Sometimes, improving your house means you have to destroy things too. You can demolish small items like a shed or garage, but you should call on demolition companies for a quotation when it comes to your home, as they have the experience and tools.
The cost of demolition ranges from £7,000 for a small detached property to about £20,000 for a large property. On average, demolition costs per m2 vary between £80-£110.
This guide will consider the different types of demolition, the regulations, and how much demolition specialists charge for typical projects.
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Topics
How Much Does Demolition Cost?*
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The table below highlights demolition prices depending on a detached house’s area. You can use this resource to calculate costs when considering demolition in your own home.
| Approximate Area | House Size | Average Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 80m2 | Small House | £5,000 |
| 150m2 | £9,500 | |
| 200m2 | Large House | £12,000 |
| 250m2 | £28,000 |
Alternatively, your demolition project might be much smaller and cost much less. For example, to demolish a garage can cost £1,000-£3,000, while removal of a load-bearing wall costs £1,000-£2,000.
* We compiled the cost of these projects from various online resources. Therefore, they’re approximate, and you should use them as a starting point for your research. We’ll also discuss the cost factors that affect demolition services later. However, for accurate quotations, ask a demolition specialist or complete the form on this page.
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Garage Demolition Costs
Sometimes your existing garage is in poor condition, or you need something larger. If so, demolish it and build a new one.
Specific factors affect demolition labour costs:
- The materials have the most significant effect. A concrete garage is cheaper to remove than brick because it’s constructed with removable panels. Or, if it’s a cast-in-situ concrete structure, you can remove large chunks in one go.
- Its size is less significant. However, if you have a double or triple existing garage, the cost is about 1.5 and 2 times that of a single-car structure, respectively.
- The cost of base removal depends on its fabrication. If the garage has concrete foundations and a slab base, it will cost more to remove than strip foundations and a gravel base.
On average, demolishing a typical single-storey garage costs around £2,000, including skip hire, waste disposal fees, concrete base removal, and pneumatic tool hire. Therefore, a double garage costs £3,000, and a triple car structure costs £4,000.
Bathroom Demolition Costs
Demolishing a bathroom depends on many factors, and some will save you money.
- Reuse the fixtures. This is an excellent way to save money. Whether you use the old bath, washbasin or taps depends on your choice.
- Sell old fittings. Sell them secondhand if you don’t reuse fixtures and fittings. However, don’t reuse plumbing fittings as they erode over time. Instead, sell copper pipe and brass fittings for scrap. You can offset this against the expenditure.
- Dispose of waste items. If you have things you can’t use, get rid of them using a skip. But, removing items such as these costs money for labour, skip hire and waste disposal fees.
- Don’t move the plumbing. If you design the new bathroom with this in mind, you can use the existing drainage and plumbing to reduce rebuilding costs.
Using a professional team to strip out a typical bathroom will cost from £500 to £2500 or sometimes more.
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Kitchen Demolition Costs
Many people decide to increase their property’s value by building a new kitchen. Therefore, they must demolish the existing before rebuilding the structure and replacing the units.
Removing a kitchen should be done by professionals who know how to remove the kitchen units and worktop. If you remove all fixtures without damage, you can often sell them secondhand or reuse them in your garage as a workbench.
The following information gives an idea of how much it costs, on average, to remove an existing 9m2 kitchen. Costs include labour and waste removal. However, remember, you will recoup some money by selling the units if you spend time removing them carefully.
- Kitchen cabinets – £50 to £300.
- Worktop – £50 to £150.
- Appliances – £50 to £250.
- Sink & drain – £50 to £80.
- Flooring – £50 to £250.
Remember that the overall cost depends on the kitchen area, number of cabinets, the amount you want to remove and if you want to reuse anything. For example, if you’re going to remove the units and worktop without moving the sink or drains, the total cost will be between £100 and £450. In comparison, for a kitchen larger than 9m2, expect to pay up to £1000. And, if you want to rip everything out completely, the price might be £2500.
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Demolition Quote Factors
Below are some significant factors which influence the quotations you receive from demolition companies.
Size of project
Demolishing multiple buildings will cost more than a single structure, as will variations in structure type.
Type of materials
Most waste disposal companies charge more if your waste skip contains a mixture of materials as it must go to landfill rather than be recycled. For example, a skip containing purely concrete or brick rubble can be hardcore without much separation. However, if the skip load also contains plastics or metal, these must be removed by hand.
Demolition type
There are three types of demolition:
- Top-down demolition – This method usually applies to high-rise buildings where each storey is removed separately, starting at the top. It’s also used with limited working space. The operatives use large wrecking machines to remove the structure, but the rubble will be mixed material.
- Hand demolition – Although not the quickest demolition method, it’s often the safest. Workers use hand tools rather than large equipment to remove the structure, starting at the roof and working down. It’s the best method to use if you want to reuse or recycle materials, as operatives can remove one class of material at a time.
- Explosive demolition – This is the preferred way to remove large buildings efficiently. Specialists often use this method when a structure is surrounded by others, as they can set explosives to collapse the building inwards into its footprint.
Access
Access to the structure is essential for operatives and their tools. However, if the demolition takes place in a busy place such as a town centre, you must restrict access to the public to maintain safety and security. This often includes security fencing, scaffolding and security personnel. It also costs more.
Hazardous materials
There are many hazardous materials used in construction. But, by far, the worst is asbestos. Before being banned in the 1980s and 1990s, builders used asbestos for many purposes, often in garage roofs, panelling, pipe insulation and rainwater guttering. Before demolishing a building constructed before 1999, commission an asbestos survey to determine the presence of this harmful substance. If it’s present, you must use specialist contractors.
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Salvage
Salvageable materials can often help with the cost of demolition. However, waste companies won’t be interested in buying mixed loads. Therefore, keep materials for recycling in separate skips. These include:
- Brick.
- Concrete and blocks.
- Timber.
- Glass.
- Tarmac.
- Plasterboard.
- Plastics & metal.
- Plumbing.
- Electrical wiring.
- Electronics.
A reputable demolition company incorporates the scrap value in their overall estimate.
Planning Permission, Building Control & Compliance
Planning Permission
Most demolition projects won’t need planning permission. However, you might need prior approval from your local Planning Department before beginning demolition work. Approval depends on the type and size of the structure and its location. Therefore, it’s a good idea to contact your local authority before beginning, just in case.
Typical situations where you must gain approval include:
- Listed buildings.
- Conservation areas.
- Pubs and bars.
- Concert halls and theatres.
- Unsafe buildings.
- Outdoor memorials or statues.
The UK government publish full details on their website, or you can contact your local authority.
Building Regulations
You must give at least six weeks notice to your local Building Control office before your demolition project. If necessary, they issue specific conditions for you to comply with. You must also adhere to the regulations dealing with water ingress to the site and the release of hazardous materials, specifically asbestos, and dust in general. The UK Health & Safety Executive publishes vast amounts of material detailing asbestos and what you must do with it.
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Health & Safety
The main contractor must submit a health and safety plan detailing the steps needed to maintain a safe working site. Furthermore, the project must comply with the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015.
Party Walls & Right of Support
If you intend to demolish a terraced or semi-detached structure, you must consider the other properties.
- Your neighbours are legally entitled to a “Right of Support“. This means you have to incorporate structural supports for the neighbouring buildings until the new building is complete. Naturally, this will increase your project expenditure.
- You will also have to negotiate a Party Wall Agreement with your neighbours before starting work.
Structural stability
Some structures, during demolition, must remain safe for the operatives and need a structural engineer’s report detailing the demolition method. You must submit this to the Building Control office for inspection. You will also need an engineer report detailing neighbouring properties’ structural stability.
Environmental considerations
The planning department often needs an ecological report detailing a wildlife survey and the project’s effect on endangered species. You must provide replacement nesting places and habitats for bats, barn owls and other protected species. The report might also specify the time of year that demolition can occur.
What is the process of demolition?
To comply with the appropriate regulations and keep the site safe, you must follow the recommended demolition procedures. The following process is recommended for hand demolition and should separate the various recyclable materials.
- Confirm that you don’t need special permissions for your project with the local authority.
- Consult with the Building Control office and your neighbours before starting work.
- Hire a demolition specialist with the required experience and qualifications.
- Turn off electricity, water, sewage and gas supplies.
- Erect security fencing and scaffolding.
- Hire registered contractors to remove any hazardous material such as asbestos.
- Strip all cables, plumbing, radiators, kitchen and bathroom fittings.
- Remove all doors, windows and easily accessible timber.
- Strip out roof tiles and lead flashing.
- Remove structural timber such as roof rafters and trusses, ceiling and floor joists, and studwork.
- Demolish brickwork or block walls.
- Break and remove concrete pads, redundant drains and foundations.
The time needed for this work depends on the structure’s size and the number of operatives working on the project. However, you can expect this to take from one to two weeks for a typical three-bedroom detached house. Further, demolishing a semi-detached or terraced house will take longer because of the additional structural support.
Why Demolish a Home?
There are many reasons to remove parts of your house. A couple of walls will be enough to build an extension. Alternatively, demolish the entire structure to rebuild something better.
Whatever your project, use contractors skilled in the type of work you have in mind. A general builder might be the best person to remove a couple of walls, whereas specialist contractors can demolish an entire house. We also recommend you use an architect, structural engineer or chartered surveyor to oversee the project as necessary.
Skillfully done building work increases your home’s value and complements your surroundings. Building practices, materials, and technology have improved considerably within the last fifty years or so. Therefore, it might be cheaper to remove and rebuild the original house to modern energy-efficient standards than upgrade. Also, you’ll find that a wholly renewed property will be much more saleable than one without modern energy technology.
Without a doubt, demolition of whatever scale is a complex and challenging task that will bring a lot of upheaval to your family. But, the long-term benefits of such an undertaking are definitely worth it.
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Demolition FAQ
How is demolition cost calculated?
Usually, demolition specialists calculate the project’s costs by using the property’s floor area. Therefore, the first thing to do is measure the floor area in square metres.
Can I tear down a house myself?
Yes, you can demolish your house yourself. But it’s not advisable. You must consider and comply with many regulations. Therefore, it’s much easier to hire a specialist contractor.
What are the three methods of demolition?
There are three types of demolition:
- Top-down demolition.
- Hand demolition.
- Explosive demolition.
Each method has its advantages and disadvantages depending on your circumstances. We considered each of these in more depth previously in this guide.
Next Steps
If you aren’t careful, the cost of demolishing a house can spiral out of control if you haven’t taken everything into account at the planning stage. You need qualified and reputable professionals, experienced in many different aspects of this work, to make your project go smoothly.
Complete the form on this page, and we’ll pass on your details to up to four specialist contractors who will provide a quotation for the project.
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