Blog>Trade>Starting a Business>How to start a demolition company
Last updated: 25 July 2025
How to start a demolition company
Owning your own business is a brilliant goal for anyone working in the trade sector. When you're looking to start a demolition company, it could give you the freedom to run things your way. Read on to see how to get started.
It’s normal to want to consider all the possibilities when starting any new venture. If you're looking to start a demolition company, as with any other trade business, there are processes you need to follow. You'll need to have the right skills in place, both with your trade, and for running your own demolition business.
Rather than starting a larger commercial enterprise, you'll likely want to start a smaller residential demolition company first. It’s an exciting challenge with the potential to transform your working life.
We've put together this guide to help you through starting a demolition business, to help with practical steps, and put your mind at ease if you're a little concerned about the difficulty of starting your own company.
Reasons for starting a demolition business
Before diving into the details of how to start a demolition business, it may be useful to know all of the benefits you can look forward to.
As an extra incentive, in 2024 alone, Checkatrade saw over 14,000 searches for demolition work across the UK.* Want to tap into that interest?
Taking control of your career can be an incredibly rewarding process and advantages include:
Feeling a sense of pride that you’ve built a demolition business from the ground up
Having the flexibility to run things your way
Working with other tradespeople that you’ve handpicked
Taking a positive step in advancing your career
Taking on an exciting new challenge to keep you on your toes
Carrying out demolition work, like any other trade category, is a skilled profession. It can be rewarding both practically and financially if done well.
Fancy a new challenge? Starting your own demolition company could be just what you need to kickstart the next phase of your career.
What does a demolition expert do?
If you’re already working in this field, you’ll likely know what a demolition expert does, but may not be aware of some of the less common roles.
Thanks to the wide range of job types, your working day will never be boring, and you may choose to offer any of the following services:
Demolishing, dismantling or wrecking structures such as buildings or bridges
Using explosives to move or alter natural structures like large rocks
Keeping everyone involved in the demolition process safe
Disposing of hazardous waste
Becoming an expert in different types of demolition and knowing the best way to handle any project
It might be worth considering a type of specialism in your demolition business plan. When you're trying to start a demolition company, there are many factors to consider. Knowing the trade well will help you focus on running the business rather than trying to learn new skills.
Get job leads for your demolition business
Find more work in your area with a Checkatrade membership
Is demolition business profitable?
Many demolition experts work for a larger company or business that handles all the finances separately, just receiving a regular wage.
This may mean you won't necessarily be aware of whether your new demolition business will be profitable or not. In fact, starting a demolition business can be quite lucrative, although this will depend on how you choose to run your business.
Whatever your plan, it pays to know how to price a job, and get to know your rights and ensure you receive the money you're owed.
A great way to ensure your new demolition company is successful is to charge enough to cover your overheads and give you a profit. Alternatively, you could specialise in a less common type of demolition.
If you’re offering a service that other companies don’t, then you can also charge a higher amount for your work.
Checkatrade members benefit from more
Save on training, insurance, and other essentials
How much does professional demolition cost?
When creating an entirely new demolition business you’ll need to know how much to charge your customers. It can be helpful to look at how much your competitors charge and the national averages.
Thankfully, our demolition cost guide is a great resource for anyone wanting to start a demolition company. We've covered averages, so you'll get a rough idea of what to expect.
Generally, the average amount demolition workers charge for small detached house demolition (80-120m²) is around £7,500 and the average salary for anyone working in this field is around £32,500.
Having said this, the amount you earn will vary depending on:
Your skill level
Your experience
The services you offer
Of course, if you only offer demolition as one of a range of services, how much you can expect to charge will vary even further.
How to start a demolition company
When undertaking any venture, it’s wise to follow a guide to ensure you don’t miss anything important.
Luckily, the following list covers the key considerations for anyone unsure how to start a demolition company:
Secure funding for your new business - remember it’s never a good idea to overextend yourself financially
Make a business plan, covering your new company name, what your goals are, as well as the essential logistics
Calculate profit margins by working out your outgoings and ensuring you charge enough for your services
Apply for any necessary licenses that are needed to work within building regulations
Stock up on essential equipment and tools to carry out your work both efficiently and safely
Get more leads by doing marketing and thinking about how you’ll find new customers
Joining Checkatrade can be a fantastic way of reaching more customers. As well as showing in results, or choosing to be featured in a directory, you also get your own unique profile page. Backed with some of our SEO magic, you can proudly display past customer reviews and examples of your work.
Is a Checkatrade membership worth it?
One way to figure out whether the cost of something is worth it is to look at ROI (Return on Investment). In its most basic sense, this is how much something costs compared with the income it generates. Working out the ROI of a Checkatrade membership is definitely a must-do for any trade business
What does it take to start a demolition company?
Going from employment to running a company can be a brilliant opportunity to advance your career, take on a new challenge and develop your skills.
Many people branching out on their own start small and slowly build their businesses over time. This can be much safer than making a huge investment upfront with loan payments you can’t afford.
But what does it take to start a demolition company? You’ll need to be prepared to obtain:
The right licences
A range of different tools
Some standard pieces of equipment (these can potentially be rented)
Funding, either from savings or a loan
Insurance
Some of the important types include demolition insurance, public liability insurance, tool insurance, professional indemnity insurance, and if you plan to take on extra workers, employers’ liability insurance.
As a Checkatrade member, you could save around 20% on the cost of your public liability insurance with Superscript. One of the many reasons to consider joining Checkatrade today.
Checkatrade members benefit from more
Save on training, insurance, and other essentials
What tools do I need to start a demolition company?
Generally, when working for a demolition company you’ll be supplied with the tools and equipment you need to do your job.
This often means that when starting your own business, you’ll need to either buy or rent some essential tools. Wondering, “What tools do I need to start a demolition company?” Then, consider purchasing the following:
Hammers
Shovels
Cutting torches
Ladder
Pry bars
Grinders
Concrete cutters
Safety equipment
Wire strippers
You can then decide whether you’ll initially hire or buy equipment for larger projects or if you’ll stick to working on smaller projects.
What’s more, one of the excellent benefits of becoming a Checkatrade member is that you’ll have access to our latest offers and discounts. Once you log in to our Member's Area, you could save hundreds of pounds on the cost of tools, materials, insurance and more!
How do you market a demolition business?
If you’ve been considering starting your own demolition business for a while, now is a great time to take the plunge.
With a huge influx of new customers, most trade companies have waiting lists several months long. Despite this, you’ll still need to know how to market a demolition business.
The below list covers some of the best ways to reach potential customers:
Checkatrade - Joining Checkatrade will help increase your visibility online
Advertising - You can pay to promote your business but it can be costly
Website - Sites such as GoDaddy and Squarespace allow easy website construction
Social media - Sites like Facebook can help you to join local groups pay to promote
Direct mail - Many fledgling business use flyers or leaflets posted through local letterboxes to reach new customers
Trade associations - Becoming a member of the National Federation of Demolition Contractors can also help you win more work
Marketing a new trade business – Where to start and a free guide to help you get going
Marketing is often seen as a 'nice to have' for a lot of trade businesses, especially when they're first starting out. Now more than ever, marketing is an essential investment for any new business. We live in a digital world where customers are more likely to go online to search for a tradesperson
Useful checklist for starting a demolition business
Create a business plan covering where you want to operate
Think about what services you’ll offer and what hours you’ll work
Take some time to plan out your finances
Don’t forget to budget for new tools and equipment
Decide how you’ll reach new customers using our marketing tips
Make sure you have the appropriate licences in place
Consider taking out insurance and other cover before taking on jobs
Get job leads for your demolition business
Find more work in your area with a Checkatrade membership
* Internal search data from users of the Checkatrade.com website between 1st January and 31st December 2024
