Demolition in Toronto
Interior tear-out and small demolition jobs in the City of Toronto, priced up front. We take the work out and haul it away in the same visit, so there is no bin to rent and no second company to book.
Posted prices
- Bathroom gut to studsfrom $1,200
- Kitchen tear-out (cabinets, counters, backsplash)from $1,500
- Basement partial strip-outfrom $2,500
- Carpet and pad removal$0.75 per sq ft
Before 13% HST.
What we tear out in Toronto
Every job below has a posted price, before 13% HST. Each includes the haul-away, up to the limit shown. Demolition and tear-out are offered in the City of Toronto only: downtown, Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough, East York and York. Outside Toronto we do junk removal.
- Bathrooms: gutted to the studs, from $1,200. Includes hauling up to a 1/2 load.
- Kitchens: cabinets, counters and backsplash, from $1,500. Includes hauling up to a full load.
- Basements: partial strip-out of drywall, ceilings, flooring and non-structural framing, from $2,500. Disposal included.
- Carpet and pad: $0.75 per sq ft, $400 minimum. Disposal included up to a 1/4 load.
- Tile and glued flooring: $3 per sq ft, $400 minimum. Disposal billed by weight.
- Decks up to 200 sq ft: from $750. Disposal included.
- Fences: $8 per linear ft. Disposal included.
- Small concrete pads: $5 per sq ft, $600 minimum. Disposal included.
How a job runs
You send photos through the site and we quote from them. Volume and weight are confirmed on site, and the price is set before work starts. We price by the job, not by the hour.
On the day we walk the space with you, agree what is coming out and what stays, and then work in a fixed order. Fixtures and cabinets come out first, then wall and floor finishes, then the debris goes out along the shortest route and into the load as we go. When we finish, the room is open to the studs or subfloor and ready for your plumber, electrician and tile setter.
If the schedule is tight, same-day service is plus $50 when we can fit it in.
What changes the price
Posted prices are starting points for a typical job. Photos let us see what moves them:
- Size, in square feet or linear feet, and how much debris it makes.
- Floors and stairs. A fifth-floor condo with no freight elevator takes more labour than a ground-floor job beside the door.
- Carry distance from the work area to where we load.
- Weight. Each load carries a weight allowance, and weight over it is $250 per tonne from the scale ticket. Concrete, brick, soil and asphalt are from $350 per cu yd.
- Material. Mud-set tile, plaster and lath, cast iron tubs and glued flooring all take longer than adhesive tile, drywall, steel tubs and floating floors.
- Access. A condo needs an elevator booking, and a laneway or a long driveway changes where we can load.
| Job | GTA companies and price guides we checked | Issa posted price |
|---|---|---|
| Full bathroom gut to studs | Most $1,200 to $2,500 with disposal | from $1,200 |
| Kitchen, up to 100 sq ft | $1,070 to $3,000 in renovation quote demolition lines | from $1,500 |
| Basement partial strip-out | $3,000 to $6,000 | from $2,500 |
| Carpet and pad | $0.40 to $1.60 per sq ft; most $0.70 to $1.00 with disposal | $0.75 per sq ft, $400 minimum |
| Floor tile | $2 to $5 per sq ft; most $3 to $3.50 with disposal | $3 per sq ft, $400 minimum |
| Ground-level deck, about 10 by 10 feet | $500 to $800 with disposal | from $750, up to 200 sq ft |
| Fence | $4 to $12 per linear ft with disposal | $8 per linear ft |
| Small concrete pad | $2 to $7 per sq ft, or $550 to $1,700 flat | $5 per sq ft, $600 minimum |
Toronto rules that apply to demolition
Permits. The City of Toronto lists "demolish or remove all, or a portion of a building" as work that needs a building permit. It lists adding or removing walls, and installing or modifying heating and plumbing systems, the same way. It lists adding or replacing insulation, installing cabinetry and millwork, repairing and replacing plumbing fixtures, and finishing a basement in a house with no structural or material alterations, no second unit and no new plumbing as work that does not need one. The page does not address stripping finishes out of a room, and it says the list is not exhaustive, so confirm your scope with Toronto Building.
Asbestos. Homes built before about 1990 can contain asbestos in plaster, vinyl tile, popcorn ceilings and drywall compound. Health Canada recommends hiring a professional to test for asbestos before renovating, and a qualified asbestos removal specialist if any is found. Ontario Regulation 278/05 applies to constructors, employers and workers on a project whether or not asbestos is known or suspected. Our prices assume none. If we find suspect material, work stops, testing is the owner's cost, and we never remove asbestos.
Plumbing, gas and electrical. Plumber is a compulsory trade in Ontario. Only an electrical contractor with an Electrical Safety Authority licence, or an electrician that contractor employs, can be hired to do electrical work in your home, and that work needs an ESA notification. We do not cap water or gas lines or disconnect circuits. Your trades do that before we start or after we finish.
Where our work stops
We do light demolition and tear-out. We do not take down structural walls, beams or posts, we do not demolish buildings, and we do not do asbestos abatement. If your plan needs any of those, hire a demolition contractor or a general contractor with an engineer's drawings, and use us for the finishes and the haul-away that go with it.
We do not take paint, propane or chemicals. Send photos of anything unusual before the day and we tell you whether it goes in the load.
Included
- Tear-out of fixtures and finishes
- Flooring removal
- Decks, fences and small pads
- Haul-away in the same visit
- Quote from your photos
- Disposal within the posted load
Not included
- Asbestos testing or removal
- Structural wall or beam removal
- Plumbing and gas capping
- Electrical disconnection
- Paint, chemicals and propane
- Work outside the City of Toronto
Posted prices
Every price is before 13% HST. Volume is confirmed on site, and the price does not change once the work starts.
| Job or load | Details | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Bathroom gut to studs | Includes hauling up to a 1/2 load | from $1,200 |
| Kitchen tear-out (cabinets, counters, backsplash) | Includes hauling up to a full load | from $1,500 |
| Basement partial strip-out | Disposal included | from $2,500 |
| Carpet and pad removal | Disposal included up to a 1/4 load | $0.75 per sq ft$400 minimum |
| Tile or glued flooring removal | Disposal billed by weight | $3 per sq ft$400 minimum |
| Deck removal, up to 200 sq ft | Disposal included | from $750 |
| Fence removal | Disposal included | $8 per linear ft |
| Small concrete pad removal | Disposal included | $5 per sq ft$600 minimum |
| Weight over the allowance | Billed from the scale ticket | $250 per tonne |
| Concrete, brick, soil, asphalt | from $350 per cu yd | |
| Same-day service | plus $50 |
Questions
It depends on the job. Our posted prices start at $1,200 for a bathroom gut, $1,500 for a kitchen tear-out and $2,500 for a basement partial strip-out, all before HST. Decks, fences, floors and small concrete pads are posted separately. Send photos for a quote.
Yes, up to the limit for each job. A bathroom gut includes hauling up to a 1/2 load and a kitchen tear-out up to a full load. Weight over the allowance is $250 per tonne from the scale ticket, and concrete, brick, soil and asphalt are from $350 per cu yd.
Toronto requires a building permit to demolish or remove a portion of a building and to add or remove walls. It does not require one to replace plumbing fixtures, add insulation or install cabinetry. The page does not say how it treats stripping finishes, so ask Toronto Building about your exact scope.
We stop work. Homes built before about 1990 can have asbestos in plaster, vinyl tile, popcorn ceilings and drywall compound, and our prices assume none. Testing is the owner's cost, and a qualified asbestos removal specialist has to handle anything that tests positive. We never remove asbestos.
No. Demolition and tear-out are offered in the City of Toronto only. Outside Toronto we do junk removal, including hot tub removal, furniture and appliances.
If lines or circuits in the work area stay live, yes. We do not cap water or gas lines or disconnect wiring. Have your trades do that first, and we remove the cabinets, fixtures and finishes once the space is safe to work in.
Sometimes. Same-day service is plus $50 on top of the quoted price, and we confirm it once we have your photos and know the scope.
Get a quote from your photos
Tell us what needs to go, add photos and leave a number. We price from the posted rates.