How much does it cost to demolish an old house for a new building?

The cost factors: What the price depends on

Demolition of an old building is as individual as the building itself. There is no fixed price per square meter that applies to everyone. Nevertheless, the cost drivers can be clearly identified.

1. Volume: Size isn't everything

Of course, volume (m³) plays a role. A small holiday cottage will be gone faster than a three-story villa.

As a rule of thumb for the demolition of an old building (without pollutants), you can expect to pay between 50 and 100 francs per cubic meter of enclosed space.

But beware: A small house can be demolished to make an old building more difficult It may be relatively more expensive than a large one because the fixed costs (site setup, transport of the machines) remain the same .

2. The construction method: wood or concrete?

What is the house made of?

• Wooden houses/prefabricated houses: These are often easier to dismantle. Demolition of older buildings is faster, which saves machine hours.
• Solid construction (brick/concrete): Heavy machinery is required here. Concrete often needs to be extensively crushed (pulverized). Demolition of old buildings takes longer and is more energy-intensive.
• Basement: Does the house have a basement? If you also have to remove the basement and fill in the hole, the costs for demolishing the old building will increase significantly (earthworks). Sometimes it's worthwhile to use the old basement as a foundation, but this needs to be checked by a structural engineer.

3. The major price driver: pollutants and asbestos

This is the point that can blow your budget. Houses built before 1990 (and these are most of the demolition candidates) often contain asbestos – in tile adhesives, facade panels, or insulation.

In Switzerland, a building inspection (pollutant assessment) is mandatory before any demolition of an old building , as soon as a building permit is required.

• If the expert finds asbestos, a regular excavator is not allowed. Specialist companies must carry out the remediation work wearing protective suits.
• The costs for this preliminary stage of demolishing an old building can quickly amount to 5,000 to 20,000 Swiss francs , even before the first brick is laid. Demolishing an old building without a hazardous materials assessment is illegal and can lead to exorbitant fines .

4. Location and accessibility

How does the excavator get to the house?

• Is the house standing alone in a meadow? Perfect for demolishing an old building .
• Is it located in a narrow alley in the old town or on a steep slope? If special machinery is needed or the rubble has to be transported away with small vehicles, the logistics costs for demolishing an old building explode .
• The protection of neighboring houses (dust barriers, vibration measurement) is also a cost factor when demolishing old buildings in densely populated areas.

5. Disposal costs: Landfill fees

The construction debris has to be removed. Switzerland has high landfill fees.

• Single-grade concrete rubble is inexpensive (recycling).
• Mixed demolition waste (wood, plastic, plaster mixed together) is extremely expensive to dispose of.

Therefore, modern demolition of an old building always involves sorting. The better the materials are separated on the construction site, the cheaper the demolition will ultimately be.

Concrete figures: This is the budget you should expect.

To give you a sense of the dimensions, here are some guidelines for an average detached house (approx. 150 m² living space, with basement):

• Preparation (expert opinion, permit): approx. CHF 2,000 – 4,000
• Interior demolition and hazardous material remediation: approx. 5,000 – 25,000 CHF (highly dependent on the asbestos findings)
• Mechanical demolition of old building (above ground): approx. 15,000 – 25,000 CHF
• Removal of basement/foundation: approx. 10,000 – 20,000 CHF
• Disposal & transport: approx. 10,000 – 20,000 CHF

Total cost of demolishing an old building: Usually between 40,000 and 80,000 Swiss francs .

Demolition of a small wooden house without a basement and without asbestos can sometimes be done for as little as 25,000 francs. However, for an asbestos-contaminated villa on a hillside, costs can quickly reach 100,000 francs.

The process: From idea to green field

Demolishing an old building requires a permit. You can't just start.

• The permit: You must submit a building application for the demolition of the old building (often coupled with the new building application).
• The pollutant check: An expert examines the substance. Without this report, demolition of an old building is usually not permitted .
• The gutting: Windows, doors, floors and soft materials are removed manually. This is the first phase in the demolition of an old building .
• Mechanical demolition: Now the excavator comes and tears the building down.
• Recycling: The rubble is separated and removed. After the demolition of the old building, the building pit is often prepared directly for the new construction.

Tips for bargain hunters

Are there ways to make the demolition of old buildings cheaper?

• DIY work: Be careful. You can help with the gutting ( removing carpets , dismantling the kitchen). But stay away from structural issues and hazardous materials. The savings from demolishing an old building yourself are usually minimal compared to the risks.
• Selling building components: Sometimes old wooden beams, historic bricks, or well-preserved windows can be sold before demolishing an old building . There are exchanges for historic building materials. While this only reduces the demolition costs minimally, it is ecologically sound.
• Combination: If you award the demolition of the old building and the excavation for the new building to the same civil engineering company, you save on travel costs for the machines (combination discount).

Conclusion

The question "How much does demolition cost?" can only be answered reliably with a range. For a typical single-family home, you should budget between 40,000 and 60,000 Swiss francs . If asbestos is involved, demolishing an older building will be more expensive.

view the demolition of an old building as a necessary evil, but rather as an investment in your building plot. A properly executed demolition of an old building guarantees that you won't encounter any contaminated soil during new construction . Be sure to compare several quotes and ensure that disposal costs are included in the offer for the demolition . The cheapest provider is often the one who hides the landfill fees in the fine print.

If you are unsure whether buying a property slated for demolition is worthwhile or how high the financial risk of deconstruction is in relation to the land value, Loft offers helpful analyses to calculate your project correctly from the start.

Glossary

• Demolition of old buildings: The complete dismantling of an existing building to create space for a new building or a new use, in compliance with technical and ecological requirements.
• Dismantling: The technical term synonym for demolition, which emphasizes that materials are selectively separated and recycled during the demolition of old buildings , instead of simply being destroyed.
• Pollutant assessment: A mandatory investigation before the demolition of old buildings to identify hazardous substances such as asbestos or PCBs.
• Cubic volume: The enclosed volume of a building (length x width x height), which serves as the most important basis for calculating the costs of demolishing old buildings .
• Gutting: The first step in demolishing an old building , in which all non-static parts (floors, doors, fixtures) are removed manually before the excavator arrives.