How much does it cost to tear down a shed, garage or barn in Louisiana?
Shed demolition cost runs about $200 to $2,000 for most residential sheds in 2026 guides, debris hauling included. A standard two-car detached garage averages about $3,500. Most barns run $1,500 to $10,000, and large ones can pass $25,000.
Those are published market figures, not a quote from us. We do shed, garage and barn demolition out of Hammond and haul the debris off the lot. Your real number comes off the building itself and how close a machine can get to it.
What does it cost to tear down a shed?
Dropcurb, a debris pickup service, puts professional shed demolition and removal at $200 to $2,000 for most residential sheds. Size is the biggest cost driver. Its March 2026 guide figures $4 to $12 per square foot, debris removal included.
| Shed | Size | Published range |
|---|---|---|
| Small tool shed, 6 by 8 ft | 48 sq ft | $200 to $575 |
| Storage shed, 10 by 12 ft | 120 sq ft | $480 to $1,440 |
| Workshop or garage-style shed, 12 by 20 ft | 240 sq ft | $960 to $2,880 |
| Shed on a concrete slab | Any | Adds $500 to $1,500 or more |
| Shed on gravel or blocks | Any | No foundation work |
Source: Dropcurb, March 31, 2026. HomeAdvisor’s partial demolition table gives a shed $250 to $3,000, and a barn the same.
What the shed is made of moves the price inside those rows. Wood sheds are the easiest and cheapest to take down. Metal sheds need cutting tools and weigh more per square foot, which raises disposal costs.
Access counts too. Dropcurb says carrying debris 100 feet or more to the truck costs more. If the shed has power, it says to have an electrician disconnect it first.
How much does garage demolition cost?
Fixr puts garage demolition at $1,600 to $6,000, with a national average of $3,500. That average covers a 24 by 24 foot detached garage, inspected, torn down and hauled off. Dropcurb’s April 2026 guide runs $1,500 to $10,000, or $4 to $10 per square foot.
Attached garages cost the most, because they share a wall with the house. Dropcurb puts them at $8 to $10 per square foot, against $4 for detached ones.
| Garage | Published range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 20 by 20 ft detached, wood frame (400 sq ft) | $1,600 to $3,200, plus disposal | Dropcurb |
| 20 by 20 ft detached, concrete block | $2,400 to $4,000, plus disposal | Dropcurb |
| 20 by 20 ft attached, any material | $3,200 to $4,000, plus structural repair | Dropcurb |
| 24 by 24 ft detached (576 sq ft) | $2,300 to $3,450 | Fixr |
| 24 by 24 ft attached | $3,500 to $4,600 | Fixr |
Dropcurb’s headline range for a detached 20 by 20 garage is $1,600 to $4,000. Its own math splits that by material, as the first two rows show. Debris disposal for that garage runs $300 to $800 when the quote leaves it out.
The machine work is short. Dropcurb says a detached single-car garage takes about one day. A two-car or attached garage takes 1 to 3 days.
Location moves the price as well. Fixr puts a rural garage teardown around $2,000. In a city, an attached garage can reach $10,000. If the house is coming down too, our house demolition cost guide prices the whole teardown.
Does a block or brick garage cost more to tear down?
Yes. Dropcurb says concrete block costs 30 to 50 percent more than wood frame and needs heavy equipment to break apart. Brick garages are the most expensive to demolish. Fixr’s averages by material show the spread.
| Garage material | Published range |
|---|---|
| Wood | $1,500 to $3,500 |
| Metal | $2,000 to $3,000 |
| Concrete | $2,500 to $6,000 |
| Brick | $4,500 to $7,000 |
Source: Fixr, updated January 31, 2025.
Fixr puts most garages at $4 to $8 per square foot by size, and brick or concrete up to $15. Old block brings one more line: Dropcurb says lead paint on concrete block needs special disposal.
What does barn demolition cost?
Dropcurb’s April 2026 guide puts most barns at $1,500 to $10,000, or $5 to $10 per square foot. Hazards or hard access can push that to $12 per square foot or more. A small storage barn under 500 square feet runs $1,500 to $4,000.
| Barn size | Teardown | Disposal | Typical total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small, under 500 sq ft | $1,500 to $4,000 | $400 to $800 | $1,900 to $4,800 |
| Medium, 500 to 1,500 sq ft | $4,000 to $10,000 | $700 to $1,500 | $4,700 to $11,500 |
| Large, over 1,500 sq ft | $10,000 to $25,000 or more | $1,500 to $3,000 | $11,500 to $28,000 |
Source: Dropcurb, April 3, 2026. Its teardown figures cover labor, machines, debris loading and basic site cleanup. Hauling and disposal is often quoted separately, at $400 to $3,000 by barn size.
Pole barns have their own line. Steel-frame pole barns need cutting equipment. A concrete barn floor adds $1,000 to $5,000 to take out. Machine demolition takes 1 to 3 days for most barns.
An old wood barn can pay some of its own way. Dropcurb says reclaimed barn wood sells for $5.25 per square foot for basic boards. Barns built of dimensional lumber or steel have less salvage value.
Rural lots bring access questions. Dropcurb says soft ground or narrow access roads can mean longer setup times. Limited road access adds 10 to 20 percent. Hammond averages 64.2 inches of rain a year, and a soaked field slows a loaded truck. An old mobile home on the same land prices out in our mobile home demolition cost guide.
What about carports and metal buildings?
None of these guides gives a carport or a metal building its own price row. The closest figure is Fixr’s $2,000 to $3,000 for a metal garage. Steel needs cutting, and Fixr notes metals can be recycled through local scrap yards. We do residential and commercial demolition, and a carport or metal building is best priced on site.
Should the slab come out with the building?
Only if you need the ground back. Dropcurb says leaving a garage slab saves $1 to $3 per square foot. Removing a 400 square foot slab adds $400 to $1,200, and Fixr says a slab can add up to $1,500. Slab removal is usually quoted separately.
Concrete weighs roughly 150 pounds per cubic foot, so a large slab takes heavy equipment. Pulling a slab or footing out of the ground is digging. Louisiana law requires notice to 811 at least 48 hours and no more than 120 hours ahead. Weekends and holidays do not count, and the notice falls on whoever does the digging or demolition. A locate request is free at 811 or 1-800-272-3020.
We pull up concrete as its own job. Our concrete removal work breaks the slab out and hauls it off. Our concrete removal cost guide prices slabs by size. The hole gets filled and packed, and land grading shapes the footprint so water runs off. Our land grading cost guide covers that cost. A new building on the spot needs site preparation for a firm pad.
What else adds to the bill?
Hazards and hauling add the most. Barns built before 1980 may hold asbestos in roofing, siding or insulation. Older garages may hold it in siding, roofing or joint compound.
| Add-on | Published range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Asbestos inspection | $200 to $600 | Dropcurb |
| Asbestos abatement, garage | Adds $1,000 to $3,000 | Dropcurb |
| Asbestos abatement, barn | Adds $2,000 to $10,000 | Dropcurb |
| Hazardous materials, barn | Adds 25 to 50 percent | Dropcurb |
| Demolition machinery | $100 to $250 an hour | HomeAdvisor |
| Shed or barn demolition, hourly | $50 to $100 an hour | HomeAdvisor |
| Cleanup and disposal, more if hazardous | $300 to $1,800 | HomeAdvisor |
| Garage clean-up after the teardown | $200 to $600 | Fixr |
Asbestos is separate work. If a survey finds it, a licensed abatement contractor removes it before any machine starts.
HomeAdvisor says skid steers cost less to run than heavier demolition machines. We bring the right-sized machine for the job. The Kubota SVL75-3 tracked skid steer works tight backyards and smaller buildings. The Case excavator does the heavy pulling.
What permits and rules apply around Hammond?
Inside city limits, the City of Hammond has its own demolition permit. The published fee is $25 for residential and $100 for commercial. National guides quote $50 to $200, so Hammond comes in low. Some places only require a permit for sheds over 120 to 200 square feet, so ask the city about yours.
The property owner signs the Hammond form, and the work must be finished within 30 days of issue. The form asks where the spoils are trucked. The owner or applicant seals all abandoned water, sewer, gas and electrical lines. The site is left clean, and salvage stays only inside a fully enclosed and secured building.
Outside the city, call the Tangipahoa Parish Permit Office at (985) 542-2117 before work starts. That office also does the flood determination, which matters if something new goes on the same spot. The parish recycling center does not accept building materials, so teardown debris goes to a disposal site.
LDEQ exempts the demolition of a residential building with four or fewer dwelling units from its asbestos subsection. That holds only when the work is not part of a planned commercial or public project. The building also cannot be an installation or part of one, or be intentionally burned. So an old barn or shed should never be burned down to save on hauling. Questions go to LDEQ’s Surveillance Division at 225-219-3615.
How do you get a real number for your building?
Send us the address, the size of the building and a few photos. Show what it is built from and what it sits on. A shot of the way in helps, since access moves the price. We will look at it and give you a free estimate on the demolition work. Call or text (985) 500-4145, or send the form on our contact page.
Sources: Dropcurb’s shed, garage and barn guides (March and April 2026), Fixr (January 2025), HomeAdvisor, the City of Hammond, Tangipahoa Parish, LDEQ, Louisiana 811 and NOAA normals via Current Results.