Updated August 2026
How Much Does Demolition Cost in Courtenay?
Courtenay Demolition prices demolition jobs in Courtenay, Comox and Cumberland by the square foot and by the job. A full house teardown runs $8 to $18 per square foot, a detached garage runs $2,500 to $8,500, and interior strip-out runs $3 to $9 per square foot. We confirm your exact price after seeing the job.
Updated August 2026
Demolition cost covers three separate things: the work itself, the demolition permit from your municipality, and disposal at the Comox Valley Waste Management Centre — this guide breaks out all three.
For a full breakdown of what's included, see house and structure teardown.
| Job type | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Shed or outbuilding | $800 – $2,500 total |
| Detached garage | $2,500 – $8,500 total |
| Interior strip-out | $3 – $9 per square foot |
| Full house teardown | $8 – $18 per square foot |
What drives the price?
Access for the excavator, the age and size of the structure, and whether the slab and foundation come out all move the price. A single garage is a few thousand dollars; a full house teardown with the foundation out sits at the top of the per-square-foot range.
Permits add their own cost
Courtenay charges $150 for a demolition permit, plus a $3,000 security deposit on a single- or two-family home that the City holds until the final inspection. Cumberland charges $100 to apply plus a $100 permit fee and a $1,500 refundable deposit. Comox charges its general building permit fee, a minimum of $100 plus $10 per $1,000 of construction value, with no separate demolition fee published. See the demolition permits guide for the full breakdown by town.
Sorting your debris lowers the landfill bill
The Comox Valley Waste Management Centre charges $205 per tonne for mixed construction and demolition waste, but only $60 per tonne for rubble and $120 per tonne for clean wood. We sort loads on site so clean material goes in at the lower rate instead of the mixed rate.
| Material | Rate |
|---|---|
| Rubble | $60 |
| Clean wood waste | $120 |
| Garbage (municipal solid waste) | $170 |
| Construction and demolition waste (mixed) | $205 |
| Gypsum (divertible) | $285 |
| Asbestos-containing material | $310 |
Job-type ranges are our own quoted ranges as of August 2026. Disposal rates are Comox Strathcona Waste Management's published Bylaw 720 rates.
Asbestos testing before you get a price
Buildings built before the early 1990s often used asbestos-containing materials, though the only way to know for certain is to test — WorkSafeBC is clear that you can't tell by looking. We hold a WorkSafeBC asbestos abatement licence and test before quoting a teardown where asbestos is a possibility.
Interior strip-out and gypsum
Interior strip-out runs $3 to $9 per square foot, and what pushes a job to the top of that range is usually how much comes out — a full kitchen and two bathrooms costs more to strip than a single room. Gypsum drywall goes to the landfill at $285 a tonne on its own, separate from the mixed rate, so we sort it out as we go.
Garage and outbuilding pricing
A shed or small outbuilding runs $800 to $2,500 total. A detached garage runs $2,500 to $8,500, and the biggest swing inside that range is whether the slab comes out with it or stays. A single garage costs less than a double, and a tight side-yard setback can add time even on a small structure.
How to get an accurate price
The ranges above are our own estimates. We confirm your price after seeing the job — access, size, and what's coming down with it.
See related pricing for garage and outbuilding demolition, and interior strip-out. Courtenay Demolition serves Courtenay, Comox and Cumberland.
Every job we price sits inside the Comox Valley, so we already know which building department your permit goes through.
For an exact price on the structure you want taken down, send us the details and request a free quote.