A basketball hoop, flagpole or clothesline post is a metal pole sunk into a block of concrete. The pole is light work. The footing is the job. It is heavy, and you have to choose what to do with the hole after.
Call before you dig
BC 1 Call's homeowner page lists installing posts and anchoring playground equipment among the jobs that need a locate request. If you are digging out a footing, treat it the same way. The service is free, and you can submit online or call 1 800 474 6886.
The metal
Hoop poles, flagpoles and clothesline posts are metal. Check that it can be separated from the base first, then take it to a scrap metal recycler. Our metal recycling page explains how scrap metal moves. Surrey's large item pickup list includes a basketball hoop as an accepted outdoor item. Check your own city's list for one that fits.
Surrey's list says metal pipes and tubes are not accepted, so a bare pole is a scrap yard job.
Weigh the footing
Concrete is heavy, and a footing can be bigger than it looks. Metro Vancouver bans single objects over 100 kg from its disposal sites, so a footing that heavy has to be broken up first. Breaking it up creates dust, and Metro Vancouver's toolkit lists concrete among materials that can contain silica, so keep it damp and wear a dust mask rated for it.
Concrete in its own bin
At Trash King, concrete goes in its own 10 or 12-yard bin. It never goes in a larger bin or in with junk. Small footings add up to a small load. If there is some dirt too, ask about a mixed concrete and dirt bin (10 or 12-yard), which costs extra. Our concrete page and our post on concrete and dirt disposal cover the details.
The hole
Fill the hole with clean soil or gravel and tamp it, or plan to put a new post in. If you are replacing the post, call before you dig again.
Putting the bin on your driveway takes no permit. Some cities ask for a permit when a bin sits on the street or lane, so check with yours before delivery. We will time delivery to your permit dates.
FAQ
Do I call before I dig out a footing? BC 1 Call lists installing posts and anchoring playground equipment. Treat a footing the same way. It is free.
Can the metal pole go in the concrete bin? No. Concrete goes in its own bin, and metal goes to scrap.
Does Surrey take a basketball hoop? Yes. Surrey's large item pickup list includes a basketball hoop.
Is a small footing a small load? Ask when you book how to handle a small amount of concrete.