How much does demolition cost in Oklahoma City?

There's no fair flat rate for tearing something down. A backyard shed and a two-story brick house are both "demolition," and so is pulling the tile out of one bathroom. What you'll pay depends on a handful of things you can usually see in a few photos. Here's what they are.

The short version

It comes down to how much is coming down, what it's made of, what's under it, how hard it is to reach, and what has to happen before and after. Heavy material and tight access move it most.

Size and stories

More square footage means more material, more machine time and more truckloads out. A second story adds height and a second floor's worth of framing and debris.

What's coming down

• A whole house is the biggest job on this list: framing, roofing, siding or brick, and often the slab or foundation too.
• A mobile home is a different job from a site-built house. If it's still sound, moving it with our structure moving crew may make more sense than scrapping it.
• Sheds, barns and garages run from a small backyard shed to a big barn, and whether there's a slab underneath changes the work. A shed in good shape can be moved instead.
• A swimming pool means concrete going out and fill dirt coming in, so it's two kinds of hauling in one job. Hot tub removal is on the list too.
• Interior-only work leaves the building standing; the number of rooms, the layers of flooring and tile, and how far debris is carried set the price.

The slab, the foundation and the flatwork

Whether the slab or foundation comes out is one of the biggest swings in the number. Concrete is heavy, it has to be broken up before it can be loaded, and it's charged by weight when it's dumped. Some cities expect it gone: Yukon's posted demolition requirements call for foundations, slabs and secondary structures to be removed. Driveways, sidewalks and patios add to it the same way. Our concrete removal page covers that side of the work.

How much debris, and how heavy

Wood framing is bulky but light. Brick, block, concrete and tile are the opposite: a small pile can weigh a lot, and disposal is charged by weight. Don't count on the city truck to take any of it: most cities around the metro won't take demolition debris on bulk pickup, as our bulk trash guide shows city by city. With us, the haul-off and site cleanup are part of the job, not a separate bill.

Getting to it

A machine that can drive straight up to the work is faster. What slows it down:

• A narrow alley or driveway, or a gate the machine won't fit through
• Fences that have to come down, or stay up and be worked around
• Trees near the structure, and power lines overhead
• How far a machine has to travel across the yard to reach the work

What has to happen first

The utilities have to be shut off and released first. In Oklahoma City, a demolition permit needs signed releases from the electric and gas companies and the city's own water and storm-water offices before a building comes down. That paperwork starts with the utility companies, not the demolition crew. Rules change from city to city, and some cities charge their own permit fees. Who applies — owner or contractor — is worth settling before the job is scheduled. See the city-by-city permits guide for what each city posts.

Asbestos checks on older buildings

Oklahoma DEQ enforces the state's asbestos rule, and it mostly reaches bigger buildings. A single-family home, or a building with four or fewer units, is generally outside the notification rule unless the project serves a commercial or public purpose. Commercial, industrial and institutional buildings, and residential buildings with five or more units, need an asbestos inspection before demolition and notice to DEQ first — under the federal rule, at least 10 working days ahead. A commercial interior gut-out can fall under it too. Any inspection or removal is its own cost and its own timeline, apart from the demolition. Not sure where your building falls? Ask DEQ's asbestos program before you set a date.

What comes after

When the debris is gone, the lot is left clear and level. If you're building next, rough grading or a cut and compacted house pad is more work than clearing, and our grading and pad prep crew handles it. If the ground needs topsoil or fill dirt brought in, we deliver that by the load through our hauling service — we run our own trucks both ways, debris out and material in.

Distance and deadlines

We're based in Mustang. Yukon is about 7 miles from our shop, Oklahoma City about 15, Moore about 18, and Norman and Edmond about 25 and 26. Investors and contractors use us because the schedule is the whole point — we've had a full house down, cleared and ready for the new build in two days. If there's a date the job has to hit, tell us up front.

How to get a real number

Every estimate is free and based on what's actually there. Send:

• Photos of the structure from each side, plus inside for interior work
• The slab, foundation, driveway or patio, if any of it is coming out
• The way in: the gate, the alley, trees and any lines overhead
• The town or address, and what's going on the lot next
• Any date the job has to be done by

The fastest way to know what your job will cost is to show us. Snap what's coming down and what's around it, text a few photos to (572) 273-1427 and you'll get a real number back.