ABOUT OUR COMPANY
Expert Shed and Garage Removal
Old sheds and garages can become more trouble than they’re worth. Rotting wood, cracked slabs, sagging roofs, and unstable framing can quickly turn them into safety issues, especially during storms or heavy snow. From clearing space for a new build, to reclaiming your backyard, or getting rid of a structure that’s beyond repair, proper shed and garage demo work takes more than just tearing things apart.
We handle shed and garage removal with a controlled, start-to-finish process. Our crew uses equipment like skid steers, concrete saws, demolition hammers, dumpsters, and hauling trailers to dismantle structures safely and remove debris efficiently. We disconnect electrical feeds when needed, break up old concrete pads, and make sure the area is left clean and ready for whatever comes next.
- 20+ years experience in the demo industry
- Equipped for full structure and concrete slab removal
- Fully licensed, insured, and WSIB-registered
What a Shed or Garage Removal Includes
Most quotes cover the same core scope. Anything below grade is the part people forget to ask about, so check it before you compare prices.
- Dismantling the structure, from a small backyard shed to a double detached garage
- Removing roofing, siding, framing, doors and any built-in shelving or workbenches
- Breaking out the concrete pad or footings, where you want the slab gone
- Loading and hauling every piece of debris away, with materials separated for recycling wherever the receiving facility accepts them
- Raking the area flat and leaving it clean, ready for sod, a patio or a new build
Leaving the slab in place is a legitimate choice and it is cheaper. It only works if whatever comes next sits in the same footprint. If you are landscaping, the slab has to go.
How the Job Runs
- Free on-site look. We measure the structure, check what it is built from, and work out how a truck and machine get to the back of the property. Access is usually what sets the price, not size.
- Services disconnected. Older garages often have a hydro feed, and some have water. Anything live has to be isolated by the utility or a licensed electrician before we start.
- Hazardous materials checked. Structures built before the 1990s can contain asbestos in board, shingles or older cladding. If there is any doubt, a survey comes first and any abatement is done by a licensed abatement contractor, not by us.
- Strip and drop. Roof and cladding come off first, then the frame comes down in a controlled sequence so nothing falls toward a fence, a neighbour or your house.
- Slab out, if you want it out. The pad is broken up, the footings come with it, and the concrete is hauled off.
- Load, haul, sweep. Everything leaves the property the same day where the load allows, and the ground is raked level before we go.
How Long It Takes
A garden shed is usually a single day. A single-car detached garage is commonly a day or two. A double garage with a slab coming out, or a tight backyard that needs everything carried to the street by hand, runs longer. Weather and hazardous material testing are the two things that move a date most.
Permits for Detached Structures in Ontario
Permit rules for accessory structures are set locally and they are not the same in every municipality, so confirm before you book a date.
- Under the Ontario Building Code, a detached accessory building under 10 square metres with no plumbing generally does not need a building permit to construct. Some cities set the bar higher: Toronto and Mississauga use 15 square metres for a simple storage shed.
- Demolition permits are a separate question from building permits, and whether one is needed for your structure is a call for your municipal building department.
- If the structure was built before the 1990s, a designated substance survey may be required before demolition.
- Hydro, gas and water have to be disconnected by the provider, not cut on site.
ALMAR does not include permit applications in the price of the job. If you need a hand with one, we can assist for an additional fee. Ask when you book the estimate.
What Shed and Garage Removal Costs
Sheds are the cheap end of demolition work. Garages vary a lot more, because the material the garage is built from drives the disposal weight and the disposal weight drives the tipping fee.
Our own GTA cost breakdown puts a detached garage at roughly $3,000 to $12,000 depending on size, materials and access, with slab removal adding about $800 to $2,500 on top. The full table, including single versus double and wood frame versus brick, is in our guide: what to know before demolishing your garage in the GTA.
Those are ranges, not quotes. The only number that matters is the one after somebody has stood in your backyard and seen the access. That visit is free.
Get a free estimateMore Demolition Services
ALMAR handles the whole range across Toronto, the GTA and Southern Ontario. A few that often go with this one:
- Complete demolition
- Residential demolition
- Commercial demolition
- Low-rise building demolition
- Cottage demolition
See the full list on our demolition services page, or check the areas we serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to demolish a shed or detached garage in Ontario?
It depends on your municipality and the size of the structure. Building permit exemptions for small accessory buildings are common (under 10 square metres provincially, and 15 square metres for a simple storage shed in Toronto and Mississauga), but demolition permits are handled separately by each local building department. Call yours before you book a date. ALMAR does not apply for permits as part of the service, though we can assist for an additional fee.
How much does it cost to remove a shed or garage?
A garden shed is at the cheap end of demolition work. For a detached garage our GTA cost breakdown puts most jobs between $3,000 and $12,000, driven by size, whether it is wood frame or brick, and how easily a truck and machine reach the structure. Removing the concrete slab typically adds about $800 to $2,500. Those are ranges; the quote comes after a free on-site visit.
Do you remove the concrete slab as well?
Yes, if you want it gone. The pad and footings are broken out, hauled away and the ground is raked level. Leaving the slab in place is cheaper and makes sense when the replacement structure sits in the same footprint. If you are putting in sod, a patio or a garden, the slab needs to come out.
How long does a shed or garage demolition take?
A garden shed is usually a single day. A single-car detached garage is commonly one to two days. A double garage, or a job where the slab is coming out and the backyard has no machine access, takes longer. Hazardous material testing and bad weather are the two things most likely to move a date.
What happens to the old materials?
Everything is loaded and hauled to an approved facility. Wood, metal and concrete are separated for recycling wherever the receiving site accepts them, and the rest goes to disposal. You do not need to arrange a bin, book a depot slot or weigh a load.
Can you demolish a garage that is attached to my house?
An attached garage is a different job from a detached one. Once a structure shares a wall or a roof with the house it becomes partial demolition, and it needs the shared wall assessed before anything is cut. We handle that under residential demolition, where the structural side is planned first.
Garage & Shed Demo in Southern Ontario