Demolition in Florida costs $7,000 to $10,000 for a small single-story house and $10,000 to $14,000 for a larger or two-story home, turn-key with the permit, haul-off, and final inspection included. A full pool removal runs $9,500 to $30,000. Concrete and driveways run $2 per square foot with a 500 square foot minimum. Commercial buildings run $8 to $10 per square foot. Those are our own numbers from our own jobs across Central Florida, and they are a fair yardstick for most of the state, because machine time, tonnage, disposal, and the permit work the same way in every county.
Florida Demolition Prices by Job Type
| Job | Typical Price | What Sets It |
|---|---|---|
| Small single-story house (under ~1,200 sq ft) | $7,000 to $10,000 | Tonnage, access, disposal distance |
| Larger or two-story house (1,500 to 2,500 sq ft) | $10,000 to $14,000 | Size, foundation, materials |
| Full pool removal | $9,500 to $30,000 | Pool size, deck, backyard access |
| Concrete slab or driveway | $2 per sq ft, 500 sq ft minimum | Thickness, double pours, rebar |
| Shed, barn, or garage | $1,200 to $3,500 | Size, material, access |
| Commercial building | $8 to $10 per sq ft | Structure type, utilities, engineering |
| Minimum job | $800 | Mobilizing the machine and trailer |
Every number in that table is a complete job. It covers the permit, the utility disconnects, the teardown, every load hauled off, rough grading, and the final county inspection that closes the permit out. If you are pricing a house in Central Florida specifically, our post on the cost to demolish a house in Central Florida goes deeper on that one job type.
- How much does it cost to demolish a house in Central Florida? Real house prices from our own jobs, by size.
What Drives Demolition Cost in Florida
- Size and weight. You pay for machine hours and for tonnage at the dump. A 2,400 square foot block house is more of both than a 900 square foot frame house.
- Materials. Block and frame price out about the same. Heavy poured concrete and double-poured decks add around $2 per square foot for the extra machine time and disposal weight.
- Disposal distance. Every load rides in a 30-yard dump trailer to a landfill or a recycler. The farther the dump, the more each load costs, and that is the biggest reason prices shift across Florida.
- Permits. The county permit fee itself is small, usually $40 to $200, but full permitting with county licensing and processing fees runs $900 to $2,300 in Central Florida. It is included in our price.
- Asbestos survey. Florida requires a Notice of Demolition to the Department of Environmental Protection before a structure comes down, and most older buildings need a licensed asbestos survey first. The survey is a few hundred dollars. If it finds asbestos, licensed abatement is a separate line before we can start.
- Pool versus house. A pool is a concrete shell in a hole. It costs less than a house to break out, but the backfill and compaction are what make a pool removal done right, and that is where the price lives.
- Access and saved items. Tight lots, fences, and screen enclosures slow the machine down, and anything you want protected, a driveway, a well, trees, takes more care.
What Is Included in a Demolition Quote
A low number that leaves out the permit, the haul-off, or the grading is not a low number, it is a partial number with the rest billed later. A complete demolition quote in Florida covers all of this:
- The demolition permit, filed and closed out.
- Utility disconnects: power, water, gas, and septic abandonment if the property is on septic.
- The teardown itself, including the foundation and slab unless you ask us to keep it.
- Every load of debris hauled off and disposed of or recycled.
- Rough grading so the lot drains and is ready for what comes next.
- The final county inspection.
Why Quotes Vary So Much Across Florida
Overhead. A company that rents its machines pays rental rates and passes them on. A company that recycles concrete and metal pays less at the dump. We are owner-operated and own every machine we run, John Deere 50D, 85G, and 130G excavators, a 333G track loader, a semi with a 40-foot lowboy, and a 30-yard dump trailer, so there is no rental or subcontractor markup. We carry $4,000,000 in demolition and excavation insurance and $2,000,000 in workers compensation. When you compare quotes, compare the same job.
How to Get an Accurate Demolition Quote
Have us walk the property. A real number comes from seeing the structure, the access, and the slab, not from a square-footage calculator. Tell us what you want saved and whether the property is on septic or a well. We give you one written number, start to finish, from the person who will be on the machine. We are based in Apopka and work Orange, Seminole, Lake, Osceola, Volusia, Brevard, and Polk County.
Florida Demolition Cost Questions
How much does demolition cost in Florida?
A small house runs $7,000 to $10,000 and a larger home runs $10,000 to $14,000, turn-key. Full pool removal runs $9,500 to $30,000, concrete runs $2 per square foot with a 500 square foot minimum, and commercial buildings run $8 to $10 per square foot.
What is the average cost to demolish a house in Florida?
Most houses land between $7,000 and $14,000 depending on size, foundation, and access. That includes the permit, utility disconnects, haul-off, rough grading, and the final inspection.
How much does it cost to demolish a house per square foot in Florida?
For houses we quote by the job, not by the foot, because access and disposal matter as much as size. Commercial buildings do price by the foot, at $8 to $10 per square foot.
Does the demolition price include the permit?
Ours does. The permit fee itself is $40 to $200, but full permitting with county processing fees runs $900 to $2,300 in Central Florida, and it is inside our one number.
What is the cheapest way to demolish a house in Florida?
Hire a contractor who owns their equipment and recycles material, and make sure the quote is complete. The cheapest quote on paper is usually the one missing the permit, the haul-off, or the grading.
Is there a minimum job size?
Yes. Our minimum job is $800, which covers mobilizing the machine and trailer to your property.
Free Estimate
Call Us for a Free Estimate
Tell us about the job and we’ll come walk the property. Written number, no obligation, usually same-day reply. Call 407-443-2863.