Do you need a permit to demolish or fill a pool in Pima County?
Yes. Every jurisdiction in the Tucson area requires a permit to demolish, fill in or otherwise remove an inground swimming pool or spa. The permit names differ, the inspections differ, and two of them are free. What they have in common is a record: a site plan of the buried structure, an inspection before fill goes in, and a closed permit that follows the property.
City of Tucson
The Planning and Development Services Department states that a permit is required to demolish, fill in or otherwise remove an existing pool or spa. The permit type is Swimming Pool Demolition. Any fill of a pool or spa must include structural modification for positive drainage, and a site plan showing the location of the buried structure is required for the permanent record. Apply through the Tucson Development Center Online. The FY27 fee schedule has no pool specific line; recent activity reports show pool demolition permits closing at roughly $170 each.
Pima County, unincorporated
Pima County issues a Damage/Demo permit with the Demo sub-type. Building inspection SOP 230.7, revised to include pools, sets the inspection: verify the pool equipment and its connection to service have been removed, break out the pool drains, and drill or jackhammer a 4 inch hole at the lowest point of the pool. The demolition inspection is called after the equipment is out and the drainage holes are in. On approval the permit is closed. The SOP does not name a backfill or compaction inspection. Apply through the Pima County Permit Gateway. The base fee for a permit requiring an inspection is $69 on the schedule effective July 1, 2026.
Town of Oro Valley
Oro Valley’s Pool or Spa Permit page carries a Demolish section. The site plan must show the lot, property lines, existing structures and the pool or spa to be removed; an aerial photo may be acceptable. There are two inspections. The first verifies the drainage holes at the bottom of the pool or spa, or removal of the concrete shell, the open excavation and erosion control. The second verifies the excavation is completely backfilled and, if compaction testing is required, that all approved and signed compaction test reports are on site for the inspector. Electrical, plumbing and gas removal must be addressed.
Oro Valley is also the jurisdiction that states the build over rule plainly. If the area is intended to support any structure, including a new building or addition, an outbuilding, a driveway, a patio, a deck or a ramada, the shell must be removed entirely and backfilled with approved engineered and compacted fill under a geotechnical report stamped and signed by a licensed engineer. If the area stays landscape or open space, the shell may remain with drainage openings through the bottom. Apply through the SmartGov customer portal.
Town of Marana
Marana requires a demolition permit. The Demolition Application Checklist asks for a site plan with lot lines, existing structures and utility locations. The fee is $150 per permit on the April 2025 comprehensive fee schedule. Submit to Development Services by email or in person.
Town of Sahuarita
Sahuarita requires a demolition permit for all commercial and residential demolition. The site plan must show existing utilities to be capped, and an inspection verifies the utilities have been capped. There is no permit fee. The town’s checklist states that demolition permits are reported to the Pima County Assessor, which is the mechanism by which a removed pool comes off your valuation. Apply through Accela Citizen Access.
Pinal County
Pinal County lists demolition as a residential permit category under Community Development, Building Safety Division, and takes applications through Accela Citizen Access. The county’s pool specific demolition guidance and inspection sequence were not reachable at the time of writing. Confirm the inspection sequence at permit intake.
Why the permit matters after the job
The Arizona Residential Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement asks whether a swimming pool was removed, capped or filled, and separately whether permits were obtained for work on the property. A permitted removal with a closed inspection and photographs of the drainage holes answers both. An unpermitted fill leaves a buried structure with no record, which a buyer’s inspector or the Assessor will eventually find.
Omni Pool Builders prepares the site plan, files the application, pays the fee, photographs every drainage hole before fill and schedules the inspections on every pool removal we do. Run the numbers on the pool removal cost calculator.