Clearance is the stage most people budget last and it frequently costs more than the figure in their head, because the cost is not the knocking down. It is the taking away, and the surveys and notices that legally come first.
These are the figures we work to across our patch, along with the sequence we follow before a machine turns a wheel.
Typical demolition and clearance costs
| Job | Typical cost | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Single garage, non asbestos | £1,400 to £2,600 | Demolition, base breakout, muck away and site left level. |
| Garage or outbuilding with asbestos cement roof | £2,400 to £4,500 | Licensed removal, consignment paperwork, then demolition and clearance. |
| Concrete hardstanding breakout | £25 to £45 per m2 | Breaking, grubbing out, crushing on site where suitable. |
| Overgrown plot clearance and grubbing up | £8 to £20 per m2 | Vegetation, stumps and root systems removed to a workable level. |
| Full dwelling demolition | £12,000 to £35,000 | Notices, disconnections, soft strip, demolition, muck away and level plot. |
Guide ranges only. Access, asbestos and how much material can be recycled on site are the three variables that move them most.
What has to happen before demolition
- An asbestos refurbishment and demolition survey on anything pre 2000
- A section 80 demolition notice to the local authority for larger structures
- Disconnection of gas, electricity, water and drainage by the relevant authority
- A written method statement and risk assessment for the sequence of work
- Bat and nesting bird checks on older outbuildings at the wrong time of year
Muck away is most of the cost
Demolition creates volume, and volume is charged by the lorry load at the tip. Segregating material properly, and crushing suitable concrete and brick on site for reuse as sub base, is the single largest saving available on a clearance budget.
It is also better practice. Material that stays on site is material that never sat in a lorry queue on the A12.
Finishing at a known level
Clearance is not finished when the structure has gone. We finish at a measured, recorded level so the groundworks that follow can be set out from something reliable, rather than starting with a surprise about how much fill is needed.
Protecting the property you are keeping
- Heras fencing and clear separation from the occupied house
- Boarded access routes and wheel washing to keep the road clean
- Dust suppression, and neighbours told the programme in advance
- Trees and boundaries protected before plant arrives
Services this relates to
Want the figure for your own property? Call 07770 880587 or email enquiries@breakinggroundltd.com and we will arrange a site visit.