Experts suggest that rebuilding can be up to 20% more expensive than remodelling.
Demolishing a three-bedroom house can cost somewhere between $15,000- $20,000 with $17,400 as an average price. For larger homes, this price can further settle between $40,000- $80,000. These are the estimated figures for the year 2019-20. Add the cost to salvage, recycle, and or dispose of the debris from the demolition location to the demolition expenses. Based on the location and house’s material, the average cost to demolish a house are as follows: In Perth, $40/m2 for a brick home and $35/m2 for a wooden frame home. In Brisbane, $46/m2 for a brick home and $40/m2 for a wooden frame home. In Adelaide, $47/m2 for a brick home and $39/m2 for a wooden frame home. In Melbourne and Hobart, $54/m2 for a brick home and $40/m2 for a wooden frame home. In Perth, $64/m2 for a brick home and $53/m2 for a wooden frame home. Other factors influencing the demolition cost include the size and location, and accessibility of the property, foundation removal, rubbish removal, existing vegetation, and landscaping, demolition permit, etc. Demolition costs can rise if water, gas, and electricity fitting are hard to remove and if the debris disposal site is far from the property.
The final cost of a house demolition job includes:
Demolition company’s hourly charges
Construction area of the building irrespective of the total plot size (in square metre or square feet) -best to ask your builder.
The size of the property.
Asbestos removal cost.
Add all these expenses to find the overall price of a demolition project. The list below shows a teardown of expenditure in estimated figures. Average hourly charges are $75/hour. For a small project, it can go as low as $50/hour and as high as $90/hour for a large building. Demolition cost per square metre can range from $35 to $124. These prices can fluctuate from $3- $11 if calculating in square feet. The cost of asbestos removal varies from $25- $50 in a square meter. Only a licensed professional is allowed to legally remove the asbestos. Therefore, homeowners must not attempt to remove it on their own. Assuming a demolition project of a brick residential building of 140m2 (roughly 1,500 square feet) in Perth, here is the expected demolition cost breakdown.
Expense per meter square: ($40 x 140) = $5,600
Expected time for demolition ($75 x 5) = $375
Asbestos roof removal = $5,500
Demolition permit = $350
Assumed total cost = $11,825. Note that this is a mere assumption, and several other costs are excluded from this assumption.
In the simplest words, it is cheaper to remodel the existing house than to build a new one.
Rebuilding will include the house demolition cost. Remodelling will allow homeowners to get rid of this entire demolition expense. Rebuilding comprises the prices of new building materials, which is not required when remodelling.
A remodelling job primarily includes the interior redesign and minor demolition of walls. A mere wall demolition price range is around $4,000 in total. Please note that knocking down any internal structure of a building requires several things to consider - if the wall connects with a load-bearing beam, extra precautions are necessary.
Experts suggest that rebuilding can be up to 20% more expensive than remodelling.As learned from the above facts, the actual cost of a house tear down depends on several factors covered above. Still, here is a list of the average amount one can expect to pay to get their house demolished. An easily accessible small house spread in 85m2, along with an asbestos roof can be demolished for around $16,500. If the project has trees, a pool, etc., companies charge extra money. That is because the owners are required to obtain permission to remove the trees. A pool requires backfilling, which is an additional job other than mere demolition. So, a 220m2 house with a pool can be taken down for around $21,000. A single-floor house owner needs to pay $14,250 in demolition cost on average in Perth. The same demolition project will cost $16,000 in Sydney. The average hourly charges ($75 per hour) are just labour costs that do not include machinery and debris dumping costs.
Assuming that the cost of demolishing a house is $4-$15 per sq. ft., the total expense to knock down a 1,200 sq. ft. house will be between $4,800- $18,000.
Why so much variation? The variation is due to several factors - quotes in urban areas have higher demolition rates (up to $18,000), while rural areas have as low as $3,000 for the same task.
Add home excavation costs that are about $140 per hour. Digging attachments in the machinery can further add $100- $500 per day. Debris will be collected and transported in a truck, which will add $40 per hour for the transportation costs. Using any drills will attract $180 per day, and rock grabs will be around $100 per day.
For rocks that need cutting, add a diamond blade rock saw will cost approximately $500 per day. For a better estimate, people calculate excavation costs separately based on per cubic meter. Taking down a tree requires a mandatory inspection, which can cost about $100. The hourly rate for cutting the tree(s) is $70 per hour.
Add final tree cutting prices (usually between $300- $10,000) to the total costs. Ignore this cost if pruning the tree will work, hence eliminating the need to cut it. The local council regulation permit costs will be $350- $700.