Demolishing a house costs $10,000 on average, with most homeowners spending $6,000 to $25,000, according to Angi (updated October 2026)1. HomeAdvisor – corporate sibling publishing matching range, per-square-foot, and labor figures, which alone do not establish independent corroboration – reports the same $6,000 to $25,000 range and the same $4 to $17 per square foot, with a higher average of $15,800 for a 2,000-square-foot house (updated June 2026)2. Fixr, an unaffiliated publisher, also reports a national average of $10,000, with a typical range of $7,500 to $15,000 and an average of $5 to $10 per square foot (updated January 2025)3; Fixr's matching average is separately published, and the pages state no shared sourcing.
Safety note before budgeting. You cannot tell whether a material contains asbestos simply by looking at it, so the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advises treating suspect material as if it contains asbestos and leaving it alone. Demolition disturbs building materials, and asbestos-containing materials can release fibers when they are disturbed, damaged, or removed improperly. The EPA recommends that sampling, repair, and removal of asbestos-containing material be done by a trained and accredited asbestos professional4.
Cost by demolition type
Both Angi1 and Fixr3 break prices out by demolition type, per project:
| Demolition type | Angi (2026) | Fixr (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Full or total demolition | $8,000 – $20,000 | $7,500 – $15,000 (1,500 sq ft home) |
| Partial demolition | $2,000 – $20,000 | $1,000 – $20,000 |
| Interior demolition (strip to studs) | $1,000 – $5,000 | – |
| Garage or outbuilding removal | $1,000 – $5,000 | – |
| Deconstruction (hand teardown for salvage) | $10,000 – $50,000 | $10,000 – $50,000 |
| Mobile home demolition | – | $2,000 – $6,000 |
The two publishers' deconstruction ranges are identical; these are separately published figures, and the pages state no shared sourcing.
Cost by home size
All three publishers price demolition by square footage, per project123:
| Home size | Angi (2026) | HomeAdvisor (2026) | Fixr (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 sq ft | – | – | $2,500 – $5,000 |
| 1,000 sq ft | $5,000 – $15,000 | – | $5,000 – $10,000 |
| 1,200 sq ft | – | $4,800 – $20,400 | – |
| 1,500 sq ft | – | $6,000 – $25,500 | $7,500 – $15,000 |
| 2,000 sq ft | $10,000 – $34,000 | $8,000 – $34,000 | $10,000 – $20,000 |
| 2,500 sq ft | – | – | $12,500 – $25,000 |
| 3,000 sq ft | $15,000 – $50,000 | $12,000 – $51,000 | – |
HomeAdvisor's size table also lists a 2,500 sq ft row whose upper figure does not match its own stated $4 to $17 per square foot rate, so that row is omitted here. Per square foot, Fixr reports that older homes without foundations run as low as $3 and newer homes with full basements average as much as $123.
Partial demolition and structure removal
Fixr publishes per-project prices for removing specific parts of a property (2025)3:
| Area demolished | Fixr cost (2025) |
|---|---|
| Deck | $300 – $3,000 |
| Chimney | $300 – $6,000 |
| Wall | $400 – $3,000 |
| Patio | $450 – $2,500 |
| Shed | $500 – $3,500 |
| Bathroom | $550 – $1,500 |
| House extension | $550 – $3,000 |
| Driveway | $600 – $4,000 |
| Garage | $800 – $10,000 |
| Foundation | $1,000 – $25,000 |
| Barn | $1,200 – $25,000 |
| Swimming pool | $1,500 – $9,000 |
| Roof | $3,400 – $8,500 |
| Basement | $5,000 – $25,000 |
HomeAdvisor prices some of the same structures per square foot and others per project (2026)2:
| Structure | HomeAdvisor cost (2026) |
|---|---|
| Garage | $4 – $10 per sq ft |
| Deck | $5 – $15 per sq ft |
| Driveway | $1 – $2 per sq ft |
| Foundation | $1,000 – $5,000 per project |
| Basement | $300 – $25,000 per project |
HomeAdvisor's text gives pool, shed, and barn figures that conflict with its own table, so those items are omitted here. Angi separately lists garage or outbuilding removal at $1,000 – $5,000 and pool demolition at $5,000 – $8,000 per project1. For garage-related projects, see our garage cost guide.
Labor, machinery, and disposal
Both Angi and HomeAdvisor put demolition labor at $50 to $100 per hour12. HomeAdvisor adds that demolition machinery, such as excavators and bulldozers, averages $100 to $250 per hour and that contractors generally factor machinery into their estimates2. Cleanup and debris disposal runs $300 to $1,800 at HomeAdvisor2, while Fixr puts removal charges listed in the contract at $300 to $2,000, with debris removal service costing $400 to $800 per truckload and a roll-off dumpster rental averaging $360 for projects where it is not included3.
Asbestos and other additional costs
Asbestos removal before demolition costs $1,000 to $2,900 according to Angi1, while HomeAdvisor reports an average of $2,0002. Fixr puts asbestos inspection and testing at about $500 and reports that demolishing a home with significant asbestos in the siding, roofing, flooring, or insulation runs two to three times the regular demolition price, or $10 to $30 per square foot3. See our asbestos removal cost guide for a full breakdown.
Other line items the publishers list: permits begin at around $100 according to Fixr3; Angi lists site grading and soil stabilization at $1,300 to $5,600, tree and landscaping removal at $1,950 to $6,250, and temporary fencing at $150 to $5001; and Fixr puts septic tank demolition at $200 to $1,000, with capping an old tank costing up to $5,0003.
HomeAdvisor publishes two different permit ranges on the same page ($150 to $500 in one section and $100 to $500 in another), so its permit figures are omitted here.
Demolish and rebuild, and commercial demolition
If you plan to tear down a house and build a new one, Fixr estimates roughly $10,000 for the full demolition of a typical home plus $423,800 to build a new 2,600 sq ft home3. For non-residential properties, Fixr puts commercial building demolition at $12,000 to $150,000, depending on the building's type, size, location, and materials3.
What affects the price
The publishers point to the same main factors. Home size and layout matter most: multi-story homes, complex layouts, basements, and attached garages push totals higher1. The demolition method changes the price, since hand teardown for salvage costs more than mechanical demolition23. Homes with full basements sit at the high end of per-square-foot rates3. Hazardous materials such as asbestos raise the total13. Finally, location and access play a role: dense urban areas bring higher labor rates and tighter regulations, and properties that are hard to reach with machinery cost more to demolish23.
Hiring a demolition contractor
Angi recommends getting multiple quotes from licensed demolition contractors to keep pricing competitive1. HomeAdvisor notes that contractors often include disposal and cleanup in their estimates but advises checking the itemized contract2, and Fixr reports that most demolition companies include the dumpster rental in the estimate3.
Related guides
See our guides to asbestos removal cost, garage cost, garage conversion cost, and foundation repair cost.