True Cost Guide Swimming Pools, Hot Tubs & Saunas Excavate a Swimming Pool

How Much Does Swimming Pool Excavation Cost?

Typical Range:

$400 - $4,500

Cost data is based on research by HomeAdvisor.

Published November 7, 2022

Written by HomeAdvisor.

Swimming pool excavation costs $2,500 on average, or between $400 and $4,500. In-ground pool excavation costs vary depending on the particulars of your project. For an easily accessible area in an urban center, you’ll usually come in under $2,500. However, if you own a remote home on a rocky hillside, you could be looking at thousands more in time, transportation, and labor fees, which can add up to $20,000.

Your local pool installer generally takes care of the excavation as part of the pool installation, but you might want to do this yourself if you’re acting as the general contractor, particularly if this is part of a larger outdoor remodeling project.

Average Swimming Pool Excavation Costs

Average Cost	High Cost	Low Cost
$2,500	$20,000	$400

Find a Pool Excavation Pro in Your Area

Pool Excavation Cost per Square Foot

You can expect to pay between $8 to $25 per cubic yard for pool excavation. In general, excavating land costs about the same as a pool. With pools ranging from 64 to 178 cubic yards on average, expect to pay $500 to $4,500 for the average pool excavation. However, rocky soil can easily triple the work and the price.

Average Pool Size (in feet)	Cubic Yards of Dirt*	Average Pool Excavation Range
12 x 24	64	$500 – $1,600
16 x 32	114	$900 – $2,850
15 x 36	120	$1,000 – $3,000
20 x 40	178	$1,400 – $4,500

*based on an average depth of 6 feet

Cost to Excavate a Pool by Material

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.

Material Heading	Cost per Cubic Yard	Excavation Notes
Rocky ground	$40 – $100	Higher cost if it includes blasting
Dirt	$8 – $25	Typical pricing for digging a hole for a pool
Sand	$8 – $40	Higher price only if it requires shoring up the sides

In-Ground Pool Excavation Cost Breakdown

Excavation costs are almost entirely labor related after minimal equipment and overhead fees. However, that’s only true if you’re hiring out. For a DIY project, you’ll likely spend the most on equipment rentals.

Materials

There are no material fees involved with excavation. The project cost usually covers 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 $550 to $900 a day.

Labor

Labor makes up between 70% and 90% of the project costs, followed by permits and overhead which includes insurance, gas, and marketing fees.

Consult Swimming Pool Excavation Pros Near You

Other 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

Swimming pool permits cost $100 to $300 and typically include the excavation and completed pool. Permits include the entire project, not just the excavation stage.

Accessibility

One of the largest cost facts is accessibility. Not only accessibility to the dig site, which may require careful transportation of equipment. But also accessibility of your home in general. If 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 to do 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 backfilled.

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. However, talk to your pro or thoroughly research if the season will impact your costs and/or accessibility.

Buried Lines

If you need to move utility or gas lines, you’ll pay extra for the services. This typically needs to happen in conjunction with the dig.

Moving a gas line costs $15–$25 per linear foot
Trenching costs $400–$1,200 total

DIY vs. Hiring a Pool Excavation Professional

You can DIY this project if you pull together all the proper permits, check for buried lines, and understand how to operate excavation equipment. However, you’ll end up paying about 50% of the equipment rental fees and risk damaging your landscaping and even your foundation. It’s often best to consult a local excavation company to see your options before taking on the project yourself.

Hire a Local Swimming Pool Excavation Pro

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does excavation take for a pool?

Excavation generally takes four to eight hours, depending on site conditions, accessibility, and how far away from the pro you live. Excavation for natural pools carved into rock might take several days; it takes special equipment and explosives to carefully carve out the rock. Digging near a beach or other oceanfront property takes longer as well, due to added forms and supports needed to hold the sand back while digging and pumping out accumulating water from the pit.

Is it cheaper to dig your own pool?

It is less expensive to dig your own pool. You can rent your own excavation equipment for about 25% to 50% of what you would pay a professional. For slightly more, you can also rent an operator with the equipment. In that case, you’ll run the project like the general contractor. You’ll need to know exactly where to dig, what permits to pull, and have checked for any underground utilities and have them moved if necessary. When you operate this way, you’re liable for any damages to your land, house, and utilities. Hiring a pro shifts that liability to them.

How much dirt comes out of a pool excavation?

Generally, you’ll remove anywhere from 64 to 178 cubic yards of dirt from your pool's hole. However, this can vary quite a bit depending on the pool size, how deep you dig it, and if you have an odd shape. Most oddly shaped pools tend to dig extra dirt from around the proposed structure.