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15 Sydney demolition planning guides

Know the cost. Know the rules.

What it costs, which approvals you need and what your council asks for, written by a licensed Sydney demolition contractor for homeowners and builders. Every figure and rule is dated.

Start with the costs0402 548 004
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Excavator alongside the partially removed house
BrookvaleHouse demolition · Our work
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  • What will it cost?5 cost guidesHouse, asbestos, excavation, garage and pool, clearingSee the costs
  • Which approval?DA or CDCNSW approvals, asbestos and licencesSee the rules
  • How does it run?6 stagesFrom the scope to the cleared blockSee the process
  • What does council ask?6 councilsCouncil by council across northern SydneyFind your council

Demolition costs

What will it cost?

Our own house demolition prices with worked examples, and typical Sydney prices for asbestos removal, excavation, garage and pool removal and land clearing.

Start with the price · 5 min read

House demolition cost in Sydney

Compare house demolition price bands, worked examples and the work priced separately.

Our price bands for a detached house with reasonable access, including GST
HouseFloor areaInc. GST
Single-storey80–under 150 m²$15,000–$25,000
Single-storey150–under 250 m²$20,000–$35,000
Single-storey250–350 m²$30,000–$45,000
Double-storey200–350 m²$35,000–$55,000

Asbestos, slabs, pools, trees, approvals and difficult access are priced separately. Your written quote confirms what is included.

Read the cost guideWork out your range

Approvals and licences

What do the rules say?

The NSW approvals, notices, licences and asbestos rules, each linked to the official source and dated.

  1. Do I need a DA or a CDC?

    Short answerMost Sydney house demolitions need either a complying development certificate (CDC) from council or a registered certifier, or a development application (DA) to council.

    Demolition approval in Sydney: DA or CDC?3 min read

  2. What happens to the asbestos?

    Short answerAsbestos has to be found and, so far as reasonably practicable, removed before a demolition starts: the demolition contractor gets the asbestos register first.

    Asbestos in a demolition: the NSW rules3 min read

  3. Is my contractor licensed?

    Short answerSearch the licence number on the NSW Government’s Verify licence register, which lists demolition and asbestos licence holders, and check the name, the class and the expiry date.

    How to check a demolition contractor’s licence in NSW2 min read

Something quicker? Read the frequently asked questions

How a demolition runs

Start to finish.

Every demolition runs in the same order: scope, then approvals, notices and disconnections, then any asbestos, then the building, then the clean-up and handover. Each stage links to the part of the guide that explains it.

  1. Look at the site and agree the scope

    Every job starts with what is coming down and what the site is like.

    Read this stage

  2. Approvals, notices and disconnections

    The approval comes first: a CDC or a DA, with its conditions.

    Read this stage

  3. Keep people clear of the work

    The work area is fenced off from everyone not on the job, with an exclusion zone wherever material could fall.

    Read this stage

  4. Asbestos and salvage first

    The materials in the house set the order of work.

    Read this stage

  5. The house comes down

    The method suits the building and the site, and follows the Australian Standard for demolition, AS 2601.

    Read this stage

  6. Clear the block and hand it over

    Material is sorted by type and trucked away as agreed.

    Read this stage

How long does it take? As a standard guide, the machine work on a single-storey house typically takes 2–5 days on site once approvals and disconnections are in place; a double-storey house, or a sloping or tight site, takes longer.

Read the process guideHow long it takes

Council rules

What does your council ask?

Council-by-council demolition rules: heritage and conservation areas, trees, waste plans and road permits, from each council’s own pages.

Find your council

Start typing to see your council and its guide.

Get a free quote

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Send the address and a few photos. We’ll talk through the work, look at the site where it needs it and put the price in writing.

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  1. We talk it throughYour plans, what stays and when your builder needs the block.
  2. We look at the siteWhere the job needs it, before we price the work.
  3. You get a written quoteThe scope, separately priced items and the agreed finish.
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