Guide
Shed removal: should you tear it down or haul it away whole?
By Cesar Hurtado, owner · Published
Most sheds get torn down on site, because taking them apart is the only way out for sheds that are rotted, built on a slab, or too big to move in one piece. Hauling a shed away whole only works for a small, solid prefab shed with clear, wide access to the street. Text photos of the shed and the path to it to (954) 247-1399 and we'll tell you which approach fits.
When does a shed have to be torn down?
In most cases. Taking the shed apart lets it go out through a side gate and into a trailer piece by piece. Tear-down is the only option when the shed is:
- Rotted or damaged. Weak floors and walls won't hold together if the shed is moved.
- Built on a slab or pavers. The shed is anchored or framed to its base.
- Too big to move in one piece. Larger wood sheds with shingled roofs are the common case.
- Behind a narrow gate or tight side yard. If it can't fit through the path to the street, it has to come apart.
In general, wood sheds produce the most debris; metal and resin sheds come apart faster and break down smaller.
When can a shed be hauled away whole?
Only in specific cases: a small, solid prefab shed with clear, wide access to the street. If any of those three is missing, tear-down is the safer and simpler route.
It's hard to judge from the ground, so send photos instead of guessing:
- The shed from the front and sides
- The inside, including the floor
- What it sits on: blocks, a wood frame, pavers or a slab
- The full path from the shed to the driveway or street, including gates
Either way, the result is the same: an empty, clean spot in the yard. Tell us what's going there next, whether that's a new shed, a patio or sod, so we know whether the base needs to come out too.
What do you need to handle before shed removal?
- Empty it, or tell us what's inside. You don't have to empty the shed yourself. Contents can be removed as junk removal at the same visit. Set aside anything you want to keep, like tools or lawn equipment.
- Set aside what we can't take. Paint, chemicals, fuel, propane tanks and pool chemicals are common in sheds and aren't accepted. Set them aside before the job, or ask us what to do with them.
- Utilities, if any. If the shed has power, have it disconnected by the appropriate party before demolition. We don't disconnect utilities.
- Permits. Check with your city's building department about whether a permit is needed. Getting any required permit is the property owner's responsibility.
- HOA. Check with your HOA if your community has rules about structures, trailer placement or work hours.
What affects the scope of a shed removal?
Two sheds that look alike in photos can be quite different jobs. The things that change the scope most:
- Size and material. A small resin shed comes apart quickly; a large wood shed with a shingled roof takes more time and produces more debris.
- The base. Blocks or a wood floor are simpler than a poured slab or pavers.
- What's inside. An empty shed is faster. A full one adds a junk removal portion to the job.
- Access. A clear path from the shed to the driveway or street makes loading faster than a narrow side yard or a locked gate.
- Electrical. A shed with power has to be disconnected by the appropriate party before work starts.
The fastest way to an accurate quote is a set of photos covering all of that: outside, inside, the base and the path out. Add a note on what you want left behind, whether that's bare dirt, the slab or pavers, or a clean spot ready for something new.
What happens to the slab or pavers under the shed?
They stay unless you want them gone. A shed on blocks or a wood floor is simpler to remove than one on a poured slab or pavers. If you want the base out too, say so when you send photos and it will be included in the quote.
Concrete is heavy. The U.S. EPA's volume-to-weight conversion factors list concrete at about 860 pounds per cubic yard, so a slab adds a lot of weight even when it doesn't look like much. Clean concrete and pavers with nothing else mixed in can often be kept separate as clean fill. See clean fill disposal for concrete, pavers and tile.
Should you hire shed demolition or do it yourself with a dump trailer?
Hire shed demolition when you want one crew to take it down, haul every piece away, pick up the nails and screws, and leave the spot clear. That's usually the easier route for large wood sheds, sheds on a slab, and full sheds that need emptying first.
Rent a dump trailer if you'd rather take it apart yourself. Most backyard sheds break down to a modest pile of wood, metal or plastic that fits a 15 yard ($350) or 18 yard ($395) trailer. Every rental includes 7 days and 1 ton, with $120 per ton over that. If you're also breaking up a concrete slab, weight matters more than space.
Some homeowners mix the two: we take down the heavy parts, like the slab, and they rent a trailer for the lighter work.