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Price on tearing down a deck?

Footsox | Posted in General Discussion on March 13, 2008 08:25am

I am right now getting estimates on redoing out patio. I am trying to break it down and see what the price would be for tearing down our rotting deck and carting away the debris. The deck is 15 feet by 30 feet. It is a 2nd floor deck from our master bedroom, so it forms the roof of our ground floor patio. It is a combination of treated wood posts (bolted to the cement patio slab) and also some redwood, some non-treated wood and has a plywood deck, covered in some sort of roofing asphalt material. It is a hideous eyesore and we are having it torn down. Can anyone give me estimates on what someone would charge to tear it down AND remove the debris? Thanks for any guesses or estimates. I would love to do it myself but just don’t have the time.

Footsox

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Replies

  1. DanH | Mar 13, 2008 09:18am | #1

    Disposal is a substantial part of the cost, and that varies greatly by region.

    Hard to guestimate the time to tear down the deck without seeing it. I tore down our old 12x12 deck with little more than a sledgehammer in maybe three hours. But a better built deck could have taken much longer.

    If your view never changes you're following the wrong leader
    1. Footsox | Mar 13, 2008 02:51pm | #2

      Hi DanH - Thanks. This deck is almost falling down at his point. We are afraid to walk on the top part of it. The railings have all fallen off in the various hurricanes we have had here in Florida. The wood is rotting in about half of it. I could tear it down myself if I didn't have a 7 day a week job. It would take me the better part of a day, and that would include cutting it into manageable sections with a sawz-all. I am just trying to figure out what kind of hourly rate demolition guys would charge for this. Thanks for any thoughts.Footsox

      1. DanH | Mar 13, 2008 04:49pm | #3

        A lot depends on who you get, whether he's insured, etc. You could pick up a guy on a street corner and have it down cheaply (though hauling it away is a different matter). Pay a regular construction crew and prices are much higher.
        If your view never changes you're following the wrong leader

      2. maverick | Mar 13, 2008 07:31pm | #5

        what part of florida? I have a brother in tampa who does hanyman type work.

        1. Footsox | Mar 13, 2008 08:55pm | #6

          We are down by Fort Myers in Cape Coral. It's about a 2 and a half hour drive to Tamps for us....Footsox

  2. hammer | Mar 13, 2008 07:10pm | #4

    You might try contacting an escavating company. In our area they are looking for work with the slowdown on new homes. many have large equipment.

    We have done a few large scale demo's and our escavator who uses a  linkBelt. Instead of knocking it down he simply lifts it away in pieces and places it in large rolloff's. The work goes farely fast although truck time and disposal can be expensive. He will not remove it completely from the house. They cut about a foot away, so you will have some handwork to do. As he say's he's insured but not stupid.

    Cost is hard to estimate, since our jobs required foundation removal and site work. I think you might get it done for under $1K.

    Our guy also seperates the green treated since that has a high disposal fee and a seperate rolloff. 

  3. JMadson | Mar 13, 2008 09:21pm | #7

    Honestly, the cost in my neighborhood would be a case of cold beer, a pizza, and a couple hundred for the dumpster.

     
    1. User avater
      JeffBuck | Mar 13, 2008 11:26pm | #12

      I must drink expensive beer ...

       

      I was thinking 2 guys ... dumpster or coupla trips to the dump.

      $1,200 to $1,500 from what I can see from here.

       

      Jeff    Buck Construction

       Artistry In Carpentry

           Pittsburgh Pa

  4. john | Mar 13, 2008 09:44pm | #8

    "I would love to do it myself but just don't have the time."

    Haven't heard that one in a while

    John

     

    If my baby don't love me no more, I know her sister will.
    1. Footsox | Mar 13, 2008 10:00pm | #9

      Yep. I absolutely love construction projects. We bought a fixer-upper house, just because we like it so much. Then both of our jobs got crazy and now we have no time for our favorite fixer-upper house. I swear to you, I would love to spend an afternoon with a jackhammer.... :-)Footsox

      1. DanH | Mar 13, 2008 10:20pm | #10

        If the neighbors don't get too upset you should be able to tear it down in a week of one-hour sessions. For most of it you just need a sledgehammer and a pry bar. Bum a trailer off of someone and haul the stuff to the local demolition dump.
        If your view never changes you're following the wrong leader

        1. Footsox | Mar 13, 2008 11:02pm | #11

          Unfortunately with my present schedule, that would have to occur between 2 and 3 in the morning...Footsox

  5. MSA1 | Mar 14, 2008 01:26am | #13

    I dont break anything for under a grand. Especially if you have to dump it all.

  6. davidmeiland | Mar 14, 2008 09:51am | #14

    I never understand questions like this. Do you have prices from someone and you don't believe them? If you are going to hire someone to do the work, then find someone you like and whose price you agree with, and pay them to do it. Then we'll all know how much it costs.

  7. FNbenthayer | Mar 14, 2008 11:49am | #15

    depending how close we can place the dumpster about 2k.

     

     

     

     

    The awful thing is that beauty is mysterious as well as terrible. God and the devil are fighting there, and the battlefield is the heart of man.
    - Fyodor Dostoyevski

  8. Dave45 | Mar 14, 2008 05:07pm | #16

    Questions like this are impossible to answer without much more information.

    • Where is the job? Rural, Suburban, or Urban location?
    • What are the site conditions? Fairly flat and easy access or on a hillside? Distance from the deck to the driveway or street?
    • Local disposal charges?  (dumpster prices, dump fees)
    • What's your risk threshold?  Do you want a licensed, bonded, and INSURED contractor - or are YOU willing to accept the liability if someone gets injured or your house gets damaged?
    • Are demolition permits required?  Will you get one if they are?

    You would probably get much better information by contacting 2-3 local demolition contractors and getting some bids.

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