How much does demolition cost?

The demolition costs in this article are correct as of 2022

Sometimes tradespeople aren’t there to add things to your home - they’re there to take things away. Removing unwanted elements from your home, whether it’s a shed, a wall, or even the entire property itself, can be a specialist job, especially when hazardous materials are involved, but can be essential to carry out either on its own or as part of a larger project. We’ve compiled some common prices for demolition and waste clearance costs.

How much does it cost to demolish a house?

The price for demolishing a house depends largely on its size, and to a lesser extent on a number of smaller factors. As you would expect, the cost to demolish a small bungalow will be considerably less than the price for hiring a demolitions specialist to take down a large detached two-storey house.

It is hard to calculate a general price per square metre because of the number of complicating factors, but there are broad price ranges that you can keep in mind. For very small properties, such as bungalows, demolition costs may be as low as £5,000 if there are no complicating factors, rising to £8,000 or more. With larger homes, then prices up to £12,000 and beyond are not uncommon. A large portion of these costs will be taken up with transporting the waste materials away.

Some of the other factors that can complicate this overall price are discussed below.

Garage Demolition costs

The cost of demolishing a garage often has more to do with the materials than the size involved, assuming most garages of a fairly standard size (large enough to hold a single car). Concrete may be cheaper than brick, as it easier to take down the panels. Altogether, including labour, skip hire and waste fees, and tearing up and removing the concrete base, demolishing a garage could cost between £500 and £2,500. 

Other demolition costs to consider

Most demolition projects, even of homes, will not require planning permission, but there are circumstances where it will be necessary, especially if your home is listed or is in a conservation area. If you do need planning permission, this can cost around £200 to apply for.

Another key element that can increase the price is if asbestos is involved at any point. This building material was very popular before the 1990s, and was often used for roofs, particularly in garages, as well as in panelling, pipework and guttering. If you believe that the structure you want to demolish includes asbestos, you should speak to a specialist who can deal with its safe removal. It will cost more to deal with, but it is vital that it is done safely.

There are things that can mitigate the cost though - for example, elements in your home may have some salvage value that can offset the cost of demolishing the building. Everything from copper piping, to good quality brickwork, timber, and even features like radiators, sinks and countertops can be sold on in some capacity.