ᐅ Question about demolition costs for a large barn

Hello!
On a plot of land within a very rural village that I am interested in, there is still a very large, simple old and somewhat leaning wooden barn, roughly the size of a two-story duplex. I do a lot of work myself, but this structure is simply too tall and massive for me. It is built with thick beams and covered with old beaver tail shingles. Part of the foundation is just concrete, but there are also more solid concrete structures in the lower area where agricultural machinery was previously stored. No known contamination such as diesel, but this cannot be completely ruled out.
The disposal of the wood from the demolition would be avoided by later use as firewood or partial reuse.
Of course, it is not possible to assess precisely from a distance, but would it still be possible to provide an approximate cost estimate?

Regards
Peter (alias bavablue)

The cost of demolition depends on the specific details of the building structure, which are not yet fully known. The more solid and massive the components are, the more expensive the demolition will be. Specialized demolition companies are usually more cost-effective than general construction firms that also offer demolition services, as they can calculate lower disposal costs or even recycle and reuse the building debris themselves.

You can roughly estimate demolition costs at about €35-50 per cubic meter (m3) gross volume (BRI, gross external volume) of the building. For demolitions above a certain size—in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) this is 300m3 (10,594 ft3) BRI—a demolition application from an architect is required, and depending on the project, a demolition statics report may also be necessary. Doing the demolition yourself is definitely not a feasible option.

Another important question is what you are actually allowed to build on the property after the barn is demolished, as the barn’s existing legal protection (nonconforming use rights) will lapse once it is removed. Any new construction must comply with building and planning regulations and be approvable. You should verify this before considering purchasing the property and proceeding with demolition.

The commonly mentioned option of converting a barn usually fails in reality due to numerous, often costly, obstacles. Discuss your situation with an experienced architect, who can also realistically assess and coordinate any work you plan to do yourself.

It is a large, simple wooden beam structure with three wooden plank floor levels, connected by wooden ladders, covered with basic roofing, and clad on the outside with wooden boards. Some of the central support posts are no longer vertical; the whole structure is probably already shifting due to the slope’s lateral forces on the somewhat steep hill. Even if the barn were to remain, something would have to be done here. Conversion is definitely out of the question.

The barn is to be completely removed in order to use the freed-up ground area as garden space. Therefore, the concrete elements in the foundation area must also be removed as far as necessary until the remains can be sufficiently covered with soil.

We will never demolish such a large barn by ourselves. Some people call friends and buddies together for such occasions. But here, fully certified professionals are needed in every respect. Heavy machinery is required for the concrete elements.

Can I consider at least a gross minimum cost of 35 Euro/m³ (about 1,000 USD/yd³) for this?

Hello Peter,

we demolished an old house to make space for our new build.

We were very surprised by the huge price differences between the quotes we received.

The lowest offer from a professional demolition company was EUR 10,500.00, while the most expensive quoted EUR 34,000.00.

I would therefore recommend that you simply get a few quotes and also ask for references.

We awarded the contract not to the cheapest company, but to the one that had both good references and a reasonable price.

If I were you, I would also be cautious about the plan to use the wood from the old barn as firewood. If it has been painted or varnished – which I strongly assume – burning it could cause serious trouble with the authorities, up to a chimney fire (keyword: shiny soot).

Best regards,

Dirk

Hi,

I can only agree with Dirk on this.

Doc.Schnaggls schrieb:

If I were you, I would also be cautious about the plan to use the wood from the old barn as firewood. If it has been painted or stained—which I strongly suspect—you could run into serious problems when burning it, from issues with the authorities up to chimney fires (due to creosote buildup).

I have no idea how this was done here in Bavaria, since I'm an outsider. But in Münsterland, until about 20 years ago, it was quite common for farmers to coat their barns with old motor oil from tractors. It works perfectly, as it prevents rot and gives the wood an evenly dark finish...

I really don’t want to imagine what happens if you put those beams into the stove!

Best regards,

Andreas

I can also confirm the price ranges – in our case, it involved a solid greenhouse, an extension, and trees... everything from €5,000 to €20,000 was included.