How Much Does Demolition Cost per Square Foot?

Updated June 2, 2023

On average, residential demolition costs $5 to $15 per square foot.

This number could be higher or lower depending on various circumstances, like if you have asbestos, are removing the foundation, what the home is made of, where you live, etc.

Of course, the best way to answer how much your demolition project will cost is to contact qualified demolition contractors in your area and have them quote you a price.

Depending on the complexities of your job, they may give you an estimate over the phone, or more likely, they will come out and eyeball your property to give you the most accurate quote possible.

Let's look at some examples of various residential demolition costs throughout the country...

In Ferndale, Michigan, a 1,000 sq. ft. wood home with asbestos was demolished and returned to grade for a final cost of $10,000. That averages out to $10 per square foot.

On a larger scale, a 15,000 sq. ft. fire-damaged home in Culver City, California was demolished for a final cost of $75,000. This averages out to about $5 per square foot.

A few more examples are outlined below:

Dallas, TX - A 900 sq. ft. wood home was demolished for a final cost of $3,000, which is about $3.30 per sq. ft.
Bayview, SC - A 1-story, 1000 sq. ft. cottage with no foundation and vinyl siding was demolished for $6,500. This averages out to about $6.50 per sq. ft.
Fayetteville, NC - A 2,500 sq. ft. single-story fire-damaged home was demolished for a final cost of $9,000 or $3.60 per sq. ft.

Keep reading about residential demolition costs:

Commercial Building Demolition Cost

In Holland, Michigan, a 32 unit apartment building was demolished, with each of the units measuring in at 900 sq. ft. The final cost of this apartment demolition was $65,000, so the cost per square foot was roughly $2.25.

A few more examples are listed below...

Detroit, MI - A 4800 sq. ft. 2 1/2 story commercial building with asbestos was demolished for $13,000. This averages about to $2.70 per sq. ft.
Shoreline, WA - A 2,300 sq. ft. commercial building with no basement was demolished for $11,000. This averages out to $4.70 per sq. ft.
Baton Rouge, LA - A two-story 4500 sq. ft. 4-plex building was demolished for a final cost of $18,000 or $4.00 per sq. ft.

Make sure all that debris has a place to go with the help of a dumpster. Typically, you will want to rent a dumpster to dispose of demolition debris.