3 Factors That Will Determine Residential Demolition Cost

September 22, 2019

A Yellow Excavator Is Demolishing a Purple House — Northern Rivers Demolition & Asbestos in Skennars Head, NSW

First time renovating a new home or having a demolition done?

Major renovation projects often require a demolition service to completely remove all the unwanted materials for the new build.

But this can be intimidating for first timers. Especially when you don’t know how much it costs and why it costs so much.

To make things a little less scary, listed below are 3 factors that determine the cost of a residential demolition project.

#1. The size and structure of the house to be demolished.

Typically, the larger floor area, the more expensive the demolition.

A 300 square meter house will take more time and may require more manpower to knock down compared to a 200 square meter one.

Likewise, the material of the house to be demolished is also factored into the cost. A house made from concrete or metal frames will be more expensive than a house made of wood or any other lighter material.

#2. Special permits in accordance with local regulations

A permit issued by your state is required before you can start with any demolition process.

The cost of these permits depends on the state you are in. They can get expensive and drive your demolition costs higher than estimated.

In addition to the residential permits, a special permit may be needed if the house is found to contain dangerous materials such as asbestos.

In older houses, asbestos was used as part of the insulation for floor tiles, walls, and ceilings. But its use has been banned since the 1980s due to its cancerous effects. Special tools and removal procedures are required to be used by the demolition company to remove them from the project site, which then adds to the total cost.