In short
In Alhaurín el Grande we remove and fill in pools, demolish terraces, sheds and garden walls, and clear the plot afterwards. The municipality runs from the northern slope of the Sierra de Mijas down to the Guadalhorce plain, so many pools are built into a slope and held by retaining walls, which changes how the job is planned. Near the protected monuments of the old town, a técnico should confirm the procedure first.
Pools on a slope: what makes Alhaurín el Grande different
The municipal area of Alhaurín el Grande extends from the northern slope of the Sierra de Mijas down to the Guadalhorce plain. On the hillside plots and on the golf estate, a pool is rarely dug into flat ground: it is usually set on a terrace, with one side partly above ground and a retaining wall below it. Removing it is therefore as much about the slope as about the pool.
What we look at on a sloping plot before quoting:
- whether the pool's downhill wall is also holding back the terrace or the garden below;
- how the plot drains when rain runs down from the sierra;
- whether a machine can reach the pool from above, or only by a ramp built for the job;
- which of the existing terraces and retaining walls must stay untouched.
Where a wall holds ground, nothing is cut until your técnico has looked at it. The guide on retaining wall removal risks explains why.
Alhaurín Golf: villas, communities and planned access
Alhaurín Golf is mainly detached villas and townhouses around the course, many owned by people who live abroad for part of the year. Typical requests are a dated pool removed to make room for a lawn or a smaller plunge pool, a covered terrace taken back to an open one, or a storage room and pool plant room demolished.
On an estate with a community of owners or a gated entrance, ask the administrator how contractors are let in and whether the community has rules on noise hours or lorry access. We fit the work to those rules and send you photos as it progresses, so you do not need to be there. Partial jobs on terraces and garden buildings are covered under terrace and outbuilding demolition.
Near the old town: when heritage rules may apply
Alhaurín el Grande preserves a 12th-century Moorish arch, the Arco del Cobertizo, and its church of Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación was declared a Bien de Interés Cultural (Monument) by Decree 46/2004. Since Decreto-ley 3/2024, the demolition of buildings and constructions in Andalusia is generally done by declaración responsable, but anything protected, in a protected setting or in an archaeological zone still needs a licencia urbanística.
Most pools are far from the historic centre, so this rarely affects a garden job. If your property is close to these monuments, ask your técnico to confirm with the Ayuntamiento de Alhaurín el Grande which procedure applies before dates are fixed. We work with that documentation; we do not file it. The guide do you need a permit to remove a pool in Spain sets out the general rule.
After the pool: levelling the terrace and clearing the plot
When a pool on a terrace is removed, the space it leaves has to be filled and shaped so that the terrace stays stable and water runs off in the right direction. The broken pool floor lets water drain, crushed clean rubble goes in first, and soil is added in compacted layers up to the level your garden designer or architect wants. That basic shaping is part of our groundworks and levelling after demolition; detailed landscaping is for your gardener.
Old block walls and wire fences that divided the terraces can come out in the same visit through our wall and fence removal service. Rubble is sorted on site and delivered to an authorised facility, with the receipts sent to you. If you are demolishing more than the garden, see house and villa demolition in Alhaurín el Grande on our sister site.
Services
Pool removal and pool demolition on the Costa del Sol
Full or partial removal of concrete and block pools, including coping, pool beach and plant room, with sorted rubble and compacted backfill.
Terrace demolition, pergola removal and outbuilding demolition
Tiled terraces, porches, pergolas, pool houses, sheds and single garages removed and sorted, so the garden can start again.
Wall removal and fence removal for villa gardens
Garden walls, boundary fences, gate pillars and – after a técnico's assessment – retaining walls, removed down to the footings.
Groundworks and basic levelling after a demolition
Backfilling, compaction and basic levelling of the ground left by a demolished pool, terrace or outbuilding.
Frequently asked questions
Do you work in Alhaurín Golf?
Yes. Pools, terraces, plant rooms and garden walls on the golf estate are typical jobs for us, and we adapt to the community's access and noise rules.
My pool is built into a slope. Can it be filled in?
Usually yes, but the downhill wall may be retaining the terrace. In that case it is often kept as a retaining wall and only the rest is broken down, after a técnico has checked it.
Will removing the pool affect the terrace below?
It should not, if the retaining elements are identified first and left in place. That is why we inspect the whole slope, not only the pool.
Is my property near the old town affected by heritage rules?
Only if it is protected, in a protected setting or in an archaeological zone. Ask your técnico to confirm it with the ayuntamiento before work is planned.
Can you level the area for a lawn afterwards?
Yes, we leave a basic, compacted level ready for topsoil and planting. Final landscaping, irrigation and turf are done by your gardener.
Can you remove the pool house and its roof as well?
Yes. If the roof is fibre cement that may contain asbestos, that part is removed by a RERA-registered company working as our subcontractor, and we coordinate the rest.
Do you work with my architect or builder?
Yes. We work from your técnico's documentation and coordinate dates with your architect, builder or landscaper.
Do you clear land with only vegetation on it?
Pure vegetation clearing is not a standard service. Ask us and we will tell you whether we can help or who to contact.
How do you protect the rest of the garden?
We agree the machine route in advance, protect paving and paths where needed and keep the work area fenced off.
Is a health and safety study needed?
Every construction or demolition job has a safety and health study or a basic study, depending on its size, and the contractor prepares its own safety plan from it.