Green Pool Cleanup Cost in Las Vegas: Shock vs Drain and Clean

Updated 2026-11-05 · For Las Vegas pool owners

A green pool in Las Vegas is almost always an algae bloom that got a head start. Our sun burns off chlorine in a day or two, the water sits at 85 to 90 degrees from June through September, and one missed week of chemicals is enough. The good news is that a green pool is a known job for local companies. The two ways to fix it cost very different amounts, so it helps to know which one you are looking at before you call.

What it usually means

Light green, you can see the bottom: early algae, low or zero chlorine. A chemical cleanup works.
Dark green, bottom not visible: a full bloom, often with debris on the floor. Chemical cleanup still works but takes more visits and more filter cleaning.
Black or brown, swamp smell, floating leaves and bugs: the water has been dead for weeks or months. Many companies will recommend a drain and clean because shocking that much organic load is slow and the chemicals alone can cost hundreds.
Green plus very high stabilizer or calcium: Las Vegas tap water is hard, and years of tablets push cyanuric acid up. If the water chemistry is far out of range, a drain fixes two problems at once.

What a technician will check

Expect a full water test (chlorine, pH, alkalinity, cyanuric acid, calcium hardness, phosphates), a look at the filter type and pressure gauge, and a check that the pump actually moves water. A dead pump is a common reason the pool turned green in the first place, and no amount of shock fixes a pool that is not circulating. The tech will also look at the plaster. A pool that has been green for a long time often has staining that only an acid wash will remove, which changes the quote.

What it costs in Las Vegas

Job	Las Vegas range
Chemical cleanup, light to moderate green	$350 to $800
Chemical cleanup, dark green or black water	$800 to $1,500 and up
Drain, clean, and refill (labor)	$700 to $1,500
Water to refill a typical pool	$90 to $270 on your water bill
Add an acid wash while drained	$300 to $700 more

These are Las Vegas ranges to judge a quote by, not a quote. Chemical cleanups vary because the company is really selling return trips: each visit means more shock, more brushing, and another filter clean, and a dark pool can take 4 to 7 visits. A drain and clean varies with pool size, how much debris has to be shoveled out, and whether the plaster needs an acid wash once it is empty.

Las Vegas draining rules

You cannot drain a pool to the street or the storm drain here. The Las Vegas Valley Water District requires pool water to go into the sanitary sewer through the home's sewer cleanout, usually a capped pipe near the house. The recommended maximum flow is 12 gallons per minute, and you should watch the cleanout so it does not back up. Turn off the breaker to the pump and shut the autofill valve first. Water running into the gutter counts as water waste, and residential fines start at $80 and climb for repeat violations. Homes on septic have separate guidance from the Southern Nevada Health District and should not drain into the septic system. One more local rule of thumb: do not drain in midsummer. Empty plaster in 110 degree sun can crack and delaminate, so companies prefer to drain from October to April.

Can you do it yourself

A light green pool is a reasonable weekend job if your pump and filter work: test the water, raise chlorine hard with liquid chlorine, brush, run the pump around the clock, and clean the filter every day until it clears. Budget $100 to $300 in chemicals. A dark or black pool, a dead pump, or any drain job is where a company earns its fee. Draining in particular has a water bill, a sewer rule, and a plaster risk attached, and a company that does it weekly will have the pumps and the timing right.

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