How Much Does Pool Excavation Cost in 2024?

Average Swimming Pool Excavation Costs

In-Ground Pool Excavation Cost Factors

Excavation costs are almost entirely labor-related after minimal equipment and overhead fees. Here’s what you need to know about labor and material costs for in-ground pool excavation.

Materials

There are no material fees involved with excavation since you’re technically just removing material, not adding it. New pool costs usually cover equipment fees, which generally don’t exceed $200 per project, unless it takes multiple days to complete. It’s generally more cost-effective to hire a professional since renting equipment runs anywhere from $550 to $900 a day. 

With that said, the type of material your team is excavating will greatly impact the final price of the project. You’ll pay quite a bit more to excavate a pool in rocky ground. In solid stone, you might consider using the stone as part of your project, although natural pool installation costs tend to be nearly double that of a traditional pool. 

Labor

Labor makes up between 70% and 90% of in-ground pool installation costs, followed by permits and overhead which includes insurance, gas, and marketing fees. 

Additional Pool Excavation Cost Factors

There are a few other factors involved in excavating your pool that you’ll want to consider before hiring a professional or taking on the project yourself. These factors include permits, site accessibility, the shape of your pool, time of year, and rerouting utilities. 

Permits

The price for the permits you need to build your new pool will vary greatly by location. In some regions, you’ll need to secure a standard building permit, which can cost anywhere from $250 to $2,500. In other regions, however, you’ll be able to get a special permit specifically for swimming pools. Swimming pool permits cost $100 to $300 on average and typically include the entire project—both the excavation and building the completed pool.

Accessibility

One of the largest cost factors is accessibility—not only for the dig site, which may require careful transportation of equipment but also for the accessibility of your home in general. If the equipment can’t access your pool dig area, expect to pay significantly more to have it hand-dug. This may triple or quadruple the cost. 

Also, accessing a home in an urban area costs far less than rural homes with difficult access issues, such as narrow mountain roads. Distance alone will add fuel costs, increasing your overall project estimate. 

Pool Shape

Pool shape may affect the price only because the dig may take a little longer if your pro needs to move the equipment around to dig it properly. However, with some pool materials, the excavation can run large and then be backfilled, somewhat reducing the cost of an irregularly shaped pool. 

Time of Year

Digging in the winter in northern climates tends to be a bit tougher since the ground can freeze. It’s not always a significant problem considering modern excavation equipment. Talk to your excavation pro or thoroughly research if the season will impact your costs and/or accessibility. 

Buried Lines

If you need to move utilities or gas lines, you’ll pay extra for these services when building your new pool. This typically needs to happen in conjunction with the dig. 

• Moving a gas line costs $15–$25 per linear foot

• Trenching for new wiring costs $400–$1,200 

• Moving a septic system costs $2,000–$20,000 

• Replacing a sprinkler system costs $2,500–$5,000

Pool Excavation Cost per Square Foot

You can expect to pay between $8 to $25 per cubic yard for pool excavation, though the cost to excavate for most projects is around $9.20 per cubic yard. With pools ranging from 64 to 178 cubic yards on average, expect to pay $510 to $4,500 for the average pool excavation. However, rocky soil can easily triple the work and the price. 

Based on an average depth of six feet, here are some average pool excavation costs. 

Budgeting for Swimming Pool Excavation

Excavating a pool can be an expensive project depending on your location, the material you’re digging into, and factors like the planned size and shape of the pool. Here are a few tips to help reduce new pool building costs:

• Before hiring a professional to excavate the space for your pool, consult with a contractor to inspect the ground and determine what it’s made of (e.g., dirt, sand, rock, etc.) to help you better plan for excavation costs.

• If possible (and if weather permits), hire swimming pool excavation contractors during the off-season to get a better labor rate.

• Save money on dirt disposal by repurposing it for another landscaping project on your property.

• Choose a smaller, traditionally shaped pool to reduce labor costs.

• Choose a part of your property that will be accessible for heavy excavation machinery to reduce costs.

How HomeAdvisor Gets Its Cost Data

No place is more important than your home, which is why HomeAdvisor connects homeowners with local pros to transform their houses into homes they love. To help homeowners prepare for their next project, HomeAdvisor provides readers with accurate cost data and follows strict editorial guidelines. After a project is complete, we survey real customers about the costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.