Shed, Garage & Structure Demolition in Ipswich
Old Colorbond sheds come down in a day. The complication is almost never the structure — it is what the roof is made of, and where the sheeting is legally allowed to go.
Assume the old roof has asbestos
If the shed, garage or carport predates the late 1980s, work on the assumption that the roof sheeting and possibly the wall sheeting contain asbestos until testing says otherwise.
Corrugated fibre-cement sheeting — the "super six" profile — was the default for outbuildings across South East Queensland for decades. Fibro wall sheeting is equally common.
The number that matters: a typical garage or shed roof is 20 to 40 square metres. Queensland allows unlicensed removal of non-friable asbestos only under 10 square metres, so a single roof is well past that threshold and is licensed work.
And it cannot go to the Riverview or Rosewood recycling centres, or in your bins. See our asbestos removal and disposal page for where it actually goes.
Budget roughly $2,500 to $6,000 for a 20 to 40 square metre fibro garage or shed, on top of the demolition itself.
What we take down
Colorbond and steel-frame sheds of all sizes
Garages — freestanding and attached, steel, timber or masonry
Carports, including those attached to the house
Concrete garages and masonry outbuildings
Retaining walls — timber sleeper, besser block and concrete
Pergolas, decks, patios and old lean-tos
Water tanks, tank stands and pump sheds
Approvals
Whether a small outbuilding demolition needs approval depends on the structure and the property, and the honest answer is that it varies more than most sites admit.
The two things that most often trigger a requirement are the character or heritage mapping on your property — an outbuilding within a mapped character place is treated differently from one that is not — and anything structural or affecting a boundary, such as a retaining wall that supports adjoining land.
We check your Property Report before starting rather than assuming, and where approval is needed we tell you before you commit rather than mid-job.
Slab in or slab out?
This is the main cost you control on an outbuilding job.
Leave it if the area is becoming a new shed base, parking, or a paved or decked area. The slab is already there, it is already level, and removing it is money spent to put something similar back.
Take it out if the area is going back to lawn or garden — a concrete slab under turf makes for terrible drainage and no root depth — or if new footings are going in.
Concrete removal is priced per square metre. Brisbane published rates:
| Slab type | Rate |
|---|---|
| Plain, 75 – 100 mm | $40 – $60 per m² |
| Reinforced with steel mesh | $60 – $80 per m² |
| Heavily reinforced, 150 mm+ | $80 – $120 per m² |
| Small jobs under 20 m² | flat $400 – $800 minimum |
Small jobs carry a minimum charge because mobilising a machine and a truck costs the same whether the slab is 10 square metres or 30.
What it costs
Shed and garage demolition figures published nationally:
Small garden shed: roughly $500 – $1,500
Medium shed, around 6 × 6 m: roughly $1,500 – $3,500
Garage: roughly $1,500 – $5,000
Two honest caveats. Queensland-specific pricing for sheds is thin — most published figures are national or from other states, so treat them as indicative. And no reliable published figure exists for carports specifically, or for the difference between a single and double garage, so we quote those from the site rather than from a table.
Asbestos and slab removal are the two things that move the number most, and both are knowable before we start.
Scrap and recycling
Steel-frame sheds and Colorbond cladding have genuine scrap value, and concrete goes to a recycler to be crushed into aggregate rather than to landfill. Where that value is meaningful it comes off your quote.
It rarely covers the job, and anyone suggesting scrap value will pay for your demolition is overselling. But it does reduce disposal tonnage, which matters when Queensland's waste levy runs at $125 per tonne in metro areas.
Why choose us for shed & structure demolition
- Asbestos roofing assumed and tested, not discovered halfway through
- Disposal to an authorised facility, since local tips will not take asbestos
- Straight advice on whether the slab should come out or stay
- Steel and concrete recycled, reducing levied disposal tonnage
- Property Report checked for character mapping before we start
Shed & Structure Demolition — common questions
How much does it cost to demolish a shed or garage?
Published figures put a small garden shed at roughly $500 to $1,500, a medium 6 by 6 metre shed at $1,500 to $3,500, and a garage at $1,500 to $5,000. Two caveats worth knowing: Queensland-specific shed pricing is thin, so most published figures are national or interstate, and no reliable published figure exists for carports or for the single-versus-double garage difference. Asbestos and slab removal move the number most.
Does my old shed roof contain asbestos?
If it predates the late 1980s, assume so until testing says otherwise. Corrugated fibre-cement "super six" sheeting was the default for South East Queensland outbuildings for decades, and fibro wall sheeting is equally common. A typical garage or shed roof runs 20 to 40 square metres, well past Queensland's 10 square metre unlicensed threshold, so it is licensed removal work. Budget roughly $2,500 to $6,000 on top of the demolition.
Do I need approval to demolish a shed or garage?
It depends on the structure and the property, and it varies more than most sites admit. The two things that most often trigger a requirement are character or heritage mapping on your property — an outbuilding within a mapped character place is treated differently — and anything structural or affecting a boundary, such as a retaining wall supporting adjoining land. We check your Property Report before starting rather than assuming.
Should the concrete slab come out?
Leave it if the area is becoming a new shed base, parking, or a paved or decked area — it is already there and already level. Take it out if the space is going back to lawn or garden, because a slab under turf gives terrible drainage and no root depth, or if new footings are going in. It is the main cost you actually control on an outbuilding job.
How much does slab removal cost?
Brisbane published rates run $40 to $60 per square metre for plain 75 to 100 millimetre slabs, $60 to $80 for slabs reinforced with steel mesh, and $80 to $120 for heavily reinforced slabs of 150 millimetres or more. Small jobs under 20 square metres carry a flat minimum of $400 to $800, because mobilising a machine and truck costs the same whether the slab is 10 square metres or 30.
Can I demolish my own shed?
For a small non-asbestos structure, often yes. The two things that stop it being a weekend job are asbestos — a typical shed roof is well over the 10 square metre unlicensed limit, making it licensed work — and disposal, since your local tips and bins will not take asbestos and general demolition waste is levied by the tonne. It is worth pricing the disposal before deciding.
What happens to the steel and concrete?
Steel-frame sheds and Colorbond cladding go for scrap, and concrete goes to a recycler to be crushed into aggregate rather than to landfill. Where scrap value is meaningful, it comes off your quote. It will not pay for the job — anyone suggesting otherwise is overselling — but it does reduce levied disposal tonnage, which matters at $125 per tonne in metro Queensland.
Can you take down a retaining wall too?
Yes — timber sleeper, besser block and concrete retaining walls are all standard work. The thing to establish first is whether the wall is retaining adjoining land, because that changes the job from demolition into something needing engineering input and, potentially, approval. We look at what the wall is actually holding back before quoting rather than pricing it as a straight removal.
Ready to book shed & structure demolition?
Contact us today for your free, no-obligation quote.