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Demolition Costs

By Sam

Last updated 9th June 2025 - Reading time: 15 mins

At a Glance

The average cost of demolition is around £8,800.
This job will take around 1 week to complete.

In this demolition costs guide, you'll discover the following:

A breakdown of the average demolition costs for different buildings, including house and garage demolition costs.
What affects house demolition costs and how you can make cost-effective choices.
How to find and hire a local demolition expert.

Want to discover the cost of demolition?

On average, you can expect to pay around £8,800 for demolition in the UK. The exact price you'll pay will depend on the size of the structure, the type of building, and the complexity of the work.

In this guide, we'll explore everything you need to know about demolition, including the different types of demolition available and all the costs associated with this job.

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Average Demolition Cost:

Depending on the complexity of the job, it usually takes: 1 week

£8,800

How Much Does Demolition Cost?
- Demolition Prices
Demolition Costs (Supply Only)
Additional Demolition Costs
Labour Cost of Demolition
What Factors Impact Demolition Costs?
Can I DIY Demolition?
What's Involved in Demolition?
Benefits of Professional Demolition
Building Regulations & Planning Permission for Demolition
Checklist: Hiring a Demolition Specialist in the UK
FAQs
Sources

How Much Does Demolition Cost?

Demolishing an old house to make way for a new one is a necessary step for people wanting to build their own property from the ground up.

On a smaller scale, demolition can also be needed for structures like sheds, garages, and old extensions that need to come down for safety reasons or to allow further home improvements to be made.

So, how much does it cost to demolish a house?

In the UK, demolition costs are in the range of £8,800. The cost of demolition varies greatly depending on what you're demolishing. The price you'll pay will differ depending on the structure in question - garage demolition costs are lower than a full house demolition, for example.

Demolition can be hard to budget for. There are things to consider, such as seeking permission from local authorities, planning the work, and thinking about the cost to prepare the base for the new structure being put in its place - all of which we'll cover in this demolition guide.

I'd like an old brick shed demolished carefully, so I can reuse or sell the bricks. How long should I expect this to take?

"Depends on the size of shed and how strong the cement bed and joints are connecting the bricks. I would have said you could probably do it in a day if it was a 4 metre square shed, for £400, leaving the site clean and tidy."

CR Developments

Demolition Prices

Demolition Type	Low Range	High Range	Average Cost
Small house (80m² - 120m²)	£4,400	£9,900	£7,150
Large house (200m² - 250m²)	£13,750	£33,000	£24,200
Garage demolition	£1,100	£3,300	£2,200
Remove a load-bearing wall	£1,320	£2,200	£1,650

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House Demolition Price

Depending on the structure's size, the cost of demolishing a house can vary. On average, you're looking at a cost of £13,500 for a medium-sized house.

There are plenty of reasons you might want to demolish a house:

You're planning a new build and want to use the land the existing structure is on
The existing building has serious structural issues, and for safety reasons, you need to demolish it
You want to save money on renovating an old structure and want to start afresh

Size of House	Average Demolition Cost
Small house (80m² - 120m²)	£7,150
Medium house (150m² - 200m²)	£13,500
Large house (200m² - 250m²)	£24,200

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Garage Demolition Price

Demolishing a garage can be a great solution if you don't use the space and want to repurpose the area. Garage demoliton costs are fairly low, around £2,200 on average.

Doing away with your garage can help to open the space up for new uses:

Creating space for a house extension to convert into a home office, extra living room, or bedroom
The space can be used to extend your driveway or to add more greenery to the front of your home
If the existing garage has asbestos or is in a state of disrepair, removing it can improve the appearance of your home while adding value

On average, what does it cost to have a load-bearing wall safely demolished and removed? Including the cost of whatever must be installed in its place.

"The cost is normally around £1,000 to £1,500 with steel, but you will need building regs and a structural engineer to calculate the steel."

Stephensons Building Services

Demolition Costs (Supply Only)

Demolition job quotes typically just cover the cost of labour. However, some resources are still required for the job.

Waste removal is a huge aspect of the job, depending on what you're demolishing. You will need a large skip for pretty much any job, and for bigger demolitions like entire houses, you're going to be filling them up in quick succession.

Skip hire can range between £75 to £440, depending on the size and hire duration.

It's worth noting that this price can sometimes be offset with the amount of 'credit' you can get for the contractors taking away salvaged materials.

This includes materials like bricks and other rubble that can be repurposed, which saves you money in waste removal and reduces the cost of the entire job. The amount will be valued by the contractors when they come to assess the demolition job.

Additional Demolition Costs

In this section, we're going to explore some additional costs commonly associated with the cost of demolition work.

Asbestos Removal

A key consideration when calculating demolition costs is to find out whether your structures have asbestos present. If they do, you'll need to get it removed before demolition begins to comply with the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, which states that asbestos must be removed professionally before any demolition work.

The cost of asbestos removal is around £2,500, but this figure can fluctuate depending on the scale of the issue.

An asbestos survey is a good place to start, and these cost around £200. The asbestos specialist can then assess your structure and let you know if you need to take any action before demolition.

Removing Partition Walls

Many people find themselves with rooms in their homes that simply don't get used. This may be an unoccupied box room, an underutilised storage cupboard, or a dining room that you'd like to turn into an open-plan kitchen and dining space.

A solution for this issue is to remove unnecessary partition walls.

The cost of removing partition walls can be anywhere between £1,375 to £1,925 for the materials, and between £165 to £220 per day for labour. Typically, it'll take between 1 and 3 days, depending on how complex the job is.

Waste Removal

If you're planning a home demolition, you'll want to have your garden cleared first to avoid mixing up the rubble.

There are a few options for garden waste removal, with the first being the 'Man with a Van' type businesses who will come to your home, load up their van with garden waste and dispose of it for you.

Garden waste removal costs vary and can be as low as £17 and up to £330 depending on how much garden waste you have to remove.

The second option is to hire a skip. The cost for skip hire can be anything from £75 to £440, depending on the size of the skip and how long you want it for.

The final option, which may not be available to everyone, would be to see if your local council offers a garden waste takeaway scheme. To find out whether this is available to you, give your local council a quick call.

We are going to have our existing garage demolished to make way for a 2-storey extension, however, the incoming gas and electricity supplies and meters are in the garage and need to be relocated. Where can the new supply go?

"You can relocate the supply to the outside of the building, making a closed in closure space for the supply meter and consumer unit, which should resolve your relocation problems."

E & G Maintenance

Labour Cost of Demolition

Now, let's take a look at labour costs and how long demolition typically takes.

Demolition timescales vary depending on what is being demolished. A full 4-bedroom home can take anywhere from 4 to 8 days, with more complex jobs like terraced or semi-detached homes taking longer.

Demolitions for garages and walls take less time, and can usually be completed within a day or two.

You'll pay the contractors on either daily or weekly rates depending on the quoted timescales, which can range from £165 to £220 a day, per contractor. For this reason, it's important to ask how many labourers will be used on your project and for how long at the quotation stage.

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What Factors Impact Demolition Costs?

A few different factors can affect the overall cost of demolition - let's take a closer look.

Size and Type of Property

The price of demolition will vary greatly depending on the size of the property. Naturally, the cost of demolishing a 2-bedroom bungalow will be less than demolishing a 4-bedroom, 3-storey home. However, the type of property can also incur high costs due to the complexity of the job.

If you need to demolish a terraced home, there will be much more to consider from the contractor's point of view with the attached homes and the street it's on. These are all things that are explained and included in the quote when you receive one, so ask any questions you have at that time.

Location of Property

The cost of trade jobs differs from region to region based on a few factors. Firstly, the cost of living is different around the country.

In big cities like London and Birmingham, you'll pay more for a tradesperson than you would in small towns and villages.

You'll also pay more in those areas due to the density of the population, with more people needing tradesmen, allowing contractors to charge higher prices for work.

In small towns and places with a low population density, contractors need to be more competitive than the next to win jobs, so you'll enjoy cheaper rates in those areas. Bear this in mind when you are working out your budget for demolition work.

Can I DIY Demolition?

Demolition should be left to trained professionals to ensure that structures are demolished safely and correctly to avoid any injury to yourself or bystanders.

Anything larger than a standalone wall shouldn't be attempted as a DIY project, and even simple garden wall demolitions can produce problems of their own.

The issue with demolition is that there are often unseen foundations preventing the structures from falling, which can be a struggle to contend with if you don't have the right expertise and tools, and demolitions often impact neighbours and pedestrians.

What's Involved in Demolition?

Let's go through the typical demolition of a small detached home to give you an idea about the process of demolishing a house.

All services will be cut off from the home, such as water, electricity, gas, phone line and any other lines into the home.
A boundary will be made around the construction site for the health and safety of pedestrians and anyone working on the site.
Any hazardous materials like asbestos or similar will be removed from the home before anything is demolished.
There will be a 'soft strip' of things inside the home, such as kitchen units, cables, pipes, radiators, etc.
All windows, doors, linings, and any internal or external timber will be removed next.
The roof's lead flashing and tiling will then be removed.
Structural joints will then be removed throughout the home.
The demolition of walls will be next, with any salvageable material saved for future use or to be crushed.
Lastly, the contractors will break up debris, foundations, and drains no longer in use.

Benefits of Professional Demolition

Land in the UK is becoming more scarce and expensive every year. Building developers tend to buy up the land to build entire estates and complexes on, leaving it tough to buy your own land to build your own home to your specifications and design.

A great way around this is to demolish an existing home, giving you a blank slate to work from.

On a smaller scale, demolition allows you to restructure your home in terms of room size and layout without needing to move home, which is often much costlier and stressful.

With professional demolition, you can be sure that your home and the homes around you are safe.

As the demolition will be a planned and structured project, there will be little to no worries about mistakes, accidents, or costly mishaps, knowing that safety standards will be met, keeping you completely compliant and safe from fines.

Building Regulations & Planning Permission for Demolition

Demolition is typically classed as 'permitted development', removing the need for planning permission.

However, these development rights can be restricted or removed without notice, so it's best to check with your local authority about your project.

You should also consider that if you are demolishing anything with attached properties, you will need to negotiate a Party Wall Agreement before any work can start.

Again, you should speak to your local authority to determine whether you need this agreement before you plan or pay for any demolition work.

My neighbour wants me to sign a party wall agreement so he can demolish his part of our shared pitched roof to extend his kitchen. I'm worried it will damage my property, and no one else on the terrace has done anything like this - what can I do?

"The best thing to do is inform your neighbour that you will appoint a party wall surveyor who he must pay for to draw up an agreement, so that you would be covered for any damage caused to your property."

Raft Associates

Checklist: Hiring a Demolition Specialist in the UK

When you're ready to hire a local demolition specialist, we recommend that you bear the following things in mind:

When getting demolition quotes, ask at least 3 different contractors to quote you so you can get a feel for your local pricing. It's good to remember that the cheapest option may not always be the best option.
Make sure you get an itemised quote to see exactly what's included in your quote. Be sure to ask about waste removal/skip hire, and if this is included in your quote.
A lot of tradespeople have online portfolios and websites for you to check out their previous jobs and any reviews that they have received from past clients. This is a great way to check them out before hiring them.
You should always ensure that the contractor working on your property has the correct liability insurance to protect both them and you from any issues further down the line.

FAQs

Do contractors need a demolition license?

While contractors don't require a specific demolition license to carry out demolition work, they need to comply with all health, safety, and building regulations in the area they are working in to protect themselves from prosecution.

How much will it cost to demolish a garage?

The cost to demolish a garage is in the region of £2,200 with everything included, but this can differ based on the size of the garage, how it's attached to your home, and where you live.

Are there any risks with demolition?

The benefit of opting for a professional demolition service that you have vetted through previous work examples, accreditations and reviews is that you can be confident they are skilled in demolishing structures safely and with a clear plan, with no risks involved.