The Short Answer
On our estimates, demolishing and clearing a single garage costs about £1,000 to £3,300. A small house (80 to 120m²) is £5,000 to £10,500 and a large one (200 to 250m²) £12,500 to £27,500, before any asbestos removal.
For most buildings bigger than a shed you must give the council notice and can't start until they reply or 6 weeks have passed. Before demolition, asbestos has to be found and removed so far as reasonably practicable, which means a survey for anything built before 2000.
Demolition prices
| What's coming down | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Timber shed or outbuilding | £200 to £500 |
| Concrete shed or small brick outbuilding | £500 to £2,000 |
| Garden boundary wall, small to medium | £400 to £800 |
| Concrete slab or hardstanding, per m² | £50 to £150 |
| Single garage | £1,000 to £3,300 |
| Small house, 80 to 120m² | £5,000 to £10,500 |
| Large house, 200 to 250m² | £12,500 to £27,500 |
Notice to the council
Under the Building Act, you must give the council notice before demolishing a building, and send copies to the occupiers of adjoining buildings and the gas and electricity suppliers. You can't start until the council responds or 6 weeks have passed.
You don't need to give notice for a building of under 1,750 cubic feet (about 50m³) measured externally, a greenhouse, conservatory, shed or prefabricated garage that's part of a larger building, or demolition inside a building that's still lived in.
Asbestos
The HSE says asbestos can be in any building built or refurbished before 2000; asbestos cement roof sheeting on garages and outbuildings is a familiar example. The law requires asbestos to be removed, so far as reasonably practicable, before major refurbishment or demolition, and a refurbishment and demolition survey finds it, including what's hidden in the structure. The HSE strongly recommends using a UKAS-accredited surveyor. Budget for the survey and any removal separately. For a wall inside the house, see knocking through a wall.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to demolish a garage?
On our estimates, about £1,000 to £3,300 to demolish and clear a single garage, before any asbestos removal.
How much does it cost to demolish a house?
About £5,000 to £10,500 for a small house of 80 to 120m², and £12,500 to £27,500 for a large one of 200 to 250m², on our estimates.
How do you estimate the cost of demolition?
By the type and size of the building, how it's built, access for machinery, how much waste has to go, and whether asbestos has to be removed first. Get an asbestos survey done before asking for quotes, so every contractor prices the same job.
Do you need permission for demolition?
For most buildings you must give the council notice and wait up to 6 weeks. Demolition under permitted development usually needs a prior approval application too, and conservation areas and listed buildings need consent.
Do I need an asbestos survey before demolition?
For anything built before 2000, yes in practice: asbestos must be removed so far as reasonably practicable before demolition, and a refurbishment and demolition survey is how it's found.
Is there VAT on demolishing and rebuilding a house?
Usually not, if it's done as one project. HMRC's VAT Notice 708 zero-rates building a new home, and demolishing the old building as part of a single project to build the new one counts as work closely connected to it. The old building has to come down completely to ground level before the new one starts (cellars, basements and the ground-floor slab can stay), and demolition done before planning permission for the new home is granted is standard-rated. If the new house keeps parts of the old one, HMRC doesn't treat it as a new building, so the zero rate doesn't apply.
How we priced thisView sources (7, 7 official)
Rules come from the legislation and official guidance, read at source. Prices are our estimates: we check them against trade price data, retailer shelf prices and specialists' price lists, then build them up from their parts so the totals add up. Below are the sources behind the page; the trade price guides we only compare against aren’t listed. Where sources disagreed, we've said so. More on our method.
- OfficialBuilding Act 1984, sections 80 and 81: notice of demolition, legislation.gov.uk. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- OfficialThe Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2 Part 1, legislation.gov.uk. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
- OfficialInternal walls: planning permission, Planning Portal. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- OfficialThe duty to manage asbestos: arrange an asbestos survey, Health and Safety Executive. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- OfficialIntroduction to asbestos safety; Non-licensed work with asbestos, Health and Safety Executive. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- OfficialDiagrams showing where asbestos can occur in buildings, Health and Safety Executive. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- OfficialBuildings and construction (VAT Notice 708), HM Revenue & Customs. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
