An old, cracked in-ground pool sitting unused behind a home near Reliance or Ball Play isn’t just an eyesore — in Polk County’s clay-heavy soil, a poorly filled pool can turn into a sinkhole waiting to happen. R&G Land Clearing LLC provides pool removal and demolition in Old Fort, TN and throughout the surrounding 100-mile service area, offering both full excavation and partial fill-in options depending on your property and your plans for it. We handle the permits, the draining, the teardown, and the backfill as a licensed, bonded, and insured crew — not just a hole filled in and hoped for the best. Call (706) 483-3851 for a free estimate, or reach out online.
What Pool Removal Actually Involves
Pool removal is the process of safely draining, demolishing, and either hauling away or backfilling an in-ground or above-ground pool so the space can be reclaimed for something else, and the right method depends on what you plan to do with the property afterward. R&G Land Clearing starts by confirming the pool’s construction — concrete, gunite, fiberglass, or vinyl liner — and walking through two options: full removal, where the entire shell is excavated and hauled off site, or partial removal, sometimes called a “pool fill-in,” where the top portion of the walls comes down, drainage holes are broken into the floor, and the basin is backfilled in place. Before any demolition starts, the pool has to be drained and the water disposed of properly rather than dumped into a storm drain, and any pumps, heaters, and electrical or gas lines have to be disconnected. Once the shell is broken out or removed, we backfill with clean, engineered fill placed in shallow layers and mechanically compacted at each stage — skipping this step, or rushing it, is exactly what causes a filled-in pool to sink into a mud hole a few years later. What starts as an unused, cracked, or hazardous pool ends as a stable, usable stretch of yard, whether that’s lawn, garden space, or ground ready for something else entirely.
Our Pool Removal Process
Step 1 — Free Estimate & Site Walk — We take a look at the pool in person — its construction, size, and how equipment will access the backyard — and talk through full removal versus a partial fill-in so you understand what each option means, including for a future sale. You leave with a written estimate that reflects the actual job, not a phone guess.
Step 2 — Permits & Draining — We pull the required demolition and fill permit from your county building department, which in Tennessee is handled entirely at the county or city level rather than through a single state agency. Once permitted, the pool gets drained and the water disposed of properly, and any pumps, heaters, or electrical and gas lines are disconnected before equipment moves in.
Step 3 — Demolition — For a full removal, we excavate and break out the entire shell — concrete, gunite, fiberglass, or vinyl — for haul-away. For a partial fill-in, we break out the top portion of the walls and open drainage holes in the floor so water can’t collect underneath the fill later. Either way, the method is scoped and priced at the estimate, not decided on the fly.
Step 4 — Backfill & Compaction — This is the step that determines whether your yard stays solid or turns into a sinkhole. We backfill with clean, engineered fill — not construction debris or organic material — placed in shallow layers and mechanically compacted at each stage, the same layered-compaction approach used industry-wide for pool fill-ins.
Step 5 — Final Grading & Walkthrough — Once backfill is complete, we grade the area to shed water correctly rather than pond, and walk the property with you to confirm it’s ready for lawn, landscaping, or whatever comes next. You’re left with solid, usable ground — not a soft spot you’ll be dealing with again in two years.
Serving Old Fort and the Surrounding Area
R&G Land Clearing handles pool removal throughout Polk County — from backyard pools near Old Fort and Reliance to properties out toward Ducktown and Copperhill — and across the wider 100-mile service area into Chattanooga, Cleveland, and Ringgold and Chatsworth, Georgia. Polk County’s mix of clay-heavy lowland soil and rocky upland ground both call for careful backfill and compaction, since either one can settle unevenly if the fill is rushed. Visit our homepage for the full list of services we bring to properties throughout the region.
If your project also involves clearing the surrounding yard or tearing down another structure, see our land clearing & forestry mulching and residential demolition page — many pool removal jobs get scoped alongside one or the other.
Why Old Fort Homeowners Choose R&G Land Clearing
R&G Land Clearing is licensed, bonded, and insured, and every pool removal is run by an owner-operator who walks the property with you first rather than quoting off a photo. Learn more about our team and how we scope full removal versus a fill-in honestly, based on your plans for the property, not just the cheapest option.
Tennessee handles building and pool permitting entirely at the county or municipal level rather than through one state agency, and for any project valued at $25,000 or more, state law requires a licensed contractor under the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors. Full pool removals in particular can approach or exceed that threshold, which is worth knowing if you’re comparing quotes against an unlicensed operator.
Every estimate is free, and as a locally based crew available 24/7, we can typically get a pool removal scheduled within a couple weeks depending on how quickly the county issues permits. Veterans, active military, first responders, and senior citizens receive 10% off every job.