What To Put In Place Of Your Pool — 6 Ideas That Will Make You Excited To Remove It
What To Put In Place Of Your Pool — 6 Ideas That Will Make You Excited To Remove It
I made the decision this year not to remove my pool — at least not yet. The roof comes first. But I covered it up, shut it down for the season, and started doing something I should have done years ago.
I started dreaming about what goes there instead.
And that’s when something shifted. I stopped thinking about pool removal as losing something and started thinking about it as gaining something. Your backyard is some of the most valuable square footage you own. Right now it’s occupied by a hole in the ground filled with water that you use a few weeks a year. What if that space became something you actually used and loved every single day?
Here are the 6 ideas I’m seriously considering — and why any one of them would transform not just my backyard but the way my family actually lives in it.
1. 🍳 The Outdoor Kitchen
This is the one I keep coming back to. An outdoor kitchen turns your backyard into the place everyone wants to be. We’re talking a built-in grill, a prep area, a mini fridge, maybe a pizza oven. Covered by a pergola or a full roof so you can use it rain or shine.
The space a pool takes up is almost perfectly sized for a serious outdoor kitchen and entertaining area. And here’s the thing — an outdoor kitchen gets used 365 days a year in warmer climates and at least 6 months a year in New England. Compare that to 6 weeks of pool use and the math isn’t even close.
Cost range: $15,000 – $50,000+ depending on size and finishes Home value impact: Strong — outdoor kitchens are one of the highest ROI outdoor improvements Best for: Families who love to entertain, cookouts, having people over
2. 🏀 The Sports Court
If you have kids this one is a no-brainer. A full or half basketball court in the space where your pool used to be. Add a pickleball court — the fastest growing sport in America — and suddenly your backyard is the most popular spot on the street.
The pool space is almost always large enough for a half court with room to spare. Add lighting and you’ve got a space your kids will use every single day after school — not just 6 weeks in the summer.
Cost range: $10,000 – $35,000 for a proper surfaced court with lines and hoops Home value impact: Moderate — appeals strongly to families with children Best for: Active families, kids of any age, neighborhoods where kids play outside
3. 🏡 The Pavilion or Pergola
A covered outdoor living space that becomes a true extension of your home. Imagine a beautiful pavilion with ceiling fans, string lights, comfortable outdoor furniture, a fireplace or fire pit. A space where you can sit outside on a rainy day, host dinner parties, or just relax with a book on a summer evening.
This is the most versatile option — a pavilion pairs with almost everything else on this list. Put the outdoor kitchen under it. Put the fire pit next to it. Add a hot tub on one side. The covered structure becomes the anchor of your entire backyard.
Cost range: $20,000 – $80,000+ for a quality permanent structure Home value impact: Very strong — covered outdoor living space is highly valued Best for: Homeowners who want year-round outdoor living, entertainers, anyone who loves being outside
4. 🌿 The Garden — Growing Your Own Food
This one surprised me when it came up on my list. But the more I think about it the more I love it. The space a pool occupies — typically 500 to 800 square feet — is enough for a serious vegetable and herb garden that could supply a significant portion of your family’s food.
Raised beds, a greenhouse, fruit trees along the perimeter, a composting area. In a good year you could grow tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, herbs, lettuce, carrots — essentially a full kitchen garden. The money you save on groceries adds up fast and there’s something deeply satisfying about eating food you grew yourself.
Cost range: $3,000 – $15,000 for raised beds, soil, irrigation, and basic greenhouse Home value impact: Moderate — appeals to a specific buyer but increasingly popular Best for: Families who cook at home, health conscious homeowners, anyone who wants to reduce grocery bills
5. 🔥 The Fire Pit and Outdoor Lounge
Sometimes the best answer is the simplest one. A beautifully designed fire pit area with built-in seating, natural stone, and proper landscaping creates a gathering space your family will use constantly. Add string lights overhead and it becomes magical at night.
A fire pit area costs significantly less than most other options and can be done in phases — start with the fire pit and seating, add landscaping over time, eventually add a pergola overhead. The pool space gives you enough room to do it right with generous seating and room to move around.
Cost range: $5,000 – $20,000 for a quality built-in fire pit with seating and landscaping Home value impact: Good — outdoor fire features are universally appealing Best for: Families who gather outside, homeowners on a tighter budget, anyone who loves outdoor evenings
6. 🌳 The Lawn — Sometimes Simple Is Best
Don’t underestimate the value of just having a beautiful open lawn where your pool used to be. Especially if you have young children — open green space for them to run, play, and just be kids is something money genuinely can’t buy.
A properly done full pool removal leaves you with a flat, usable yard that can be seeded or sodded into a beautiful lawn. No structures, no features — just space. Clean, open, versatile space that can become anything you want it to be later.
Cost range: $2,000 – $8,000 for quality backfill, grading, and sod or seeding Home value impact: Strong — usable outdoor space is universally valued Best for: Families with young children, homeowners who want flexibility, anyone who values simplicity
The Decision I Haven’t Made Yet
I covered my pool this season to see how life feels without it. So far — honestly — I don’t miss it at all. The backyard is quieter. The maintenance stress is gone. And I find myself out there more often, just sitting and thinking about what that space could become.
Right now I’m leaning toward a combination — a covered pavilion with an outdoor kitchen underneath, a fire pit area to one side, and proper landscaping that makes the whole thing look intentional and beautiful. The goal is a backyard that increases my home’s value, that we use every single day, and that becomes the place our family and friends actually want to spend time.
That’s a very different vision than a pool that gets used 6 weeks a year.
If you’re at this stage of the thinking process — dreaming about what your backyard could become — you’re closer to removing your pool than you think.
One Thing Every Option Has In Common
Every single idea on this list requires one critical step before it can happen — properly removing the pool first. And that means finding the right contractor, understanding the process, and getting real quotes from verified professionals in your area.
That’s exactly what ByeByePool is here for.
Ready to start getting real quotes from verified pool removal contractors in your area? It takes 60 seconds and costs nothing.
