Projects: our own demolition work, seen through the cost factors
A selection of our own jobs, described only by what the photos show and by the factors that typically drive the cost of that kind of work.
Location and date of each job are not published, out of respect for our clients' privacy. We describe only what is visible in the photo.
House demolition
Single-storey brick house: before, during and after
Before: single-storey brick house with tiled roof and porch, green rubble skip on siteDuring: the same house partly demolished, brick and timber sorted into separate pilesAfter: cleared plot cordoned off with barrier tape
The three photos follow one job from start to finish: a single-storey brick house with a tiled roof and porch, the demolition in progress with brick and timber in separate piles, and the cleared plot marked off with barrier tape. In a job of this type the cost is driven by the volume of the building, the access for machinery and lorries, how cleanly the fractions can be separated and the finish agreed for the plot.
Technique
Mechanical demolition with on-site sorting
What the photos show
Before, during and after: skip on site, brick and timber separated, cleared plot
Villa demolition
Old villa in a dense urban setting
Aerial view: Liebherr excavator demolishing an old villa in a dense urban setting
The aerial view shows an excavator working on an old villa with buildings close on several sides. Jobs like this cost more per square metre than a villa on an open plot, because each movement of the machine has to account for the neighbours, protection is needed along the boundaries and waste leaves in a controlled sequence.
Technique
Mechanical demolition in a confined setting
What the photo shows
Liebherr excavator, old villa, dense surrounding buildings
Building demolition
Old brick building with basement walls
CAT excavator on brick rubble next to a partly demolished old building and basement walls
The photo shows an excavator standing on brick rubble next to a partly demolished old building, with the walls of a basement visible. Basements are one of the biggest corrections to any first estimate: they add walls, slabs and soil-retaining issues that the floor area above ground does not reveal.
Hitachi excavator with a demolition crusher bringing down a multi-storey reinforced concrete building, with water spray for dust control
A crusher mounted on an excavator works through a multi-storey reinforced concrete structure while water is sprayed to keep dust down. Concrete frames produce far more tonnes of waste per square metre than brick, and dust control and the separation of concrete and steel are part of the cost of the job.
Technique
Mechanical demolition with crusher and dust suppression
What the photo shows
Hitachi excavator, demolition crusher, RC frame, water spray
Roof and partial demolition
Flat roof of a tall building
Worker using a Bosch demolition hammer to remove a flat-roof surface on a tall building
The photo shows a demolition hammer at work on the flat roof of a tall building. Work at height without machine access is done by hand, and the cost depends less on the surface than on how the material is brought down safely and how the building below is protected.
Technique
Manual demolition with electric hammer
What the photo shows
Bosch demolition hammer on a flat roof of a tall building
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