How To Demolish A House Yourself

A Comprehensive Guide to DIY Home Demolition

There are many reasons to tear down a house. Maybe you’re simply clearing the way for new construction or there are complex structural issues that would be more expensive to fix than it would be to start over. Whatever the motivating factors are, demolishing a house is a big job that requires a clear plan.

Demoing a house involves two basic approaches: deconstruction and demolition. Deconstruction is the process of removing useful materials by hand, preserving and repurposing resources for later use. Demolition, on the other hand, means the utter destruction of the building, usually with heavy machinery. The debris is often hauled away as construction waste afterwards.

Preparing to Tear Down a House

When you’ve decided to demolish your house, it’s time to start planning out your project. There are several preliminary factors to address and preparations to make, as well as an assortment of tools you’ll need. Hand tools are useful for deconstructing the interior of the house, while heavy machinery is better suited for bringing down the structure itself after the interior has been cleared out.

Contact Your Lender, if Necessary

If you own and have fully paid off your home, this step won’t be necessary. However, if you still owe a bank or mortgage lender, you will need approval before proceeding with a demolition project. Your lender could also help you secure financing for demolition and rebuilding efforts.

Remove Furniture and Belongings

Before tearing your home apart, you’ll need to dispose of bulky items like furniture, fixtures, decorations, appliances and possessions before proceeding.

Shut Off All Utilities

Make sure all water, electrical and gas lines running to the structure have been shut off and safely capped. Contact your providers for this step – they may need to send service personnel to your house to ensure all utilities are fully disconnected properly.

 

“Know where the water shut off is before doing ANY plumbing work. Turn off breakers and even the main power when doing electrical work.  Don’t think you know more than you do.  It always costs more to learn that way.”

Bryce Jacob | Certified Remodeler, UDCP, J.S. Brown & Co.

 

Rent a Roll Off Dumpster

Naturally, destroying or deconstructing a house leads to a substantial amount of debris. An easy way to clean up after a this project is to use a demolition dumpster and have the junk hauled away. It’s best to schedule your container rental in advance so it arrives in time for your project, especially if you’re renting additional equipment.

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Gather Equipment for Home Demolition
Tools	Heavy Equipment & Safety Gear
Sledgehammer Pry Bar or specialized wrecking tool Masonry drill Reciprocating saw Rotary hammer Dry wall hook Box cutter or utility knife Wheelbarrow Chisel or putty knife Plastic sheeting Shop-vac Stud finder Ratcheting tubing cutter Wire cutters Voltmeter	Hydraulic excavator or backhoe Bulldozer Work Gloves Ladder Surgical mask Hard hat Eye goggles Safety cones and/or barrier tape

 

 

How to Demolish a House Step-by-Step

Once you’ve gathered the tools you need to deconstruct the interior, it’s time to get started with the next steps. First, we’ll explain how to deconstruct the interior of your home, remove belongings and salvage useful materials. Then, we’ll move to the exterior demolition phase, in which you’ll use heavy machinery to knock down the structure entirely. 

How to Deconstruct a House by Hand

Home deconstruction is a labor-intensive process that often comes before complete demolition in an attempt to salvage usable materials from the structure. It also clears the way by removing obstacles and supporting beams from the interior of the house. The best way to go about a home deconstruction project is to tackle one room at a time, starting with the upper floor, if applicable. Here are some basic guidelines to get started.

1. Tear Down Drywall

When the room has been cleared of furniture and fixtures, it’s time to move on to the walls and the sub-structures behind them.

1. If you have wallpaper on these walls, start by removing it with your chisel and putty knife. Wallpaper can be torn off by hand if loosened from the corner of each wall.
2. Locate studs in the wall with your stud finder and mark their locations.
3. Lay down plastic sheeting to collect debris.
4. Use your pry bar, sledgehammer, dry wall hook and boxcutter to begin cutting or knocking out the sections of the drywall between the studs you’ve located. Have a helper hold the ladder while removing drywall high from the floor.
5. Tear out any insulation material behind the drywall as you work. Make sure to wear a safety mask and gloves for this step.
6. Cut the studs with your reciprocating saw and remove the pieces.
7. Use a shop-vac to clean up any dust and chips left behind by the drywall removal process that your plastic sheeting missed.
8. Continue and repeat until all the walls in a given room have been taken apart.

“Many homeowners can put sweat equity into their remodeling projects, and this can be accomplished by handling some of the demolition themselves. Cabinetry, floor covering, trim and wall coverings are the easiest materials to remove without being a skilled laborer. When it comes to removing walls, there is invariably wiring and ductwork, which can be concerning. It is also important to be able to identify bearing vs non-bearing walls. If [you] have no idea, it is best to leave it to the professionals.”

Bryce Jacob | Certified Remodeler, UDCP, J.S. Brown & Co.

 

Salvage Wiring and Piping Where Possible

Copper wire and scrap metal from pipes can be sold or recycled after you’ve finished your home deconstruction. Carefully use your reciprocating saw or ratcheting tube cutter to cut through the pipes and separate metals. Cut the pipes and tubes into smaller sections for easier disposal if you’re not planning to re-use them. Otherwise, attempt to cut large sections that can be kept and repurposed later.

Pro-Tip: The electricity in the structure should already be shut off by this point, but be sure to test wires with a voltmeter before attempting to remove them with your wire cutting pliers.

2. Remove Doors and Frames

Use a screwdriver to unfasten door hinges and remove it from the door jamb. The jamb itself can be knocked out of the door frame with a hammer. Once uninstalled, doors in good condition can be sold to building supply businesses or donated to charities such as Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore.

3. Tear Out Flooring Materials

After the interior rooms have been cleared out, start removing any carpets in the upstairs bedrooms and hallways, as well as any floor tiles in the bathrooms and kitchen.

4. Repeat Process in Bedrooms Throughout House

When all construction materials in one room have been removed, move on to the other bedrooms and hallways. Collect piping and wiring along the way and salvage any decorative fixtures as you’re able, including ceiling fans and lighting systems.

5. Begin Bathroom Demolition

Unlike bedrooms and hallways, bathroom demolition involves several more complicated deconstruction tasks, including the removal of sinks, bathtubs and other fixtures. Keep in mind that if these fixtures are removed intact, they can be used again in the future.

After the bathroom has been cleared of belongings and the fixtures have been uninstalled, get to work removing the flooring materials and deconstructing the walls as outlined above.

Pro-Tip: Make sure you’ve used the main shutoff valve to turn off all running water in the bathroom.

6. Handle the Laundry and Utility Rooms

These areas of the house are likely to have specialized fixtures like sinks, washers and driers, that you’ll want to take the time to disconnect and uninstall properly. Then, you can go about removing cabinets, taking apart walls and tearing up the floors. These cabinets can be reclaimed as scrap wood or even repurposed in a new house if removed intact.

7. Deconstruct the Kitchen and Dining Room

Similar to the bathroom deconstruction process, approach kitchen demolition carefully to safely remove all fixtures and preserve working appliances for reuse.

After the refrigerator, oven and other appliances have been removed, move on to the countertops. These can be taken apart by using a chisel to cut through the caulking material and separate the counter from the wall. A pry bar can then be used to pull the countertop away from the cabinet underneath.

When the countertops have been removed, you’re free to turn your attention to the cabinets, wall tiles and flooring material. If removed carefully, hardwood floor panels can be recycled or salvaged, similarly to your kitchen cabinets. Linoleum is more difficult to reuse, but it’s biodegradable and can be recycled or composted easily.

Now, let’s dive into the main event.

 

How to Demolish a House Using Heavy Machinery

When you have demolition equipment at your disposal, tearing down your house is a relatively simple process. Here are the basic steps to follow.

1. Rent the Equipment You Need

At this point, the house should be ready for wrecking. If you’re renting your demolition equipment, rental companies can recommend the right type of machinery for the job and may even offer training.

2. Secure the Area

Before using heavy machinery to demolish your house, you’ll want to establish a safety perimeter around the job site with signage, barriers and caution tape.

3. Tear the House Down

Generally, a good approach is to use the excavator’s arm to cave in the house’s roof first. This reduces the risk of the building toppling over and causing injury. Then, work your way down by knocking over each wall and caving in each floor. Reduce risk while demolishing the house by pushing against the structure so debris doesn’t fall toward you.

Continue until every floor and wall is leveled. This phase of the process can take several hours, depending heavily on the size of the house and materials used in its construction.

Pro-Tip: Goggles and masks are highly recommended precautions to keep dust out of your eyes and mouth.

4. Clean Up the Debris

After the house is demolished, it’s time to transport the debris into your roll off dumpster. This can be done in several ways, but using your heavy equipment is a popular and effective method. Most hydraulic excavators and backhoes can be used to scoop and deposit debris into containers for easy disposal.

Alternatively, if your excavator doesn’t have the right arm attachment to lift debris, a bulldozer can be used to push the debris closer to your roll off dumpster, while wheelbarrows can help transport smaller amounts at a time. The debris can then be wheeled into your container or loaded manually. 

Be sure to use work gloves if handling debris by hand. Tools such as pry bars, rotary hammers, masonry drills and sledgehammers can be used to break large sections into more manageable sizes.

Pro-Tip: When you rent your roll off dumpster, our team can help you place the container in a convenient location to make loading your debris easier.

After the debris is cleared away, the ground around the structure will need to be graded and leveled off. Consider hiring professional demolition and excavation experts to handle this step. 

Frequently Asked Home Demolition Questions

Do you have some unanswered questions about how to plan a home demolition project? Get some insight here.

Flex Your DIY Home Demolition Skills

By tearing down a house yourself, you’ve given yourself a wealth of useful skills that can be put into action in a wide variety of ways. Consider moving on to other structures on your property you no longer need, like your tool shed or patio.

While planning for your home demolition project, it may be worth learning the basics of concrete removal and preparing to deconstruct your patio.

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