removals pay $182.65.

Can I fill in my pool instead of removing it in Perth?

Usually, if you follow the council's method: two 500mm square holes in the deep end, walls cut down at least 600mm (500mm at one council), and clean fill compacted in layers of no more than 300mm. One council says a buried pool is notified on the property title.

Do I still pay the pool inspection fee after removing my pool?

Until you tell the council, yes. The City of Melville says pool inspection fees apply until it is formally notified of removal or decommissioning. The City of Rockingham charges $49.67 a year on the rates for its four-yearly inspection.

Sources

General information only, current at 2026-10-06. Pool rules differ by state and by council, and penalty amounts are updated regularly. Confirm your own obligations with your council or a registered inspector before acting.