How Much Does It Cost to Demolish a House in Washington?

National cost guides put a typical house teardown at $6,000 to $25,000. A guide with Washington city figures lists $9,200 to $19,300 in Yakima and $8,600 to $18,200 in Kennewick. Size and a basement push a house toward the top of those ranges.

These are market numbers, not our price list. In Washington, the asbestos survey, the clean air notice, the permit and the haul-off all shape the bill. A real number for house demolition starts with a look at the site.

What does house demolition cost by size and city?

One national guide prices the work at $4 to $10 a square foot. Another stretches the top to $17 and says multi-level homes take more labor.

The same city guide puts Pasco and Richland within a few hundred dollars of Kennewick. Its figures date from 2024.

What drives the price of a Washington teardown?

Size and build. Square footage is the biggest driver in the national guides. Brick costs more to take down than wood frame.

The foundation. One national guide prices slab removal at $1 to $3 a square foot and a basement at $3 to $5. In the City of Yakima, an old basement cannot be built on until it is filled with compacted structural fill. Inspectors check that buried debris is gone before any fill goes in.

Filling that hole and shaping the lot is site preparation for the new house. The same guide prices backfill at $3 to $6 a cubic yard. A deep basement takes many truckloads of dirt, and hauling fill in bulk is mass excavation and dirt hauling.

Pulling a foundation is digging under state law. The 811 locate request goes in two to 10 full business days ahead.

The asbestos survey. Washington law puts this step on the property owner or the owner’s agent. Before a demolition that could disturb asbestos, the owner has a good faith inspection done. The owner then gives the written report to contractors before they bid. The Yakima Regional Clean Air Agency wants a survey by an accredited building inspector before any demolition.

One national guide prices an asbestos inspection at $300 to $900. Another says heavy asbestos in siding, roofing, flooring or insulation can double or triple the teardown cost. When asbestos turns up, the Benton Clean Air Agency requires an abatement contractor to remove it before demolition.

The clean air notice. The Yakima agency wants notice at least 10 days before demolition, asbestos or not. Its posted fee schedule runs from $45 to $1,190, by the amount of asbestos. The Benton agency lists at least 5 days’ notice for a residential demolition. In Franklin County, the state Department of Ecology’s Eastern Regional Office is the air agency to ask.

The permit. Outside city limits, Yakima County requires a demolition permit for each structure, whole or partial. Inside Sunnyside, the city’s Building Division issues it.

The City of Yakima wants proof of the clean air agency’s approval with the application. Its fee follows the job’s estimated cost, plus a $6.50 building code surcharge on residential permits. National guides put permit fees at $100 to $500.

Utility shutoffs. One national guide says to request shutoffs 2 to 4 weeks ahead. It prices cutting and capping a sewer line at $350 to $1,500. In the City of Yakima, capping the sewer takes a plumbing permit. The cap goes within 5 feet of the property line.

Haul-off and the landfill. Burning demolition debris is prohibited in Washington, the Yakima agency says. Yakima County wants the debris taken to an approved landfill or recycler, and an inspection confirms it left the parcel.

The county’s posted landfill fee is $46 a ton for garbage, and asbestos waste runs $89.50 a ton by appointment. One national guide puts debris hauling at $400 to $800 a truckload. Hauling the debris away is part of our demolition work.

What does it cost to tear down a barn, garage or shed?

One national guide lists a barn at $1,200 to $25,000 and a garage at $800 to $10,000. A shed runs $500 to $3,500 in the same guide. The city guide puts a one or two car garage at $2,400 to $3,900 in Yakima.

The Yakima agency’s definition of a structure names barns, pole buildings, garages and lean-tos. Yakima County wants a permit for each structure, so a barn and a garage on one lot each need one. If a shop will stand where the barn stood, read what a shop pad costs in the valley.

When does a teardown beat a remodel?

National guides agree a remodel usually costs less than tearing down and building new. One guide favors a teardown when the foundation has structural problems, or when mold or pests have caused structural damage. Yakima County lists fire damage and water damage among the reasons a structure may need demolition.

Building new also lets you change the layout from the ground up. Plan on somewhere else to live while the new house goes up. The new house is a home builder’s job, and our part is the teardown and the dirt work after it.

What should a written demolition quote cover?

Have the asbestos survey done before you ask for quotes. Then every quote prices the same job. A written quote should name:

• Each building coming down, plus any slab, footings or basement walls.
• Where the debris goes, and whether hauling is in the price.
• How the lot is left: rough graded, or filled and compacted.
• Who files the clean air notice, and who applies for the permit.
• What sits outside the price, like asbestos removal or capping a sewer line.

Some cities set the finished grade. West Richland’s demolition handout says the lot must be graded back to its original contours.

How do you get a real number for your house?

Every dollar figure here is a published market range or a posted agency fee. Your number depends on the house and the rules where it sits.

Bedrock Excavation and General Contracting takes down houses, barns, garages and shops across the Lower Yakima Valley and the Tri-Cities. We look at the job and put the quote in writing. Call or text (509) 439-2533, or read what our demolition service covers.