How much does demolition cost in Sydney?

Comparing cities, or after the Australia-wide picture? See the national guide: Demolition cost in Australia.

Demolition Prices in Sydney 2026: Cost Table and Price List

Prices are as published by demolition contractors, builders and cost guides, fetched in November 2026. Most of those sources do not state a GST basis; the pool fill-in and fibreglass pool figures include GST. Every band rests on at least two independent sources. Permit, council and certifier fees vary by council and are not priced here. The sources do not support separate city prices, so Sydney shows the national bands.

How Demolition Costs Vary Across Sydney

The bands are the same across Sydney; what changes between areas is the housing stock, the block and the access, which moves a job between rows and within them.

• North-west and Hills District knock-downs - Older single-storey homes in Carlingford, Baulkham Hills and Seven Hills are often timber or fibro, priced at $15,000–$22,000 where there is no significant asbestos.
• Inner West and St George brick homes - Brick veneer and older brick houses in Ashfield, Kogarah and Hurstville sit in the brick veneer row at $18,000–$30,000, with narrow side access adding machine time.
• Southern Sydney and the Shire - Homes in Sutherland and Miranda often have a backyard concrete pool, which comes out in full for $8,000–$18,000 or is filled in for $5,000–$10,000.
• Eastern Suburbs and the North Shore - Larger and two-storey homes in Randwick, Mosman and Lindfield sit in the double-storey row at $25,000–$50,000, and tight streets make machinery access and parking part of the quote.

What Sydney Demolition Jobs Actually Cost

Three Sydney jobs priced from this page's rows. Each line names the row it draws on; your own quote prices your site.

House Demolition Cost in Sydney by Construction Type

A whole house is priced by what it is built from and how high it goes. A typical house on a standard block is $12,000–$40,000, typically $25,000. A single-storey timber or fibro three-bedroom house without significant asbestos is $15,000–$22,000, a single-storey brick veneer house $18,000–$30,000 and a double-storey house $25,000–$50,000. Some contractors price per square metre of floor area instead, at $40–$150 per square metre.

In Sydney the knock-down-rebuild is the usual reason a house comes down, so the quote often sits beside a builder's. A timber or fibro cottage comes apart faster than brick, which is why the timber row at $15,000–$22,000 sits below the brick veneer row at $18,000–$30,000; a two-storey home is $25,000–$50,000.

Ask what happens to the slab, driveway and paths. A house quote may stop at floor level, and a reinforced concrete slab taken out with disposal is priced at $55–$95 per square metre on its own row.

Pool, Garage and Slab Demolition Cost in Sydney

Smaller structures have their own rows. Removing a concrete in-ground pool in full - shell out and the hole backfilled - is $8,000–$18,000, while breaking the shell and filling it in place is $5,000–$10,000; a fibreglass pool comes out for $7,000–$18,000. A single garage without asbestos is $3,000–$6,000, a garden shed $280–$1,600 with any slab extra, and a reinforced concrete slab is removed with disposal for $55–$95 per square metre.

Backyard pools are common across Sydney, and removing one is often part of a rebuild or a backyard renovation. Full removal at $8,000–$18,000 takes the shell out and backfills the hole; a fill-in at $5,000–$10,000 breaks the shell and fills it in place, which can affect what can be built over it later, so ask the builder or certifier before choosing.

Detached garages and garden sheds are the other common small jobs. A single garage without asbestos is $3,000–$6,000 and a shed $280–$1,600, but many older Sydney garages and sheds have fibro walls or roofs, which makes them an asbestos job first.

Strip-outs, Services and Asbestos: Demolition Cost in Sydney

Not every job takes the whole building. A whole-house internal strip-out to the frame is $8,000–$20,000, a kitchen strip-out $2,500–$6,000 and a bathroom strip-out $1,500–$4,500; removing a non-structural internal wall is $800–$2,500 per wall. Before a house comes down, electricity, gas, water and sewer are disconnected for $1,000–$3,000, and bonded asbestos removed inside a demolition quote for a typical house runs $1,500–$10,000.

Strip-outs are where demolition meets renovation in Sydney. A kitchen strip-out is $2,500–$6,000 and a bathroom $1,500–$4,500 when a demolition contractor does the work as its own job; in a strata building, check the by-laws on working hours, lift protection and waste removal before booking.

For a whole-house strip-out to the frame at $8,000–$20,000, the services and any asbestos are the first lines to settle: electricity, gas, water and sewer are disconnected for $1,000–$3,000, and bonded asbestos removed inside the demolition quote runs $1,500–$10,000.

In New South Wales, Service NSW says no licence is required to demolish buildings or structures less than 6 metres in height, subject to conditions; SafeWork NSW issues a restricted demolition licence (DE2) for load-bearing work on structures between 6 and 15 metres high, and an unrestricted licence (DE1) above that. Houses, garages and pools can be demolished as complying development if the work meets the Demolition Code, and in buildings built before 1987 asbestos must be handled and removed by a licensed contractor. Jemena's gas page says abolishment is required for demolition, whether or not you expect to reconnect later. A stand-alone asbestos job, such as a whole fibro house stripped before anything else happens, is priced in our Sydney asbestos removal cost guide.

What Affects Demolition Costs in Sydney

In Sydney the construction type, asbestos, access and what else comes down with the house decide where a quote lands.

How to Save Money on Demolition Cost in Sydney

Frequently Asked Questions — Demolition Cost in Sydney