Renting a Skid Steer to Move Dirt and Materials on a Pool Build

The morning after the dig, the backyard has a hole in it, a spoil pile the size of a garage next to the hole, and a gravel truck idling at the curb because that is as close as it can get. The excavator did its job and left. Everything from here on, the spoil going out, the backfill and gravel coming back in, the pavers and steel and plumbing that have to get from the street to the shell, is a skid steer job. Renting a skid steer for a pool build is how you connect the curb to the hole for the rest of the project, and the backyard gate decides which machine you rent.

What the dig leaves behind

A pool excavation produces more spoil than the hole's volume, because dug soil fluffs up as it comes out, so plan on moving a large pile before anything comes back in. The excavator makes the pile; the skid steer is what moves it.

Soil expands when it is broken loose, often by a quarter to a third of its in-ground volume, so a modest residential pool still leaves dozens of cubic yards sitting in the yard. Some of it goes back in as backfill or gets spread for grading if the plan allows, and the rest hauls off. Either way, the pile is sitting where the next trade needs to work, so moving it is the first job.

Access decides the machine

A backyard pool is reached through a gate or a side yard, so the machine's width, and whether it tears up the lawn on every trip, matters more than its size. Measure the path from the curb to the hole before you book anything.

A compact track loader floats on soft or torn-up ground and is the usual pick once the yard is a mess. A wheeled skid steer is cheaper and fine on a firm path. If the gate is under 4 feet, a mini skid steer is the only machine getting through, and it still moves a loaded bucket and a pallet of pavers. Lay plywood or mats on the lawn, run every trip on the same path, and make sure the machine's rated capacity covers a full bucket of wet soil and your heaviest pallet. Read more about a compact track loader versus a skid steer, and about renting a mini skid steer for tight-access backyard projects.

Haul the spoil out

Run the spoil from the pile to the dump trailer at the curb in a steady loop, bucket low and full, before the shell goes in, because the pile is in the way of everything that follows. Spoil removal sets the pace for the whole build.

Back a dump trailer or a dump truck to the curb or the driveway, fill it from the pile in a loop of short trips, and keep any clean soil the plan calls for in a separate pile for later. Clear it while the hole is still just a hole, since once the shell, plumbing and steel are in, the yard has far less room to work. Read more about how to unload a dump trailer without tipping it at the other end.

Bring the backfill in

Once the shell is in, backfill and gravel go back in around it in lifts, and the skid steer carries each load from the curb to the hole and places it where the crew can compact it. Never dump backfill against the shell from height.

Gravel or the approved backfill material goes in a layer at a time, placed with the bucket low rather than dropped, and the crew compacts each lift before the next one lands. Keep the machine's weight well off the shell's edge and off the plumbing trench, since a loaded skid steer on the lip crushes pipe and shifts the shell. Follow the pool builder's backfill spec to the letter; some shells have to be filled with water before any backfill goes against them. The spec, not the operator, decides the order.

Stage the material

Pavers, rebar, plumbing, coping and decking all arrive at the curb, and forks on the skid steer put each pallet where the next trade needs it instead of where the delivery truck could reach. Staging is the quiet half of the job and the one that keeps the schedule.

Pallet forks carry pavers, coping and bagged material; the bucket handles gravel and sand. Stage by trade order so the plumber's material is not buried under the mason's, and keep the one access path clear so the next load can get through. Read more about skid steer attachments and when to use them.

Work safe around the hole

An open excavation has edges that give way under a loaded machine, so keep the skid steer back from the lip, carry loads low and watch for the crew below. The edge is the hazard on a pool build, and it gets worse after rain.

Stay well back from the edge, especially on wet or sandy ground, and never work above people in the excavation. Carry every load low, use a spotter when you have to approach the hole, and treat the backfill ramp like the slope it is. Read more about how to avoid tipping a mini skid steer on slopes.

What about insurance and damage protection?

Before operating rented equipment, contact your insurance provider to ask whether your policy covers liability for heavy equipment operation on your property or job site.

Eligible rentals booked through Big Rentals also include Basic Rental Protection at checkout. This added protection can help limit your financial responsibility for certain damage or theft events during the rental period.

For full details on how Basic Rental Protection works, including deductibles, exclusions and renter responsibilities, review our FAQ and platform terms.

The Short Version

• A pool dig leaves more spoil than the hole's volume, and moving it out is the first skid steer job
• The gate picks the machine: track loader on soft ground, wheeled on a firm path, mini under 4 feet, mats on the lawn
• Loop the spoil to a dump trailer at the curb before the shell goes in
• Place backfill in lifts, low, compacted between, off the shell's edge, per the builder's spec
• Forks stage pavers, coping and plumbing by trade order; the bucket handles gravel and sand
• Stay off the excavation edge, carry loads low, and never work above the crew in the hole

Browse earthmoving equipment rentals near you.