How Much Does It Cost to Demolish a House? [2024 Data]
Normal range: $6,000 - $25,500
The average cost to demolish a house is $15,800, but the price you pay depends on the type of house you have and how large the home is.
Square footage is the biggest factor in determining the cost to demolish a home, with prices ranging from $4 to $17 per square foot. Access and location are also major factors because bringing heavy equipment on difficult terrain is costlier. Lastly, materials matter because, as the Big Bad Wolf knows, it's a lot easier to tear down a wooden home than it is to topple brick.
- Average
- $15,800
- Low end
- $4,800
- high end
- $50,000
Average Cost to Demolish a House
Demolishing a house will cost you different amounts based on the size, type, and region of the property you’re demolishing. Taking those factors into calculation, you can expect to pay between $6,000 and $25,500, with an average cost of $15,800 for a house that’s about 2,000 square feet.
How Much Does It Cost to Demolish a House by Square Foot?
Prices to demolish a home range from $4 to $17 per square foot. A professional home demolition service near you will be able to give you a quote, but here's how much you can expect to pay based on home size:
| Size | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| 1,200 square feet | $4,800–$20,400 |
| 1,500 square feet | $6,000–$25,500 |
| 2,000 square feet | $8,000–$34,000 |
| 2,500 square feet | $10,000–$32,500 |
| 3,000 square feet | $12,000–$51,000 |
House Demolition Cost Factors
The cost to demolish a house depends on how big the house is, where it’s located, and the labor prices in your area. Here are the main factors to consider as you plan your project.
Home Size
The more square footage, the higher the cost of the demolition. Larger homes require more time and tools, and there are more materials to dispose of. The median cost of demolishing a 1,500-square-foot home is $15,570, whereas the median cost for a 2,500-square-foot house is $21,250.
Location
Tearing down a home in the city is far more expensive than in a rural area. Demolishing a 1,500-square-foot home can run from $6,000 in rural areas to $25,500 in densely populated cities. It’s easier to access a rural home, whereas a dense urban setting requires careful setup and cleanup.
Permits
No matter where the house you’re demolishing is located, you’ll need to check in with the local government and find out what types of permits are needed before starting. Often, demolition permits require water, sewer, and gas lines to be capped off in advance so they aren’t damaged in the process. You need to pay for a plumber, gas company, and other local professionals to get that done before demolition. Permits average between $50 and $100 each, so it’s important to include them in your project budget.
Labor
The cost of labor differs dramatically based on your area and the cost of living. Contractor rates range from $50 to $100 per hour depending on where you live and what your demo involves, although most projects are priced per square foot. In general, large metropolitan areas tend to have higher wages than rural locations. Busy construction seasons can also raise labor prices.
Cleaning and Disposal
Some contractors include cleanup and disposal in their quote, but be sure to check your itemized contract before signing—the average cost ranges from $300 to $1,800. If your home has asbestos, you might have to pay an added cost to dispose of the asbestos properly, which averages about $2,000.
If your contractor doesn’t include disposal in your project, you’ll need to take care of this crucial step yourself. Demolition comes with an enormous amount of waste, and you have to be responsible for the proper disposal of all materials. Sometimes, hiring a local waste removal company is the best call, as they’ll handle the hard work for you. Other times, you may want to rent a dumpster to toss all the debris into over a longer period of time.
Junk removal costs anywhere from $60 to $600 depending on the volume and materials you’re parting with, while dumpsters cost an average of $380 per week.
Machinery Costs
Depending on how you demo the house, your contractor might use machinery such as forklifts and sledgehammers. The cost of the machinery and skilled labor to operate it can impact the project’s cost. Equipment rental costs around $100 to $250 per hour with an operator, but most contractors factor in machinery costs when setting their price per square foot.
Demolition vs. Deconstruction
A demolition removes the structure altogether and often involves the cost of machinery. Deconstruction focuses on salvaging reusable materials. Machinery isn’t usually needed, but the project costs much more in labor due to the extra time involved. Your deconstruction cost might be on the higher end of the price per square foot in your area. You may be able to qualify for a tax write-off if you deconstruct instead of demolish.
Additional Demolition
Demolishing your home may include more than just the house itself. Consider any additional structures on your property that may need to go, too—and the permits you’ll need to do it all.
| Additional Demolition Factors | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Permits | $100–$500 each |
| Foundation | $1,000–$5,000 |
| Deck | $5–$15 per square foot |
| Driveway | $1–$2 per square foot |
How Much Does It Cost to Demolish a Structure by Type?
The type of home you have definitely impacts what you’ll pay to demolish the house. Here’s what to expect.
Traditional Home
While the average cost of a full demolition on a house ranges from $4,800 to over $34,000, other structures are much less expensive to bring down. Also, some people choose deconstruction over demolition, which is more environmentally friendly, as it involves taking a traditional house apart piece by piece and salvaging as much as possible.
Mobile Home
The cost to demolish a mobile home averages $4 per square foot, so a home that’s 15 feet by 50 feet should cost somewhere around $3,000. Many people who demolish their mobile homes walk away with some profit by selling the sheet metal they’re made from.
Shed or Barn
Dismantling a shed or barn will come with an hourly rate between $50 and $100. Since sheds are often small, they usually only take a few hours to demolish, whereas a barn can run larger in size but is usually constructed from wood, which comes down easily.
Additional Home Demolition Costs and Considerations
Depending on how big your project is, there are a few additional items you may want to keep in mind as you’re calculating your budget.
Basement Demolition
Basement demolition costs depend on what your basement floor is made of, as well as the square footage and number of materials that need removing. If your basement floor is concrete, or the floor needs leveling, it will be more costly to demolish. On average, basement demolition ranges from $300 to $4,000 for a small home and $5,000 to $25,000 for a larger home.
Rebuilding on Site
You may want to expand your demolition project into a renovation project by rebuilding the home or room on site. This means swapping out your hired demolition crew for a local interior or home remodeling crew to finish the job. Include home renovation costs in your budget, which can average $50,200 for a whole house.
Asbestos Removal
You may be aware (or surprised) to know that there could be asbestos hidden in the walls of your home. This material is highly dangerous, and it’s common in homes that were built before the 1980s. Asbestos removal should always be performed by a professional in protective gear to avoid inhaling its particles or making skin contact. There are companies that specialize in asbestos removal services, which you can call to handle that portion of the demolition.
How Much Does It Cost to Demolish a Home Near Me?
The biggest cost factor to a demo job is not the house—it's the neighbors. All those swinging sledgehammers need elbow room, and the more crowded the workspace, the more time it takes.
Rural vs. Urban
Costs to demolish homes grow as population density grows. Tearing down a 1,500-square-foot home in a rural area can cost as little as $3,000. That same home could cost up to $18,000 to demolish in a crowded urban setting.
How Much of My Home Can I Tear Down on My Budget?
The cost to demo a home’s interior is much more affordable than razing your entire house. Ask demolition contractors about a partial demolition if most of your home is usable. This lets you redo your home without starting at the foundation.
$1,200 to $5,000
Choosing just to remove some interior walls to open up space in your home is a very cost-effective alternative to full demolition. You can get the open layout of your dreams without changing your home's exterior look.
$2,000 to $10,000
If you'd like to keep a demolition project under $10,000, consider just tearing down a garage that is making your home outdated. The cost to demolish a garage ranges from $2,000 to $10,000 for most homeowners. This can also protect your home from any rot in a deteriorating garage.
$22,500 or more
If you're ready to spend $22,000 or more, you're in the wheelhouse of a full demolition. From here, you'll have a clean slate for a rebuild. While pricey, it can be much cheaper than purchasing a new plot of land to build on.
How Much Does It Cost to Demolish a House Yourself?
Demolishing a home without the help of demolition contractors isn't your average DIY project. First, equipment rentals for demolition trucks, forklifts, and sledgehammers can range from $450 to $3,000 per day.
You'll also need to know which demolition permits to pull. However, doing a home demolition on your own is hazardous because you're destabilizing a heavy structure. Homeowners need to be aware of things like oil hookups, gas lines, electrical connections, load-bearing walls, and much more. Contractors also have insurance that protects your project. There are also some safety rules and regulations regarding asbestos removal from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, especially for houses built in the 1970s or earlier.
DIY vs. Hiring a Pro
Home demolition is a serious and often dangerous business that requires the expertise of professional contractors and engineers to avoid injuries. Unless you own your own construction company, demolition projects shouldn’t be attempted on a DIY basis. The only exception would be if you were demolishing a wall or two to open up a space.
If you want to save money, there may be sections of cleanup and disposal you could handle on your own, but you would have to discuss this with the contractor or demolition crew hired for the job.
Jenna Jonaitis contributed to this piece.
Frequently Asked Questions
While both demolition and renovation cost money, demolition is an answer that’s well suited to a home or property where you plan to stay for a long time. If you can afford to tear it down and rebuild it, it’s likely going to be a better investment. You’ll be using new materials that will have a longer life span as opposed to renovating with the older materials found within the house.
While general contractors sometimes handle demolition, you can also look specifically for local demolition contractors. Demolition experts need to understand structural integrity, the equipment needed for safe demolition, and the permits required for demolition.
If your home has good bones, you can save a lot of money by doing a partial demolition that opens up walls or removes a rotting addition. A full demolition is typically only done when a house is a "tear down" property with less value than the land underneath it.
A house demolition entails removing the structure of your home using demolition equipment. This leaves most of the materials practically unusable. You can reduce project costs and harvest building materials by choosing deconstruction instead. Deconstruction involves salvaging as many reusable materials and structural pieces from the home as possible. The foundation is typically left intact.