HOW TO HIRE · TRADES & CONSTRUCTION

How to hire a demolition contractor in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

Most demolition in England and Wales needs notice to the council, plus asbestos and waste carrier checks. The rules, the questions and the paperwork.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a demolition contractor in five steps

  1. Check the notice ruleIn England and Wales, most demolition needs notice to the council first.
  2. Check for asbestosBefore anything comes down, especially old garages and roofs.
  3. Ask about servicesGas, electricity and water disconnected safely first.
  4. Check the waste carrierRubble carried by a registered waste carrier.
  5. Agree what staysSlab, foundations, boundary walls — in writing.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

Demolition notice (England and Wales)

Section 80 of the Building Act 1984 says no one may begin most demolitions without giving the local authority notice and either receiving its response or waiting out the set period; the person giving notice copies it to the occupiers of adjoining buildings and the gas and electricity suppliers. Internal demolition in an occupied building and very small buildings are exempt. In England and Wales, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 requires notice to neighbours before work on or close to a shared wall or boundary — common with the demolition job — and that agreement sits apart from building regulations approval; Scotland's rules differ.

Ask who is giving the council notice for the demolition job, and when. Ask who will serve the party wall notices for the demolition job, and how long before work starts. legislation.gov.uk →

Asbestos

HSE allows only licensed contractors to remove sprayed asbestos, lagging and most asbestos insulating board, under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 and Northern Ireland's 2012 Regulations — relevant whenever the demolition job opens up an older building.

In a pre-2000 home, ask what asbestos check comes before the demolition job. hse.gov.uk →

Waste carrier registration

Anyone carrying the waste from the demolition job away as a business must be a registered waste carrier — with the Environment Agency in England, Natural Resources Wales, SEPA in Scotland or DAERA in Northern Ireland — and section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 puts a duty on householders to use an authorised person.

Ask who removes the waste from the demolition job and check their registration number on the right nation's register. gov.uk →

No register applies

No licence or register applies to demolition contractors themselves anywhere in the UK; the legal checks for the demolition job are the council notice in England and Wales, asbestos and the waste carrier.

Get a clear answer on approval for the demolition job, and the reference number if there is one. gov.uk →

VAT

VAT on demolition work is charged at the standard 20%, and any business turning over more than £90,000 a year in taxable sales has to register, add it to the price and set it out on its own line.

Ask for the VAT number, and look for VAT as its own line on the demolition price, waste included. gov.uk →

“Who gives the council notice for the demolition job?”

A good answer: In England and Wales, the contractor or you, before work starts, with copies to neighbours and the gas and electricity suppliers.

“Has the structure been checked for asbestos before demolition?”

A good answer: A survey before demolition, with any asbestos removed under the right category first.

“How will services be made safe before the demolition?”

A good answer: Gas, electricity and water isolated or disconnected by the right people.

“Who carries the rubble away?”

A good answer: A registered waste carrier, with the number on the quote.

“What stays and what goes in the demolition?”

A good answer: Slab, foundations and boundary walls listed.

“How will the neighbours be protected?”

A good answer: Dust, noise and any shared wall dealt with, with party wall notice in England and Wales if needed.

Getting the quote right

  • Structure to be demolished and what stays
  • Asbestos survey and removal
  • Services disconnection
  • Waste carrier and disposal
  • Who actually attends — the demolition crew and the machine operator, employed or subcontracted — and the business's VAT number, with VAT at 20% shown as its own line
  • Making good what stays

Walk away if

  • No asbestos check on an old garage
  • No registered waste carrier
  • Starts without the council notice in England or Wales
  • Burns waste on site
  • Cash-only, no written scope
LOW
£1,000
TYPICAL
£2,000
HIGH
£8,800

What a demolition contractor costs: £1,000–£8,800 per job

Demolition is priced per job by size, material, asbestos, access for machinery and the waste to remove. Demolition price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Demolition contractors near you, with the badges that matter shown

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  1. SurveyStructure, asbestos and services checked.
  2. NoticeCouncil notice given in England and Wales; neighbours and suppliers copied.
  3. Strip and isolateAsbestos removed, services disconnected.
  4. DemolishStructure taken down in a controlled sequence.
  5. ClearRubble removed by a registered carrier, site left as agreed.

Section 80 notice
Notice of intended demolition to the council in England and Wales.
Soft strip
Removing fittings and finishes before demolition.
Services
Gas, electricity and water connections.
Waste carrier
A business registered to carry waste.
Muck-away
Removing rubble and soil from site.
Asbestos survey
A check for asbestos before demolition.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the paperworkCouncil notice, asbestos records and waste receipts.
Check the siteCleared as agreed, no buried debris.
Check services are cappedSafe and recorded for future work.
Leave the reviewOnly booked jobs can be reviewed on Locufy, so yours carries weight; if the demolition job falls short, use the make-it-right step first and the provider is asked to fix it before the review is published.

STEP 1Give the contractor a written chance to fix itMost problems with the demolition job are settled at this stage: say what is wrong, attach photos and set a fair deadline. If the demolition job fell below reasonable care and skill, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 entitles you to have it redone or to pay less.
STEP 2Use Locufy's make-it-right stepRate the demolition job under four stars and you are asked whether to send it to the provider first; we follow it through. Then the review goes up.
STEP 3Unapproved or dangerous workAn approval that was needed for the demolition job and never obtained is taken up by the council: building control in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or in Scotland the building standards service, which holds the owner responsible for the warrant. For a dispute about the demolition job with the trader, Trading Standards is reached through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Money still in disputeIf the demolition job is still not settled, you can claim without a solicitor: the small claims track takes claims up to £10,000 in England and Wales, simple procedure up to £5,000 in Scotland, and the small claims court up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a demolition contractor: questions people ask

In England and Wales, section 80 of the Building Act 1984 requires notice to the council for most demolition; very small buildings are exempt. Planning rules can apply too.

No licence applies to demolition itself; asbestos removal can need an HSE licence, and the waste carrier must be registered.

£1,000–£8,800 a job, typically around £2,000. Size, material, asbestos, access and waste decide it. How the figure is built up is in the Demolition price guide; search by postcode above to see what demolition contractors near you quote.

Carried by a registered waste carrier; you have a duty of care to check.

The section 80 notice is copied to adjoining occupiers; party wall rules may apply in England and Wales.

Ask the council's building standards or building control service about demolition there.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in trades & construction

How to hire: Asbestos Removal & SurveyHow to hire: GroundworksHow to hire: BuilderHow to hire: Concrete & Foundations SpecialistHow to hire: General ContractorHow to hire: Garage ConversionHow to hire: House ExtensionHow to hire: Structural EngineerAll 701 hiring guides →

Demolition contractors near you

Demolition contractors in LondonDemolition contractors in ManchesterDemolition contractors in BirminghamDemolition contractors in GlasgowDemolition contractors in BelfastAll demolition contractors on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Building Act 1984, section 80 — notice to the local authority of intended demolition
  2. HSE — deciding if asbestos work must be done by a licensed contractor
  3. gov.uk — register as a waste carrier, broker or dealer (England)
  4. Environmental Protection Act 1990, section 34 — the duty of care, including householders
  5. SEPA — transporting waste: registration
  6. DAERA — registration of carriers and brokers (Northern Ireland)
  7. gov.uk — party walls and building work
  8. Party Wall etc. Act 1996
  9. gov.uk — building regulations approval (England)
  10. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  11. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — what you can ask for when a service falls short
  12. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — the 14-day cancellation period
  13. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28 — contracts the cancellation right does not cover
  14. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 36 — services started within the cancellation period
  15. Civil Procedure Rules Part 26 — the small claims track limit (England and Wales)
  16. Scottish Courts and Tribunals — making a claim under simple procedure
  17. nidirect — the small claims process (Northern Ireland)
  18. Buildings and construction (VAT Notice 708) — 2.1 Construction services: work to an existing building is normally standard-rated
  19. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  20. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register