Prices
Demolition and Strip Out Costs in London & the South East
Demolition in London and the South East typically costs £30–£150 per m². A small house demolition usually costs £6,500–£12,000, with larger residential projects reaching £35,000 or more, while soft strip outs run at £15–£40 per m². These are guide prices excluding VAT. Your fixed price is confirmed after a free site survey.
- Realistic 2026 guide prices
- Labour, plant & waste removal included
- CDM 2015, RAMS & insurance in every quote
- Free, no-obligation site survey
Price guide
Price Guide by Service
The guide below reflects typical London and Surrey market rates in 2026, and it is the guide we use across every area we cover, including Kent, Sussex and Hampshire. Use it as a realistic starting point for budgeting. Each service is priced on a different basis, so the table also shows what the price is built from and what tends to move it up or down.
| Service | Typical price range | Pricing basis | What's usually included | Main cost drivers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demolition | £6,500 – £35,000+ (residential)£30 – £150 per m² | Per project, by building size and method | Survey, RAMS, demolition, segregation, clearance | Building size, materials (brick/concrete/timber), height, access, asbestos, waste volumes, permits |
| Soft Strip Out & Demolition | £15 – £40 per m²Small jobs from £1,500Typical commercial £5,000 – £25,000+ | Per project, by floor area and scope | Strip to agreed scope, segregation, waste removal | Floor area, density of fit-out, M&E removal, access, restricted hours, waste type |
| Groundworks | £15 – £45 per m³ (excavation)Package rates from £2,500+ | Per project, by package | Scope agreed at survey | Soil conditions, depth, drainage, foundations, access, muck-away volumes |
| Dig Out Services | £25 – £55 per m³ (dig & cart away)£15 – £35 per m³ (reduced level) | By volume excavated and removed | Excavation, loading, muck away | Volume, soil type, rock/concrete, tip distance, access restrictions |
| Enabling Works | From £2,500 – £15,000+ | Per project, by package | Set-up and preparation works as agreed | Hoarding, temporary access, services isolation, temporary works, programme length |
| Machine Contracting | Mini digger + operator: £280 – £450/day3–8t excavator + operator: £450 – £850/dayLarger plant: from £800/day | By machine and duration, transport charged on top | Plant with experienced operator | Machine size, attachments, duration, fuel, transport, location (central London premium) |
| Site Clearance | £500 – £1,500 per daySmall sites from £800Larger sites from £2,500 | By area and volume | Clearance, loading, removal | Site size, volume of material, access, contamination risk, recycling vs landfill |
| Waste Clearance | Skip / grab: £180 – £450 per loadMixed waste: £80 – £130 per tonneInert: lower rates | By volume and waste type | Collection, segregation, transfer notes | Waste type (inert / mixed / hazardous), volume, tip fees, London congestion & parking |
Guide prices by service, 2026, excluding VAT
Demolition
- Typical price range
- £6,500 – £35,000+ (residential)£30 – £150 per m²
- Pricing basis
- Per project, by building size and method
- What's usually included
- Survey, RAMS, demolition, segregation, clearance
- Main cost drivers
- Building size, materials (brick/concrete/timber), height, access, asbestos, waste volumes, permits
Soft Strip Out & Demolition
- Typical price range
- £15 – £40 per m²Small jobs from £1,500Typical commercial £5,000 – £25,000+
- Pricing basis
- Per project, by floor area and scope
- What's usually included
- Strip to agreed scope, segregation, waste removal
- Main cost drivers
- Floor area, density of fit-out, M&E removal, access, restricted hours, waste type
Groundworks
- Typical price range
- £15 – £45 per m³ (excavation)Package rates from £2,500+
- Pricing basis
- Per project, by package
- What's usually included
- Scope agreed at survey
- Main cost drivers
- Soil conditions, depth, drainage, foundations, access, muck-away volumes
Dig Out Services
- Typical price range
- £25 – £55 per m³ (dig & cart away)£15 – £35 per m³ (reduced level)
- Pricing basis
- By volume excavated and removed
- What's usually included
- Excavation, loading, muck away
- Main cost drivers
- Volume, soil type, rock/concrete, tip distance, access restrictions
Enabling Works
- Typical price range
- From £2,500 – £15,000+
- Pricing basis
- Per project, by package
- What's usually included
- Set-up and preparation works as agreed
- Main cost drivers
- Hoarding, temporary access, services isolation, temporary works, programme length
Machine Contracting
- Typical price range
- Mini digger + operator: £280 – £450/day3–8t excavator + operator: £450 – £850/dayLarger plant: from £800/day
- Pricing basis
- By machine and duration, transport charged on top
- What's usually included
- Plant with experienced operator
- Main cost drivers
- Machine size, attachments, duration, fuel, transport, location (central London premium)
Site Clearance
- Typical price range
- £500 – £1,500 per daySmall sites from £800Larger sites from £2,500
- Pricing basis
- By area and volume
- What's usually included
- Clearance, loading, removal
- Main cost drivers
- Site size, volume of material, access, contamination risk, recycling vs landfill
Waste Clearance
- Typical price range
- Skip / grab: £180 – £450 per loadMixed waste: £80 – £130 per tonneInert: lower rates
- Pricing basis
- By volume and waste type
- What's usually included
- Collection, segregation, transfer notes
- Main cost drivers
- Waste type (inert / mixed / hazardous), volume, tip fees, London congestion & parking
All figures are guide prices and exclude VAT. Actual quotes depend on access, scope, waste type, programme and site conditions.
Examples
Typical Project Prices
These examples show what common jobs usually cost in London and Surrey, so you can compare your project with something similar.
| Project type | Approximate size | Guide price range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small residential soft strip | 2-bed flat | £1,800 – £3,500 | Kitchen, bathroom, flooring, partitions |
| Office soft strip | 500–1,000 m² | £8,000 – £22,000 | Ceilings, partitions, flooring, some M&E |
| Retail unit strip out | 200–400 m² | £4,000 – £12,000 | Shop fitting, fixtures, flooring |
| Small house demolition | 80–120 m² | £6,500 – £12,000 | Includes clearance |
| Medium house demolition | 150–200 m² | £11,000 – £22,000 | Depends on materials and access |
| Garage / outbuilding demolition | — | £1,000 – £3,500 | Simple structures |
| Dig out / reduced level | 50 m³ | £1,200 – £2,500 | Depends on cart-away requirement |
| Site clearance (small commercial) | — | £1,500 – £4,000 | Volume dependent |
Typical project prices, London and Surrey, 2026, excluding VAT
Small residential soft strip
- Approximate size
- 2-bed flat
- Guide price range
- £1,800 – £3,500
- Notes
- Kitchen, bathroom, flooring, partitions
Office soft strip
- Approximate size
- 500–1,000 m²
- Guide price range
- £8,000 – £22,000
- Notes
- Ceilings, partitions, flooring, some M&E
Retail unit strip out
- Approximate size
- 200–400 m²
- Guide price range
- £4,000 – £12,000
- Notes
- Shop fitting, fixtures, flooring
Small house demolition
- Approximate size
- 80–120 m²
- Guide price range
- £6,500 – £12,000
- Notes
- Includes clearance
Medium house demolition
- Approximate size
- 150–200 m²
- Guide price range
- £11,000 – £22,000
- Notes
- Depends on materials and access
Garage / outbuilding demolition
- Approximate size
- —
- Guide price range
- £1,000 – £3,500
- Notes
- Simple structures
Dig out / reduced level
- Approximate size
- 50 m³
- Guide price range
- £1,200 – £2,500
- Notes
- Depends on cart-away requirement
Site clearance (small commercial)
- Approximate size
- —
- Guide price range
- £1,500 – £4,000
- Notes
- Volume dependent
Most of the spread within each range comes from access and waste. A ground-floor retail unit with loading at the door sits at the lower end, while an upper-floor office with no goods lift and restricted delivery hours sits higher. For more on what each job involves, see our soft strip, demolition and dig out services.
How we price
How a Guide Price Becomes a Fixed Quotation
Guide prices are there to help you budget, but every site is different. Before any work starts, you should have a written quotation for your specific job. This is how we get there:
- 01
Tell us about the site
Send your postcode, the type of building and what needs to stay and what needs to go. Floor plans, drawings or photos help us prepare for the visit.
- 02
Free site survey
We visit to measure up, check access, parking and working hours, identify existing services, review any asbestos survey and agree the scope with you.
- 03
Written, fixed-price quotation
You receive a price for the agreed scope of work, setting out what is included, what is excluded and the proposed programme.
The survey is free and carries no obligation, and we respond to every enquiry within 24 hours.
Price factors
What Affects the Price of Demolition and Strip-Out Work?
These eight factors explain most of the difference between the bottom and the top of each price range. Most of them can be assessed properly only on site, which is why the survey matters.
Location. Central London sites usually cost more than sites in Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire or Kent. Congestion, parking restrictions, restricted working hours and higher labour rates all add time and cost.
Access. Tight sites, limited vehicle access, upper floors and restricted loading bays increase labour time and plant requirements. Where waste has to be carried down several floors by hand rather than loaded at the door, the price reflects it.
Scope and density. A light soft strip of ceilings and carpets costs far less than a full strip with M&E services, raised floors and partitions. The more that is fixed into the building, the more labour and segregation it takes.
Waste volumes and type. Heavy concrete, plasterboard, mixed waste and contaminated materials raise disposal costs. High recycling rates can sometimes reduce tip fees.
Asbestos and hazardous materials. A refurbishment and demolition asbestos survey, carried out to the HSE's HSG264 guidance, is required before most soft strip or demolition work. Any licensed asbestos removal is priced separately.
Programme and restrictions. Weekend, night and other out-of-hours working attracts a premium, as do tight programme deadlines that need extra labour or plant on site.
Site conditions. Ground conditions, existing services, structural complexity and temporary works such as propping all affect the final price.
Insurance and compliance. Working to the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, preparing RAMS and method statements, and carrying appropriate insurance are part of every professional quotation. We hold £10m public liability insurance and employers' liability insurance.
Before we quote
How to Get an Accurate Quote
The more we know before the survey, the more accurate and faster your quotation will be. Four things make the biggest difference:
A clear scope
What stays and what goes. If only part of a building is being stripped, mark it on a plan or describe it in your enquiry.
Access, parking & working hours
Loading arrangements, lifts, parking suspensions and any limits on noisy work or delivery times.
Asbestos survey & previous reports
Any existing asbestos survey or structural report. The asbestos survey is usually arranged by the client, or we can coordinate it for you.
- Request a quote →
Drawings, floor plans & photos
Upload them with your quote request and we can plan the visit before we arrive.
Waste & recycling
How Waste and Recycling Affect the Price
On most strip-out and demolition jobs, waste is one of the largest parts of the price. What it costs depends less on the total volume than on how well it is separated. Mixed waste costs more per tonne to dispose of than clean inert material such as concrete and brick.
That is why we segregate on site as the work goes on, keeping metals, timber, plasterboard, hardcore and general waste apart so each goes to the right facility at the right cost. Waste sent to landfill is also subject to landfill tax, charged per tonne, with a lower rate for qualifying inert material. Keeping waste out of landfill is good for the budget as well as the environment. We target 95% or more of waste diverted from landfill.
Every load leaves under the waste duty of care, carried by a registered waste carrier with waste transfer notes supplied, so you have a full record of where your waste went. Our waste clearance and site clearance services cover this in more detail.
Hazardous waste, asbestos and unusually high volumes fall outside standard waste removal and are priced separately.
Frequently asked questions
Demolition and Strip Out Cost FAQs
How much does a soft strip out cost in London?
How much does it cost to demolish a house in Surrey or London?
Is waste removal included?
Do I need an asbestos survey?
How quickly can you start?
Do you charge for the site survey?
Still have questions about your project?
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Tell Us About Your Project
Complete the short form below and our team will contact you to discuss your demolition or site preparation requirements.
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Get a Fixed Price for Your Project
Whether you are budgeting for a single flat strip-out or a multi-storey demolition, tell us about the site and we will arrange a free survey and send a written quotation for the agreed scope.
020 8914 7838Speak directly to our team · Mon–Fri 09:00–17:00
- Safety-first, CDM 2015 compliant
- 24-hour quote response
- Fixed price after a free site survey
Prefer email? Send details or large drawings to hello@stripandclearservices.co.uk.
All prices are guide figures for the London, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire and Kent market as of 2026. They exclude VAT. Final pricing is confirmed after site survey. Always obtain a written quotation before work begins.