Removing the pool is the exciting part. What comes next, turning the reclaimed space into something genuinely useful, is where homeowners in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie often make expensive mistakes. Not because the landscaping is technically difficult, but because the planning happens in the wrong order, or without accounting for what a former pool site actually needs. This guide covers the most common mistakes we see, and what to do differently. For inspiration on what to build in the space, see our guide to backyard design ideas after pool removal.
Quick answer (BLUF)
The most common mistakes are: not waiting for fill to settle before building structures, not getting drainage right before paving, not confirming pipe locations before digging new garden beds, and choosing turf species that are wrong for the site conditions. Each of these costs money to fix. Planning them correctly before the landscaping starts costs nothing.
Mistake 1: Building a structure too soon after pool removal
The biggest and most expensive mistake is commissioning a concrete slab, paved entertaining area or garden shed over the former pool site before the fill has properly settled.
Why it matters: Pool removal backfill is compacted in layers, but freshly placed fill continues to settle under self-weight for 3-12 months after placement. If a concrete slab is poured over fill that hasn’t completed its settlement cycle, the slab will crack and deflect as the fill continues to move beneath it. This is an expensive and frustrating outcome, cracked outdoor slabs typically need full removal and replacement.
What to do instead: Wait 3-6 months after fill completion before pouring any concrete slab in the former pool footprint. For a timber deck on bearers, the settlement issue is less critical (timber decks can accommodate minor movement better than concrete slabs), but still allow 2-3 months. Engage a geotechnical engineer if you need to build sooner, compaction testing results will tell you whether the fill is performing adequately.
Mistake 2: Getting the drainage wrong before you pave
Newcastle and Lake Macquarie experience intense summer storms, 50-100mm rainfall events that can occur in under an hour. A paved entertaining area over a former pool site that is not properly graded for drainage will pond water, potentially feeding it back toward the house.
Why it matters: The former pool site is slightly lower than surrounding ground (the pool contractor finishes the surface level, but the fill zone can settle slightly below the adjacent concrete pool collar level over time). Without deliberate grading away from the house, water naturally collects in the former pool area.
What to do instead: Before any paving or concreting, agree on a finished level plan with your landscaper or concretor that grades the entire former pool area positively (minimum 1:100 fall) toward a stormwater connection, garden bed, or lawn area. This plan should be designed before the pool contractor finishes the site, a single instruction to the pool removal contractor to finish 50-75mm above adjacent surface level can set you up for success.
Mistake 3: Digging garden beds without checking for buried pipes
Every in-ground pool has supply and return pipes running from the pool shell to the equipment pad. These are typically left in the ground after removal, capped at both ends. If you decide to dig new garden beds, install irrigation or plant trees in the former pool area, you may encounter these buried pipes, which are not mapped on any council plan.
Why it matters: Digging a 400mm deep planting hole and snapping a buried PVC pipe is annoying but harmless. Digging deeper for a tree root ball and encountering an uncapped gas line (very rare but possible if a gas heater was present) is a more serious issue.
What to do instead: Ask your pool removal contractor to mark the approximate pipe run routes on a simple sketch plan before they leave the site. Alternatively, do your deep digging (tree planting, raised bed edging posts) within 6 months of pool removal while you still know roughly where the pipes were. For detailed planning, a pipe locating service ($200 to $500) can precisely map buried pipework before you start.
Mistake 4: Choosing the wrong turf variety
Many Newcastle homeowners reflexively order kikuyu or couch turf for the former pool area, which is appropriate for most locations. But the former pool site can have specific characteristics that affect turf performance:
- Higher moisture retention in the fill zone, fresh clean fill, particularly sandy fill, drains quickly, which can stress newly laid turf in summer
- Altered soil chemistry, as noted in our guide on soil contamination from pool chemicals, the perimeter of the pool may have elevated salt levels from years of splash-out, which affects some turf varieties
- Shade from surrounding fences, the former pool area, now without the pool’s reflective light, may be shadier than you expect, affecting species choice
What to do instead: Get a basic soil test ($100 to $200) for the filled area before choosing turf species. In most Newcastle cases, couch (Cynodon dactylon) for full sun or a shade-tolerant blend for partly shaded areas is appropriate. Prepare the topsoil properly (100-150mm quality topsoil, not fill, on the top layer) before laying turf. See our guide to turf and lawn restoration after pool removal for the full detail.
Mistake 5: Not thinking about the transition zone
The pool edge, where the pool coping used to sit, becomes a transition zone between the filled pool area and the adjacent yard. This transition can be awkward: a small step, a change in material, a slightly different grade. Many homeowners don’t think about how to handle this junction until the landscaper arrives and points it out.
What to do instead: When the pool removal contractor finishes the backfill, discuss the transition zone treatment with them. Options include:
- Bringing the fill level flush with the adjacent concrete or pavers
- Creating a deliberate step or border as a design feature
- Installing a new concrete edge strip or mowing edge to create a clean line
Making this decision at pool removal time, while the site is still fresh and workable, is far simpler than re-excavating and adjusting later.
Mistake 6: Underestimating the time for full landscape establishment
A freshly turfed, mulched or planted landscape takes time to look its best. Newcastle’s summer heat (regularly 30°C+) can stress newly established plantings, and the compacted fill beneath has less microbial activity and organic matter than a mature garden soil.
What to do instead: Plan your landscaping with a 6-12 month establishment mindset. Don’t photograph the backyard for real estate marketing within 4 weeks of landscaping, give the turf time to knit and the garden to establish. If selling is your motivation, remove the pool and landscape early enough to allow proper establishment before the photography session.
FAQs
Can I plant fruit trees directly over the former pool fill area?
Yes, but allow 3-6 months for fill settlement first, and ensure the topsoil layer over the fill is deep enough for tree root establishment (300-400mm for medium fruit trees). Large specimen trees should be planted away from the pool footprint centre where fill compaction may still be occurring.
My landscaper wants to bring in heavy machinery, is the fill strong enough?
3-6 months after good-quality compacted backfill, the former pool area can support standard landscaping machinery. If the job is within 6-8 weeks of pool removal, ask for the contractor’s compaction test results before allowing heavy equipment onto the fill area.
What’s the minimum I need to do with the area after pool removal?
At minimum: level and grade the surface, add 100mm topsoil, and seed or lay turf. Even a basic lawn is a usable outcome and far better than a bare, eroding fill surface. The more elaborate landscaping can come later once you’ve decided exactly what you want the space for.