By Southside Junk Removal
The line between junk removal and demolition
Junk removal hauls existing piles of stuff. Demolition tears things down and then hauls the pieces. Light demolition sits in the middle. Most south Atlanta homeowners think they need a general contractor for any structure that needs to come down, but for sheds, fences, decks, small detached structures, and some interior demolition, the right call is a junk removal company that handles the teardown and the haul in one trip. That is what light demolition means in our trade.
What counts as light demolition
- Sheds: yes. We demolish wood and metal sheds up to about 200 sq ft on a regular basis.
- Fences: yes, the whole line or any portion.
- Decks: yes for residential decks up to about 250 sq ft.
- Pergolas, gazebos, and small detached structures: yes.
- Old swing sets and play structures: yes.
- Above-ground pools (not the in-ground kind): yes.
- Interior non-load-bearing walls in finished basements: yes.
- Interior trim, cabinets, and built-ins: yes.
What we don't do
- Anything load-bearing.
- Anything requiring a building permit (most jurisdictions require permits for structures over a certain size; it varies by municipality).
- Anything with asbestos, lead paint scraping, or hazardous abatement.
- Whole-home demolition.
- Garage demolition (sometimes a gray area; we evaluate case by case).
- Roofing tear-off (a roofing contractor does that and disposes of the shingles).
The permit question
Most south Atlanta jurisdictions require a permit for any structure over a defined square footage threshold. For sheds and detached structures, that threshold is typically 120-200 sq ft. Below that, no permit needed. Fences require permits for height changes but not for replacing in-kind. Decks usually require permits for original construction; demolition without permit is generally fine but municipalities vary. We do not pull permits. We work within the no-permit-required threshold and refer you to a contractor if your project is larger.
Equipment and safety
We bring reciprocating saws, pry bars, pneumatic hammers when needed, ladder access, and PPE for the crew. For deck demolition we use crowbars and pry tools to lift planking, then disassemble joists and beams. For shed demolition we cut the structure into wall sections, then frame components, then haul. For fences we cut posts at ground level (cleaner than digging out concrete footings unless requested).
Pricing light demolition
Demolition pricing combines labor and hauling. Most shed demolitions run half-load to three-quarter load ($520-$650). Most fence runs are half-load to full truck depending on length and material. Deck demolitions vary widely by size: a small 100 sq ft deck is usually a half-load, and a large 250 sq ft deck is a full truck plus labor premium. See our light demolition service for a service overview.