What is the difference between partial and full pool removal, and which is allowed in Illinois?
Homeowners across Illinois often assume “pool removal” means one standard method. In practice, contractors and building departments commonly distinguish between full pool removal (the entire shell is removed and the excavation is engineered back to native-grade conditions) and partial pool removal (parts of the structure remain below grade while the upper portions are removed and the void is filled). That difference matters because the remaining materials can change how water moves through the soil, how the ground settles over time, and what the site can safely support later.
If you’re weighing these options in the Chicago area, you’re also dealing with a ruleset that’s often local, permit-driven, and tied to inspection checkpoints. Pool Busters is known for handling projects that require careful sequencing—utility disconnects, demolition steps, clean fill placement, and grading—so the yard can be restored without leaving a hidden “surprise” underground. If you’re still early in your research, start by understanding the two removal types and the code themes that keep showing up in municipal standards for pool removal, then work through the five questions below.
Is Partial Pool Removal Legal in Chicago?
Partial pool removal is not governed by one single statewide Illinois “yes/no” rule. In Illinois, demolition and land-disturbance requirements are commonly set and enforced at the municipal level through permitting, inspections, and engineered submittals. For example, the Village of Lincolnwood expressly allows partial removal but only under detailed conditions such as removing materials within 48 inches of grade, breaking remaining material into small dimensions, cutting/capping utilities, submitting a drainage plan for approval, and recording a survey that documents what remains underground. Those requirements show how an Illinois municipality can treat partial removal as legal only when it is tightly controlled and documented.
Chicago’s legality question is best understood as: “Is partial removal allowed if it is permitted and passes inspection?” Many Illinois municipalities require a permit for in-ground pool demolition work, and they focus on preventing an abandoned shell from acting like a subsurface “bowl” that traps water or creates unstable saturated soils. Schaumburg’s published demolition requirements are explicit that an in-ground pool demolition requires a permit and inspections tied to drainage openings and controlled backfilling and compaction. Markham’s code similarly frames the permit requirement and the core risk: unmanaged backfill can create hazardous, supersaturated conditions and can fail under future structural loading. Those examples don’t automatically dictate Chicago’s rule, but they are strong evidence of the prevailing regulatory approach in the region.
Because Cook County’s online e-permit system is for unincorporated Cook County and “permits cannot be processed for properties located in the City of Chicago,” Chicago properties must follow the City’s own permitting pathways and inspection requirements. In other words, the key legal question is not whether “partial removal” is a recognized phrase, but whether your proposed scope can be approved under City of Chicago permitting and inspection standards for demolition/backfill and utility terminations. That is why reputable contractors treat the permit/inspection record as the main legal proof that the method used was acceptable and code-compliant at the time of work.
From a homeowner’s standpoint, treat partial removal as “potentially allowed, but only if the City approves the scope and it is inspected.” In practice, that means you should be prepared to show the planned method, confirm utility disconnects, and meet clean-backfill and drainage expectations that are consistent with what neighboring municipalities publish for the same hazard profile. When you read about Chicago-area pool removal, the permitting and inspection sequence is not a formality—it is the mechanism that makes the work lawful.
How Partial Pool Removal Affects Future Construction Plans in Illinois
The biggest planning impact of partial pool removal is simple: leaving any structure underground creates an “engineered exception” in your yard that future designers must account for. Municipal requirements commonly acknowledge that a future building may be planned in the pool area and that uncompacted fill can be inadequate to sustain structural loads. Schaumburg’s guide explicitly ties its demolition rules to that concern, warning that uncontrolled backfill can be hazardous and that future structures can suffer damage if the fill is not properly compacted and verified. Markham’s code uses the same logic: the abandonment can create a bowl of saturated soil, and future building loads may not be supported by poorly controlled fill.
Even when partial removal is allowed, the method is usually written to reduce (not eliminate) the future-construction risk. A common theme is a depth-based removal requirement near grade and strict controls on fill material and compaction. Schaumburg, for example, describes punching/drilling holes through the pool bottom to prevent water accumulation, recommends removing the top portion of walls near grade, and requires backfill to be compacted to a minimum percentage of maximum density while limiting large debris near the surface. Those are directly aimed at long-term settlement and drainage performance.
Where a municipality treats partial removal as acceptable, it may also require documentation that follows the property, so future construction teams know what is under the lawn. Lincolnwood requires a recorded plat of survey indicating the location and nature of any materials remaining in the ground. That sort of record can be crucial if you later apply for permits for additions, garages, or hardscapes, because the plan reviewer may ask how the proposed foundation, slab, or pavement interacts with prior backfill and any remaining structure.
If you know you want to build later, the practical takeaway is to plan the pool demolition method around your future load paths. A fully removed and engineered backfill is typically the cleanest scenario for future building footprints. Partial removal can still be workable for future projects, but it usually forces extra geotechnical attention, tighter compaction controls, and more scrutiny in plan review—because the site has a known “non-native” zone where settlement and drainage must be treated as design constraints. For local guidance about where these rules most often apply, many homeowners start with the region’s service area requirements and then confirm the City-specific process for their parcel.
Which Pool Removal Option Is Better for Resale Value in Illinois?
Resale value is influenced less by the label “partial” versus “full” and more by the paper trail and risk profile a buyer inherits. A fully removed pool that was permitted, inspected, and backfilled under controlled conditions is typically easier to underwrite mentally for buyers because it reduces uncertainty: there is no remaining shell, no hidden void, and fewer questions about settlement. Partial removals can still be acceptable in a transaction, but they tend to create additional buyer questions: What remains underground? Was the bottom opened for drainage? Was compaction verified? Is there a record that documents the work?
Municipal requirements illustrate why documentation matters. Lincolnwood’s partial removal rules include recording a plat of survey that shows the location and nature of remaining materials. That kind of recorded documentation reduces uncertainty for future owners and their contractors, because it turns the “unknown” into a known, mapped condition. Schaumburg’s inspection checkpoints (including verification of drainage openings and inspection stages tied to backfill depth and final grading) show the type of verification a buyer may want to see, even if the buyer never reads the municipal guide directly.
The other resale driver is future-use flexibility. If the backyard area is likely to be used for an addition, a new patio, or accessory structures, a full removal commonly preserves the broadest range of options. Markham’s code explanation is blunt about why: uncompacted fill is not adequate to sustain future loading and can cause structural damage. A buyer who is planning improvements may discount a partial removal if it forces additional engineering to build over the former pool footprint.
Put plainly: the option that tends to support resale value is the one that leaves the least uncertainty, the most verifiable inspection history, and the fewest constraints on future improvements. In many Illinois transactions, that often points toward full removal when future construction is a likely buyer intent, and toward a tightly documented partial removal when the yard is expected to remain landscaped open space.
Engineering Risks With Partial Pool Removal
The main engineering risks in partial pool removal come from water behavior, fill performance, and long-term settlement. Municipal guidance repeatedly warns that an abandoned shell can behave like a bowl. Schaumburg explains that an abandoned pool can collect water and create super-saturated soil conditions that can become a safety hazard, and it requires drainage openings through the pool bottom to prevent water accumulation. Markham’s ordinance language echoes the same hazard framing and adds the future-structure concern: uncompacted fill is not adequate to sustain loading and can lead to structural damage.
Settlement risk is driven by compaction quality and material selection. Schaumburg requires compaction to a minimum percentage of maximum density and prohibits organic or reducible material in fill, while also limiting large rubble near the surface. Those rules reflect the basic geotechnical reality: poorly compacted or heterogeneous fill settles unevenly; organics decompose and shrink; large debris creates voids and differential support. Lincolnwood adds another risk-control approach: if materials remain below grade, they must be broken down into small dimensions and kept below a specified depth from finished grade, which is intended to reduce near-surface instability and surface depressions.
Drainage and utility termination are also engineering-and-safety issues. Lincolnwood’s partial removal section requires removal of plumbing connected to domestic water service, and it requires electrical and gas utilities to be capped and cut back so they do not encroach into setbacks or yards. These aren’t “paperwork” details; improperly terminated utilities and trapped water conditions create real hazards that can show up years later as wet spots, sinkholes, or utility failures during landscaping or construction.
Even where local code text is not pool-specific, general backfill standards matter. Chicago’s code includes requirements for backfill to be free of debris and placed in 6-inch layers and tamped, reflecting the principle that thin lifts and controlled compaction reduce voids and settlement. Pool backfill is typically a much larger volume than a trench, but the engineering logic scales: lift thickness, moisture control, and compaction effort control the long-term performance of the filled excavation.
How Chicago Building Codes Treat Partial Pool Removals
Chicago’s approach is best understood through two lenses: permits and backfill/earthwork standards. The City has clear frameworks for when permits are required for construction or alteration of regulated work, and it also has technical requirements governing how backfill is placed and what it may contain. While the public-facing code sections you’ll see cited most often are not always written in “pool removal” terms, they establish the enforcement structure: work that changes regulated conditions is typically expected to be permitted, inspected, and completed under technical standards rather than improvised.
For backfill quality, Chicago’s code requires backfill to be free from discarded construction material and debris and placed in 6-inch layers and tamped, with compaction for support where relevant. In pool removal work, those concepts translate into clean fill selection, controlled lift placement, and compaction that is consistent enough to prevent future settlement and drainage problems—especially if you plan to put hardscape or structures in the former pool footprint.
In the Chicago region, municipal examples provide a practical map of what plan reviewers and inspectors often care about for partial removals: remove structural elements near grade (so the surface behaves more like native soil), provide drainage openings (so the remaining structure does not trap water), control fill material quality and compaction (so settlement is minimized), and document what remains (so future owners and engineers are not guessing). That is why, even if your project is “just filling a pool,” a Chicago-compliant scope usually looks like a demolition-plus-engineered-backfill project rather than a simple dirt dump.
Because Cook County’s e-permit process explicitly excludes City of Chicago parcels, homeowners should rely on the City of Chicago’s permitting channels for demolition/backfill work and expect inspection checkpoints tied to utility terminations and fill placement. In practice, “how Chicago treats partial removals” is answered by what scope the City will approve on a permit and what the inspector will accept at the staged inspections for drainage, material quality, and grading.
Talk With Pool Busters About a Code-Ready Pool Removal Plan
If you want a pool removal outcome that will stand up to future construction plans and future buyers’ questions, the safest path is a documented scope that aligns with the same technical themes Chicago-area municipalities publish: drainage openings to prevent water accumulation, clean backfill placed and compacted in controlled lifts, and utility cutoffs handled correctly. Pool Busters builds these realities into real-world field work so the finished yard performs like a yard—not like a hidden excavation.
For homeowners who need help choosing between partial and full removal, the practical work starts with the same checklist: confirm permitting requirements, define whether you need buildable conditions in the former pool footprint, and plan the backfill and grading so surface drainage is stable for years. To discuss a plan that fits your property, contact Pool Busters at 312-848-3559 or visit their office at 1201 Laura Ln, Lake Bluff, IL 60044. You can reach out through contact us to request details that match your site conditions and the scope you want documented.