How Much Does It Cost to Tear Down a House in Mississippi?
National cost guides put house demolition at about $4 to $10 a square foot. In one 2026 guide, that covers breaking out the slab and hauling off the debris. That guide puts a 1,500 square foot house at $6,000 to $15,000. A mobile home runs $2,000 to $5,000 there and up to $6,000 in another guide.
These are market numbers, not our price list. We handle house and mobile home demolition from Waynesboro, across southeast Mississippi and southwest Alabama. The real price turns on the structure, the slab, any asbestos and how far the debris travels.
What do national cost guides say a teardown costs?
The table compares two national guides, updated in February 2026 and January 2025.
| What comes down | One national guide (2026) | Another national guide (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| House, per square foot | $4 to $10 | $5 to $10 |
| 1,000 square foot house | $4,000 to $10,000 | $5,000 to $10,000 |
| 1,500 square foot house | $6,000 to $15,000 | $7,500 to $15,000 |
| 2,000 square foot house | $8,000 to $20,000 | $10,000 to $20,000 |
| Mobile home | $2,000 to $5,000 | $2,000 to $6,000 |
| Detached garage | $1,000 to $5,000 | $800 to $10,000 |
| Barn | $2,000 to $7,000 or more | $1,200 to $25,000 |
| Slab or foundation only | $2,000 to $6,000 | $1,000 to $25,000, basements included |
| Asbestos check before demolition | $300 to $900 | About $500 |
A third guide, updated in June 2026, runs $4 to $17 a square foot. It puts the average 2,000 square foot teardown at $15,800.
What makes one teardown cost more than another?
The guides agree on what moves the price.
- Size and stories. Square footage sets the base, and a second story adds work.
- What it is built of. One guide notes that brick costs more to tear down than wood.
- The slab. Leaving the foundation in place drops one guide’s range to $3 to $7 a square foot.
- Asbestos. One guide says heavy asbestos can double or triple the teardown price.
- City or country. Two guides say labor runs higher in cities than in rural areas.
- The haul. Disposal climbs with the miles to the dump site and the fees charged there.
Does a house need an asbestos survey before demolition in Mississippi?
Under MDEQ’s rules, usually not. MDEQ generally exempts individual houses, including buildings with four or fewer dwelling units, from its asbestos rules. The exemption ends when the job is a development project with more than one small residential building on a site. It also ends when a house comes down along with non-residential buildings.
A commercial building follows a stricter path. An inspector certified by MDEQ checks the building for asbestos first. MDEQ then gets a demolition notice ten working days before work starts.
Across the line, ADEM wants regulated structures surveyed by an accredited asbestos inspector. It also wants a 10-day notice before demolition. Private homes of four or fewer units that stay residential are exempt there too.
MDEQ still recommends taking asbestos out of a single house before demolition, where practical. Its guidance lists ceiling tiles, floor covering and mastic, asphalt roofing and cement siding among common asbestos materials in houses. When a survey finds asbestos, an abatement contractor can remove it before the house comes down. One guide prices that removal at $5 to $15 a square foot inside the house.
Where does the debris go, and what do landfills charge?
Job-site surveys compiled by EPA found house teardowns made about 50 pounds of debris per square foot, without the foundation. For a 1,500 square foot house, that works out to about 37 tons, plus the slab.
Under MDEQ’s debris guidance, Class I rubbish sites can take most building debris, including wood, metal, shingles, drywall and insulation. Class II rubbish sites may take only brick, concrete, stone, asphalt and natural vegetation. MDEQ’s October 2025 facility list includes Class I rubbish sites run by the City of Waynesboro and by Clarke County.
The guidance keeps household garbage and paint, oil or chemical containers out of every rubbish site. Clear those out before demo day.
Asbestos from a single house may go to a municipal landfill or a Class I rubbish site. MDEQ asks that the site be told first, and a site may refuse it. Waynesboro’s city rubbish site lists asbestos as prohibited.
Landfill fees in the Southeast, Mississippi’s region, run low. A waste industry research foundation put the region at $43.18 a ton in 2023, the lowest of its six regions. The national average was $56.80. Waynesboro’s posted city landfill guidelines charge contractor debris $15 a cubic yard.
One national guide puts demolition cleanup and disposal at $1,500 to $3,000, or $1 to $2 a square foot. Another prices debris removal at $400 to $800 a truckload. Burning is off the table: MDEQ’s open burning fact sheet says burning residential structures is strictly forbidden. On our jobs, the debris goes on our own trucks and off the property.
What changes when the house burned or a storm hit it?
The same cost drivers apply, with a few extra steps. If there is an insurance claim, let the adjuster see the damage before anything comes down. Ask whether the policy pays for debris removal. If the city or county sent a notice, check its deadline.
Damage also makes a structure less predictable. OSHA’s demolition rule starts with a survey of the structure for any chance of an unplanned collapse. Fire and wind can leave siding and roofing broken up. MDEQ’s guidance says to call its asbestos branch when those materials are in poor condition or crumbling.
Do you need a permit, and who shuts off the utilities?
Cities set their own rules. Laurel requires a permit to demolish a structure. Its fee list shows $101, and the permit is good for only 30 days.
Meridian wants a Site Development Request approved before demolition work starts. In Hattiesburg’s historic districts, demolition needs a Certificate of Appropriateness first. Inside Waynesboro, the city requires contractors to notify City Hall before removing demolition debris.
Rules can differ out in the county. In 2014, state law told counties and cities to adopt uniform building codes unless they opted out that year. Call the county before you schedule the work.
Federal OSHA rules call for every service line to be shut off or otherwise controlled before demolition starts. One national guide suggests asking providers for disconnects at least two to four weeks ahead. In Wayne County, water can come from the City of Waynesboro or one of ten rural water systems. Power comes from one of four providers.
Mississippi’s dig law counts demolition as excavation. So a locate request goes to Mississippi 811 at least 3 and no more than 10 working days ahead.
What should a written demolition quote cover?
A useful quote lists what comes down and whether the slab goes with it. It says where the debris goes and how the lot is left. It also names anything outside the job, like asbestos abatement or utility cut-offs.
When the structure is gone, we clear and grade the lot. A lot getting a new house can go straight into site prep for a new house pad. Bringing in fill for low spots is part of our excavation and dirt work. Our guide to site prep for a new house walks through the next steps.
See what our demolition work covers, or call or text (601) 410-5339. Send photos and a pin if you have them. We look at the site and put the quote in writing.