DEMOLITION CONTRACTOR IN AUSTIN & CENTRAL TEXAS
Clear Ground demolishes houses, garages, sheds, barns, mobile homes, pools, slabs, foundations and light commercial buildings in Austin and Central Texas. Outbuildings start at $1,000, houses run $9,000–$25,000, and pools run $30,000–$59,000. Written quote within 48 hours of the site walk.
Book a Site Walk Get a Demolition Quote
WHAT WE TAKE DOWN.
HOW WE PRICE IT.
Demolition is the controlled removal of structures, concrete and rock that stand between raw ground and your next phase of construction. We handle it start to finish: permit check, utility disconnects by the right party, the teardown, sorting and hauling, and a graded lot. Every load is ticketed, so the haul-off paperwork matches the job. Prices below are ranges for Austin and Central Texas. A site walk sets the number.
Pool Demolition
Full pool removal, with engineered fill placed in tested lifts and a closeout packet. Full removal runs $30,000–$59,000 per pool. See the pool removal page for what the price covers. Pairs with site prep for pool builders and infill developers.
ENGINEERED FILL IN TESTED LIFTS · CLOSEOUT PACKET
Concrete & Slab
Removal
Removal of driveways, patios, sidewalks, slabs and old foundations. Broken, loaded and hauled. Priced by the square foot at $4–$8 per sq ft. Post-tension slabs need a specialist to detension them first; we ask before we quote.
HAULED AND SORTED · C&D DOCUMENTATION
Foundation Removal
Foundation removal, pier-and-beam or slab-on-grade, at $5,000–$7,500 per structure. Pairs with infill work where an existing foundation has to come out before new construction. Material is sorted for recycling where it applies.
MATERIAL SORTING · C&D DOCUMENTATION
Rock & Boulder
Demolition
In-situ hydraulic rock breaking for limestone shelves, embedded boulders and rock found during excavation. Priced per obstruction, $1,000–$15,000 per obstruction. Rock below the surface is found with test holes and probing, not a drone.
PRICED PER OBSTRUCTION
House Demolition
Full residential teardowns for rebuilds, inherited houses and infill lots. Structure removed, sorted and hauled, every load ticketed, slab quoted as its own line, and the lot graded before your builder mobilizes. Runs $9,000–$25,000 per house. Bundles with site prep for one mobilization.
SORTED AND HAULED · $9,000–$25,000 · ABOUT $5–12/SF
Garage, Shed &
Barn Demolition
Detached garages, sheds, carports and barns taken down, sorted and hauled: metal recycled, wood hauled, nothing buried. Sheds and garages run $1,000–$5,000 per structure; large or pole barns run $2,500–$8,000 per structure. Slab and footing removal is an add-on on the same mobilization.
METAL RECYCLED · SLAB ADD-ON $4–$8/SF
Mobile Home
Demolition
Single-wide and double-wide manufactured homes dismantled on site, then hauled and recycled. Piers and tie-downs pulled, utility stubs flagged, pad graded for the next home or build. Runs $5,000–$12,000 per home. Rural lots, estates and park pull-outs.
PIERS & ANCHORS PULLED · PAD GRADED
Commercial
Demolition
Light commercial teardowns for GCs, developers and property owners: single-story retail, shop, office and warehouse buildings on steel frame, CMU block or slab-on-grade. Priced at $6–$12 per sq ft. Texas requires a 10-working-day demolition notification for commercial buildings, filed by the operator. Slab and asphalt are handled in sequence on the same mobilization.
LOAD TICKETS · C&D DOCUMENTATION
What will demolition
on your site cost?
Get a price range for Austin & Hill Country demolition in 60 seconds. Pricing comes straight from our published rate card. A site walk sets the final number.
- Free site walk
- Written, itemized quote
- Insured crew ($2M per occurrence / $5M aggregate general liability)
- C&D recycling documentation
Planning estimate only. Final pricing is set after a site walk. Adjacent structures, material density and lot access may shift price within the published range. Written quote within 48 hours of the site walk.
KNOW THE COST
BEFORE THE HAMMER DROPS.
Every Clear Ground demolition starts with a site walk that sets the scope and a fixed price. The ranges below are typical for Austin residential and light commercial projects.
| Service | Unit | Typical range | Typical time on site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rock & boulder | per obstruction | $1,000–$15,000 | 0.5–3 days |
| Concrete & slab removal | per sq ft | $4–$8 | Set at the site walk |
| Foundation removal | per structure | $5,000–$7,500 | Set at the site walk |
| Pool removal (full) | per pool | $30,000–$59,000 | A few days of site work |
| House demolition | per house | $9,000–$25,000 | 1–3 days on site |
| Shed, carport, detached garage | per structure | $1,000–$5,000 | 0.5–3 days |
| Large or pole barn | per structure | $2,500–$8,000 | 0.5–3 days |
| Mobile home | per home | $5,000–$12,000 | Set at the site walk |
| Light commercial building | per sq ft | $6–$12 | Set at the site walk |
Prices reviewed: September 2026. Ranges for Austin and Central Texas; your site walk sets the final number.
Factors that move the price: concrete depth, rock, rebar, access and haul distance. Asbestos survey and abatement, where required, are separate from demolition. An optional before-and-after drone scan is $500–$1,500 per scan. Drone scans measure surfaces, not what is underground.
WE WALK IT BEFORE WE BREAK.
We walk the site, measure the structure or slab, check access, and photograph the starting condition. Utilities are located and disconnects are lined up with the right party. We confirm whether a permit applies. Then you get a written quote.
Our primary demolition machine for concrete, slabs and limestone. Swaps between hammer, bucket and thumb depending on the work.
For gate access, tight lots and work close to structures. Larger equipment is rented locally when a job needs it.
RTK-corrected photogrammetry, processed in Pix4D, available as a priced add-on. Our drone scans measure surfaces, quantities and grades. They are not a boundary survey or a sealed survey by a licensed surveyor, and a drone cannot see below the ground surface.
EVERY LOAD SORTED.
EVERY TICKET KEPT.
Some Austin projects, depending on their size and type, must document construction and demolition diversion. We ask at the permit stage whether yours does, and we sort and ticket loads either way. Concrete goes to recycling facilities. Steel gets separated. Clean fill is reused when possible.
Clearing the Old
to Build the New
Existing foundations, old driveways, abandoned pools — infill lots come with baggage. Demolition is the first step in your site prep sequence: remove what's there, verify the grade, and hand it off clean for land clearing and excavation. One mobilization. One crew. Documented start to finish.
See the Infill Developer JourneyWhen the Old Pool
Has to Go First
Client wants a new pool but the old gunite shell is still in the ground. Or there's a concrete patio where the new shell needs to go. Pool demolition pairs naturally with pool excavation — remove the old, scan the site, dig the new.
See the Pool Builder JourneyWHAT AUSTIN REQUIRES
BEFORE A TEARDOWN.
- Demolition permit. Most structures inside Austin city limits need one from the City of Austin Development Services Department. Outside the city, the county or another city may have its own rules. We check your address and say in the quote whether a permit applies. Where one does, we pull it or coordinate with whoever holds it.
- Historic Preservation review. Structures 45 years or older are reviewed by the City's Historic Preservation Office before a demolition permit is issued.
- Asbestos. Austin's asbestos notice exempts single-family homes and buildings with four or fewer units. Larger buildings and some multi-structure projects need a survey, and abatement comes first. Federal NESHAP rules can still apply, so confirm your case with the City.
- Utility release and disconnects. Gas, electric, water and wastewater are disconnected and released before work starts. For City of Austin utilities, the release line is 512-494-9400.
- Neighbor notice. The permit process can require notice to neighbors. We give you the timeline so it doesn't hold up your start date.
- Commercial buildings. The Texas Department of State Health Services requires a demolition notification 10 working days before work on public and commercial buildings. The operator files it. See DSHS asbestos programs and 25 TAC Chapter 296.
- Call 811. Texas law requires a locate request at least 2 business days before digging.
Last reviewed: September 2026. Rules change and vary by address. This page is not legal advice.
How much does demolition cost in Austin?
A shed or detached garage runs $1,000–$5,000 per structure. A large or pole barn runs $2,500–$8,000 per structure. A house runs $9,000–$25,000 per house. A mobile home runs $5,000–$12,000 per home. Full pool removal runs $30,000–$59,000 per pool. Concrete slabs run $4–$8 per sq ft. A site walk sets the final price.
How long does a demolition job take?
Most jobs start 1 to 3 weeks after approval. A house teardown is typically 1 to 3 days on site. Sheds, garages and rock jobs run about half a day to 3 days. Pools take a few days.
Do I need a permit to demolish a building in Austin?
Inside Austin city limits most structures need a demolition permit. Structures 45 years or older also go through Historic Preservation Office review. Rules differ outside city limits. We check your address and say in the quote whether a permit applies.
Do I need an asbestos survey before demolition?
Austin's asbestos notice exempts single-family homes and buildings with four or fewer units. Other buildings, and some multi-structure projects, need a survey first, and abatement comes before demolition. Confirm your case with the City of Austin.
Does Clear Ground handle utility disconnects?
Gas, electric, water and wastewater have to be disconnected and released before demolition. The utility or a licensed professional does that work. We line it up with you and confirm it before we start.
Do you recycle the material?
Yes. We sort concrete, steel and clean fill, keep a ticket for every load, and provide diversion records where the city requires them.
Are you insured?
Yes. We carry $2M per occurrence / $5M aggregate general liability, plus Texas workers' compensation. A certificate of insurance is provided before work starts.
After demo comes clearing and grading. Construction-ready finish for pool builders and infill developers.
View Service →Pool shell digging, foundation excavation, and utility trenching. Often bundled with demolition on the same mobilization.
View Service →Drone mapping and 3D models: surface, quantity and grade data, available as an add-on.
View Service →GOT SOMETHING TO TAKE DOWN?
WE'LL WALK IT FIRST.
A free site walk before any demolition begins. Know what you're dealing with before the first strike: scope, access, utilities and a fixed price.
Most jobs start 1–3 weeks after approval · Austin & Hill Country · No obligation