pool dig
The hole, not the shell
Pool companies sell the shell. Someone still has to dig the hole, get the clay out the side gate, and leave a tidy backyard for plumbers and the crane. That is the job we take on.
Who this is for
Pool builders who need a reliable excavator and spoil plan the day before shell delivery. Homeowners whose pool company has asked them to organise earthworks separately. Builders adding a pool on a new-home lot once the house is up and the side access is known.
We do not set fibreglass shells, pour concrete pools, or install fencing. We excavate to the dig sheet and cart spoil. For the longer how-to, see the pool excavation guide.
Fibreglass vs concrete prep
Fibreglass. The dig sheet is a 3D profile: length, width, depths, overdig for bedding, and often a bench. Walls need to be reasonably square. Overdig is normal; random gouges in the floor are not. Bedding sand or crusher dust is usually the pool company’s material — we leave the hole to their tolerance.
Concrete / concrete-and-pebble. Shape is often a hopper, spa step or freeform edge. Steel fixers and sprayers need working room around the hole. We cut to the engineer or pool-builder drawing and leave a stable batter, not a collapsing clay cliff after overnight rain.
On Melbourne’s west the same reactive clay and occasional basalt as a house site cut applies. Hit a shelf mid-dig and the hammer goes on — priced as a variation, same as rock on a site cut.
Usually included
- Excavation to the pool company’s dig sheet
- Machine chosen for the gate width
- Same-day spoil removal when access and tip hours allow
- A clear staging area if you mark it before we start
- Optional pipe trench to the plant pad
Not included unless quoted
- Shell set, crane, plumbing, steel, concrete or tiling
- Pool fencing, paving or landscaping
- Shoring or engineered batters beyond a standard backyard dig
- Dewatering a hole left open in rain
- Removing a concrete patio or large trees unless priced
Access, gates and spoil
- Measure the side path. Clear width, overhead lines, gas meter, and whether the crane needs the driveway. Photos help; a tape on the gate is better.
- Book against shell day. Empty hole plus rain on clay equals collapsed walls. Most builders want the hole inspected, then the shell in within 24–48 hours.
- Dig and cart. Profile to the sheet, spoil straight to tippers. Backyard piles block the delivery truck later.
- Handover. Hole ready for the pool company. Surrounding lawn or pad left workable, not a clay skating rink to the back fence.
Point Cook knockdowns with 2.4 m side fences are a different job to a 15 m wide Melton acreage block. We walk the backyard before quoting when the photos look tight. For more on narrow access, read tight access excavations.
Pool excavation FAQs
Do you excavate for fibreglass and concrete pools?
Yes. Fibreglass to the dig sheet with overdig; concrete pools to the builder’s profile. We do not install the pool.
What if the side gate is too narrow?
Measure the clear opening. Tight access usually means a mini excavator and spoil wheeled out. Tell us if the crane needs a staging pad.
Is spoil removed the same day?
On most western-suburbs pool digs, yes. Tight access or a late start can leave a last load overnight — agreed on the quote.
Can you trench to the plant pad as well?
Often yes, as a short extra while we are in the backyard. Confirm so we bring the right bucket — see trenching.
Which suburbs?
Melton, Werribee, Tarneit, Caroline Springs, Point Cook, Craigieburn and across Greater Melbourne.