How much will it cost you to demolish a basement? This is what we seek to discuss.
Basement demolition is an invasive procedure that requires the removal of the surrounding walls of a structure. In other words, a house will need to be demolished to get to the basement area.
Join us as we take a look at basement removal and demolition costs as well as what’s included. If you wish to have your basement removed or demolished, this information will prove useful and handy.
What more? During this discussion, we’ll be covering everything else in-between.
For those going for renovation, here is a guide on basement remodel cost.
What’s Involved in Basement Demolition?
As mentioned earlier, basement demolition is quite invasive.
This simply means the demolition of the entire structure or most parts of it to get to the basement area. Such a job is best handled by a reputable demolition contractor or company.
Here, an excavation of the surrounding area needs to be done, plus the removal of basement slabs.
Entire walls will have to be demolished. In a nutshell, the entire building will need to make way for basement demolition to begin. This is a lot of work to do, and can also be quite costly.
Taking a Look at Costs
When considering basement demolition costs, we’ll need to narrow our focus to the basement area.
However, while providing this key information, a holistic view of the entire procedure needs to be looked at. So, what’s the holistic view all about? We’re looking at demolishing the entire structure to get to the basement.
Focusing on removal costs, the basement removal procedure will attract a fee ranging from $5,000 to $25,000.
Looking at the significant cost variance or range, you’ll need to understand that basement demolition differs by difficulty level, size, as well as what needs to be done after removal.
In terms of size, basements differ by size. Not all have the same area.
Some basements are larger, hence attract higher removal fees than others that are smaller. In this case, there’s more square footage of space to be demolished, and demolition costs are calculated by square footage.
What happens after removing a basement?
Certain actions that could end up impacting costs could be taken. One of these may involve erecting or raising a new structure in place of the old.
Here, the demolition contractor will be required to get rid of the pile of debris left behind whose removal cost may have been included.
On the other hand, the space left behind will need to be filled up. The cost of filling up the basement will add up to the total demolition costs.
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Additional Cost Details
How large is your basement area? This brings us back to how basement size impacts demolition costs.
To have a better idea, consider the fact that a building structure will need to make way for the basement area to be demolished. So, the size of demolishing the property will come into play.
Demolition costs are calculated per square foot. A home with a full basement will incur a demolition cost of about $12 per square foot. Structures not having a full basement will incur removal costs ranging from $5 to $10.
Speaking of the impact of property size on demolition costs, a 500 sq. ft. property will cost around $2,500 to $5,000. Demolition costs will increase significantly for a bigger property of about 1,000 sq. ft.
Performing demolition on such property costs around $5,000 to $10,000.
For a house about 1,500 sq. ft., expect to incur a demolition fee of around $7,500 to $15,000. Such costs will climb steadily to about $10,000 to $20,000 for a property measuring 2,000 sq. ft.
Structures measuring 2,500 sq. ft and above will attract demolition fees ranging from $12,500 to $25,000+.
Other Factors could be at Play
Basement demolition follows a process.
In other words, space will need to be created to get access to the basement. Here, we’re talking about the demolition of the structure of the building. So, what could be in the way? Obstructions like walls, foundations, and deck may be present.
Demolishing such obstructions is necessary to commence work on the basement area. This procedure or preparatory action incurs a cost. Having walls torn down will cost around $400 to $3,000.
This includes load-bearing walls (mostly represented by external walls) as well as those not bearing any structural load.
Demolition Cleanup
After every basement removal process, what’s left behind is a pile of rubble or debris. These will have to be removed and a more stable material used to fill in space or holes left behind.
Demolition cleanup will have to be performed. Usually, reputable demolition contractors will include this process among their service offerings.
In other words, demolition cleanup may be covered in the overall cost total.
If your demolition contractor doesn’t list or include demolition cleanup as part of its services, then you’ll have to pay separately. Cleanup costs could range from $300 to $1,800.
We aren’t giving an exact cleanup cost due to the variables involved. Large basement demolition procedures will create a larger debris pile. Getting the area cleaned up will attract higher fees compared to a smaller basement removal job.
Another factor to consider during cleanup is the possibility of hazardous materials presence. Certain hazardous materials like asbestos may be present.
The cleanup procedure for such materials is quite different and may incur higher cleanup costs.
Is DIY Basement Removal Possible?
Basement demolition can be a complicated process.
Plus, it’s a difficult job that requires the use of heavy machinery. This isn’t available to a non-professional. Also, you may not have the skill necessary to successfully carry out the job.
What more? There could be significant labor involved.
We don’t recommend following the DIY route for basement removal. One of the reasons is because the procedure can be highly risky. It’s not worth the try when you don’t have the skills and tools necessary to complete the job.
Basement removal and demolition costs have been provided above.
So far, we’ve seen that this is quite an invasive process that involves extensive demolition work. Project costs will normally be impacted by the size and preliminary preparations.