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Pool Removal Rebates and Property Tax in Pima County

Posted
Updated
ByAaron Baker

One water utility in the Tucson area pays a pool removal rebate: Metro Water District, at $2 per square foot of pool surface area, up to $200. Tucson Water, Marana Water and Oro Valley Water do not. On property tax, the Pima County Assessor values a pool as an amenity, so removing it lowers the valuation, but the change shows up at the next valuation, not partway through the year.

Which utilities pay a pool removal rebate

Water utilityPool removal rebateDetails
Metro Water DistrictYes$2 per square foot of pool surface area, up to $200. In-ground pools only, while budgeted funds last
Tucson WaterNoNo pool removal rebate among its residential rebates
Marana WaterNoNo pool removal rebate among its rebates
Oro Valley WaterNoThe utility does not run a rebate program

The rebate follows your water utility, not the city or town in your mailing address. The utility’s name is on your water bill.

How the Metro Water rebate works

Metro Water pays $2 for every square foot of pool surface area, capped at $200. The cap is reached at 100 square feet of surface, so most in-ground residential pools qualify for the full amount. Above-ground pools do not qualify.

To claim it, Metro Water asks for:

  • A calculation of the pool’s surface area
  • Photos of the pool before removal and after
  • Verification that the pool was at the service address

The rebate comes from a budgeted fund and is available while funds last. The homeowner applies, not the contractor. Confirm with Metro Water that it is still open before the job starts, and take your before photos before any demolition. If Omni did the removal, ask us for the job photos and the permit record; between them they cover what the application asks for.

How the Pima County Assessor treats a removed pool

The Pima County Assessor values a pool as an amenity, part of the improvements on the parcel. When the pool comes out, the amenity is gone, and the valuation that follows should reflect it.

The timing matters. There is no mid-year proration for a pool you choose to remove. Arizona law, A.R.S. 42-15157, allows a value to be prorated from the date property is destroyed after the rolls close, and the Arizona Department of Revenue’s guidance says property intentionally removed for reasons other than damage or destruction from an accident, fire, flood or storm is not eligible. A pool removal is a choice, so the change shows on the next valuation.

How much the tax bill drops depends on how the Assessor carried the pool and on your tax rate, so we do not quote a number.

Why the permit matters to the Assessor

A permit is the paper trail that tells the county the pool is gone. Sahuarita’s demolition checklist states that demolition permits are reported to the Pima County Assessor. A permitted removal puts the change on record. An unpermitted fill can leave the Assessor with a pool on file that is no longer in the yard, and it leaves the next buyer with a question, because the Arizona Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement asks at line 135 whether a pool was removed, capped or filled.

Omni prepares the site plan, files the permit application, pays the fee and schedules the inspections on every removal. The detail for each jurisdiction is in our article on pool demolition permits in Pima County.

What changes on your monthly bills

The rebate is a one-time $200 at most. The bigger change is monthly. A pool loses water to evaporation and needs topping off, it runs a pump, and it needs chemicals, service and repairs. If it is heated, it uses gas or electricity for that too. Water, sewer, electricity, gas, chemicals, service and repairs on a Tucson pool run several thousand dollars a year. When the pool is gone, those stop.

Our pool removal page covers the removal methods, pricing and permits.

Get a written pool removal quote

Call (520) 222-8503 or send us your address and a photo of the pool. The TerraSpec, the pool removal cost calculator adds up what your pool costs each year using Tucson area water, sewer, electric and gas rates, and shows the payback against the cost of removal.

Sources

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