Start with the Scope, Then Compare the Price
A demolition budget needs to cover the building, site constraints, hazardous materials and the condition left behind. Published prices provide context; a property assessment and clear written scope make quotes comparable.
Removal scope
Specify structures, slabs, services and what stays.
Hazardous materials
Resolve asbestos assessment and removal arrangements.
Local requirements
Check approvals, credentials and work notifications.
Handover
Agree site condition, records and remaining work.
Read Published Prices in Context
Gone and Clean Demolition's Melbourne guide, dated 19 May 2026, lists an indicative AUD $15,000-$22,000 for full demolition of a three-bedroom home of about 150-200m². Its table says the figures cover labour, machinery, permit fees and disposal, while asbestos removal is listed separately.
This is one contractor's published guidance, not a national average or a quote for your property. Confirm the total payable, inclusions and exclusions in a current written proposal. Do not apply a fixed city premium or assume asbestos, utility work or every below-ground structure is included.
Define What Will Be Removed
Give each contractor the same brief. A floor-area figure does not describe everything on the site or the structures that must remain.
| Project | Identify in the brief | Confirm before pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Shed or garage | Building, slab, footings, attached services and neighbouring structures. | What stays, and how will the work be accessed? |
| Whole house | All levels, outbuildings, paths, tanks, fences and below-ground items within scope. | Which items are removed and which are excluded? |
| Partial demolition | The exact boundary between retained and removed work. | Who assesses and protects the retained structure and adjoining property? |
Do not assume a newer building is asbestos-free or a small structure has no approval or safety requirements. Have uncertainties assessed before agreeing the work.
Compare the Complete Quote
Ask for inclusions, exclusions and allowances in writing. Compare the same work before comparing the headline totals.
| Quote item | Ask the contractor to specify | Avoid this gap |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment and approvals | Required reports, applications, notifications, fees and any bonds. | An approval task with no named person responsible. |
| Services | Arrangements for disconnection, isolation and any retained supply. | Treating an account cancellation as physical disconnection. |
| Hazardous materials | Assessment, removal scope, separate pricing and required clearance. | Assuming the general demolition price covers all asbestos. |
| Site protection and demolition | Access, retained structures, boundaries, fencing, dust controls, equipment and labour. | Unpriced protection or access constraints. |
| Waste and salvage | Transport, receiving facilities, charges, records and ownership of recovered items. | Unspecified disposal or an assumed salvage discount. |
| Completion and hidden items | Slabs, footings, buried structures, clean-up, levels and any agreed fill or compaction. | A cleared surface described as automatically ready to build. |
Agree how unexpected materials or buried structures will be assessed and priced, including who can authorise changes. Ask the next builder what handover condition they need, and record any further testing or site preparation outside the demolition contract.
Check the Approval Pathway for Your Property
Approval, practitioner licensing and work-safety notifications are separate checks. Confirm each with the relevant local authority or adviser before work starts. These two examples are not a national permit table.
| Jurisdiction example | Official guidance | What to confirm locally |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | The Planning Portal describes DA and complying-development pathways, plus exemptions for eligible minor structures. | Which pathway applies to the property, proposed work and any heritage or site controls? |
| Victoria | The BPC's demolition practice note covers building-permit applications, planning permits, report and consent, and heritage considerations. | Ask the building surveyor and council which approvals and consents are needed. |
Read NSW's demolition-stage guidance, its exempt-demolition guidance and the Victorian BPC practice note. An exemption for one minor structure does not establish permission to demolish a house.
For other states and territories, check the local planning/building authority and WHS regulator. Obtain current fees, bond conditions and required documents for the actual application. Keep these separate from the contractor's work price; do not assume a standard processing time.
Resolve Asbestos and Waste Before Work Starts
The Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency explains that homes built before 1990 can contain asbestos and appearance alone cannot confirm it. Arrange advice from an asbestos professional; do not take samples or strip out suspect materials yourself to reduce the quote.
The agency's workplace guidance distinguishes the contractor's duties from those of a residential occupier: homeowners are not required to keep an asbestos register. A business carrying out demolition must identify and safely remove asbestos likely to be disturbed before work starts. Ask how assessment, removal, required clearance and unexpected discoveries will be managed.
Safe Work Australia highlights collapse, falls and falling-object risks. Use appropriately qualified contractors, and confirm required licences and notifications with the local regulator. A demolition credential does not establish permission for every asbestos-removal task.
Ask where each waste stream will go and which disposal records you will receive. In NSW, EPA transport guidance requires a lawful receiving place and explains records and tracking obligations. Check your jurisdiction's rules; not every load has the same tracking requirements.
NSW EPA's household guidance notes that facility operators set gate fees. Discuss reuse or recycling with the contractor, but do not budget for a fixed waste percentage, recycling rate or salvage credit without a project-specific basis.
Agree the Schedule and Handover
Plan the whole sequence rather than just the days the excavator is on site. Ask for dates, dependencies and a process for delays.
| Stage | Resolve before moving on | Ask about |
|---|---|---|
| Before site work | Scope, assessment, required approvals, notices and service arrangements. | Which documents or provider appointments control the start date? |
| Demolition and removal | Site protection, hazardous-material work and waste arrangements. | Who handles changed conditions and updates the schedule? |
| Handover | Agreed site condition and required completion, waste and clearance records. | What remains for the next builder to assess or prepare? |
NSW's demolition-stage guidance says services need professional disconnection and demolition timing varies with site conditions, complexity and weather. Confirm arrangements with the relevant providers and contractor.
Check relevant practitioner credentials and insurance for the proposed work. Ask your own insurer about the project and exclusions, particularly asbestos. Avoid assuming a generic insurance limit or policy will cover every risk.
If weighing renovation against demolition and rebuilding, compare complete project proposals, approvals, disruption and the home you want at completion. A fixed break-even percentage cannot decide the best option for your property.
Sources and Further Guidance
Primary pages checked on 14 October 2026. Provider prices are indicative context. Official guidance applies to its stated jurisdiction; confirm current requirements for your property.
- Gone and Clean Demolition: Melbourne price guide
- Safe Work Australia: demolition
- Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency: asbestos in the home
- Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency: asbestos in workplaces
- NSW Planning Portal: exempt demolition
- NSW Planning Portal: the demolition stage
- Victorian BPC: demolition report and consent
- NSW EPA: transporting waste
- NSW EPA: household building and renovation waste
