Pool Removal Contractors Working in Irvine

Pool removal in Irvine needs a building permit, plan check and planning approval from the city's Building and Safety division, and Pool Removal California found 17 businesses offering in-ground pool removal there, 8 with an active state licence. Irvine's Bulletin 217 asks the owner to choose up front whether the fill will carry landscaping or a future building pad.

This directory groups Irvine under Orange County. Each listing below was matched to Irvine 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 Irvine

Another 8 businesses show no licence number or only a Google Maps listing for Irvine. They are being checked by phone before being listed.

A pool removal in Irvine 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.

Irvine Pool Removal Permit Rules

Irvine's Bulletin 217 (revised January 2015) requires a building permit to remove a pool or spa, subject to plan check and planning approval, at minimum permit fees. The city's 2026-27 fee schedule has no line for pool removal; its pool and spa minimums are $95.67 for plan check and $107.63 for inspection, plus a $31.88 residential issuance fee. Applications go online through IrvineReady!, with about two business days for the completeness check and two to four for the first plan check, and the city's pool removal page notes that a homeowners association may have its own approval process.

Inspections and paperwork on an Irvine job

Bulletin 217 sets this order:

1. A pre-fill inspection, in which the city inspector approves the holes before any fill is placed.
2. Backfill under the registered soils engineer's supervision, with the finished grade sloping at least 2% away from buildings and no drainage across property lines.
3. A final inspection, on or before which the soils engineer hands the inspector a wet-stamped final compaction report.

Pools in apartment, condominium or association common areas need additional review at the Planning Counter, 949-724-6308.

Partial fill-in or full removal in Irvine

Irvine's plans must carry one of two notes: landscaping and flatwork only, with the fill certified as non-structural, or a possible building pad, with the fill certified as structural. Either way, the inspector approves 12-inch holes, starting at the low point and spaced six feet on center, before any fill goes in, and the registered soils engineer can prescribe more holes or complete removal. For a building pad, the side walls come down at least 24 inches below finish grade. In both cases the soils engineer supervises the backfill in lifts of no more than one foot to at least 90% relative density.

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 Irvine job costs

No Irvine contractor publishes prices, but Orange County firms do: Frisch & Sons publishes $12,000 to $20,000 for a partial fill-in and $18,000 to $30,000 or more for a full removal. Irvine adds one cost many cities leave optional: a registered soils engineer supervises every backfill and signs the compaction report, typically $1,500 to $4,000, whichever fill note the plans carry.

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 Irvine

Irvine's construction and demolition ordinance does not require a waste management plan or deposit for projects involving single residential units, but every project must use a city-authorized hauler. The city's authorized hauler list, revised April 2026, names 22 companies, including WM of Orange County, CR&R and Republic, and the Irvine Recycle Hotline at 949-724-7669 answers questions.

Pool water has to go somewhere before demolition starts. Irvine's water quality ordinance allows dechlorinated pool water to the storm drain at 0.1 ppm chlorine or less, pH-adjusted and flow-controlled, and bans cleaning wastewater and filter backwash. The countywide H2OC brochure asks for the sanitary sewer when possible and limits saltwater pools to the sewer, landscaping or pervious ground.

Sellers in Irvine 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 Irvine also work in neighbouring communities, including Tustin, Lake Forest, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Laguna Hills and Santa Ana. Neighbouring cities set their own permit rules, so a job outside Irvine city limits follows that city's building department or, in unincorporated areas, the county.

Other Orange County pages in this directory: Anaheim, Santa Ana, Huntington Beach, Garden Grove.

Common Irvine questions

Does Irvine require a soils engineer for pool removal?

Yes. Bulletin 217 (revised January 2015) requires a registered soils engineer to supervise the backfill and supply a wet-stamped final compaction report.

Can a pool be filled in place in Irvine?

Yes, with 12-inch holes six feet on center; for a building pad the walls also come down at least 24 inches below grade.

What does an Irvine pool removal permit cost?

No pool removal line exists; pool minimums are $95.67 plan check and $107.63 inspection, plus a $31.88 issuance fee.

Does an Irvine homeowners association need to approve?

The city notes that an association may have its own approval process.

Who hauls pool debris in Irvine?

A city-authorized hauler from the April 2026 list.