That old shed in the back yard has been leaning for years. Now you want it gone. Shed removal in South Florida is a pretty common weekend project, but it's not always a good DIY one. Here's how to figure out if you should tear it down yourself or hire it out.
What kind of shed do you have?
The type of shed changes everything. How hard it is, how heavy it is and how much space it takes up once it's in pieces.
Resin or plastic sheds
These are the easiest. Most snap or screw together, so they come apart the same way. A couple of people with a drill can usually take one down. The pieces are light, but bulky. Getting rid of them is often the harder part.
Metal sheds
Metal sheds are held together with a lot of small screws. Panels have sharp edges, and rusty ones can be worse. Wear thick gloves and long sleeves. The good news is the metal can usually be recycled.
Wood sheds
Wood sheds are the big ones. They're heavier, often built on a floor frame, and sometimes have shingle roofs. A large lumber shed is real demolition work. There are nails everywhere, the roof can come down in ways you don't expect, and the pile of debris is much bigger than the shed looked.
Safety first
- Electrical. If the shed has lights or outlets, have a licensed electrician disconnect the power before anyone touches it. Don't skip this one.
- Critters. Old sheds in Florida can be home to wasps, rats and snakes. Look before you reach.
- Roofs. Never stand on the roof to take it apart. Work from a ladder or from the ground.
- Nails and screws. Wear real shoes, not flip flops.
- What's inside. Paint, gas cans and chemicals often live in sheds. We can't haul those, so check your county's household hazardous waste drop-off.
Do you need a permit?
It depends on where you live. Some cities want a permit to remove a structure, and some HOAs have rules too. Check with your city and your HOA before you start. We don't do anything that needs a licensed contractor. That includes big structures and anything tied into plumbing or wiring.
When DIY makes sense
A small resin shed with no power? Go for it. Take it apart, cut the panels down, and see if city bulk pickup will take the pieces. Our post on bulk trash pickup limits explains why big piles often get tagged instead.
When to hire it out
Hire it out if the shed is wood, big, falling apart, or sitting behind a pool cage with no easy way out. Also if you just don't want to spend your Saturday pulling nails. Taking it down is one job. Hauling the debris is another, and a wood shed can fill a lot of a trailer.
How we price shed removal
Shed removal is part of our light demolition service, and it's priced separately from regular junk loads. A small resin shed costs less than a large lumber shed. Things that change the price:
- The size and material of the shed
- Whether it has a wood floor frame or shingle roof
- How far it is from where we park, and if there's a gate or tight access
- Stuff still inside the shed
If the shed is still full of old tools and junk, we can clear that out too. That part works like normal junk removal. Lifting a whole shed's worth of debris is a serious workout, so you can skip that one.
Related service: Light Demolition: Sheds, Decks, Play Sets & Fences