Mobile Home Demolition: Process, Permits & Pricing Guide
If you want to know more about mobile home demolition, but you’re not sure where to begin or how much it’ll cost, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, I’m going to discuss BOTH the mobile home demolition process and costs in detail. First, let’s the discuss the process.
MOBILE HOME DEMOLITION – THE PROCESS
Demolition Permit
The first thing required to demolish a mobile home is to get a demolition permit. If you are in the urban growth boundary (UGB), you’ll get this from the City. If you’re outside the UGB, you’ll get this from the County.
For most Cities and Counties, you’ll need to complete a mobile home demolition application and provide a site map. You can usually find this application online. The site map doesn’t have to be done by a surveyor. You can simply take measurements and draw it on a piece of scrap paper. Here’s a sample of a site map we used in our last mobile home demolition permit application.
Environmental Tests
Asbestos
Under Oregon DEQ regulations, for all structures built before January 1, 2004, an asbestos survey is required prior to mobile home demolition. “Structures” include houses, mobile homes, RVs/Trailers, and garages/sheds. You’ll need to go to a company like Atlas Labs to get that survey. They’ll need samples of the drywall, formica, vinyl and anything else that looks like it might contain asbestos. Atlas Labs has technicians they’ll send to the property to pull these samples for you.
Lead
A lead test is not required for the demolition of a mobile home. Under the Federal EPA, a lead test is only required for what they call RRP (Renovation, Repair, and Painting), for all structures built before 1978. So, if you want to completely demolish a 1972 mobile home, you don’t need a lead test.
If you have a mobile home you’re looking to sell or buy, or are just curious about how this all works, feel free to contact us and we’ll gladly explain the process and answer any of your questions.
Unhook Utilities & Water Shut-Off
You’ll need to unhook the sewer line from the septic/sewer system. This will be under the house. Simply crawling under the house and either cutting the PVC pipe with a hack saw or unscrewing the sewer from the main drain is all you need to do. Make sure to be careful when demolishing the mobile home to not further damage this line
For electricity, you’ll need to call your power provider and tell them your plans for the mobile home demolition. If there is a meter on the home, they’ll need to come pick-up their equipment. Oftentimes they’ll cut the power line for you from the main electric box, plus they’ll make sure the line is covered so it’s safe.
The water main needs to be shut off, not just to the house, but from the water main. After you shut-off the water main, you’ll need to unhook or cut the water line from the main to the house. Again, like the sewer/septic, make sure to avoid damaging the water main during the demolition.
Dumpster
A “drop box” is needed for the debris to transport to the landfill. The garbage company will deliver it for a fee. The size of the drop box needed depends on the size of the mobile home to be demolished. For a single-wide, it usually takes two full 40-yd drop boxes. That gets multiplied if demolishing a double-wide (x2) or triple-wide (x3). Pride Disposal is a reputable Oregon garbage company, but you can use Waste Management or any other commercial garbage company to order the drop boxes.
Excavator
Doing this type of work by hand is very challenging. It’s certainly worth your time to rent an excavator for all mobile home demolition projects. These usually run between $300-600/day, depending on the size of the excavator and the distance the rental company needs to travel to deliver the excavator. You can rent this online from companies like United Rentals, or you can simply visit facebook marketplace and look for them there.
Metal Recycling
Decrease your costs of mobile home demolition by recycling your metal. You can google “metal recycling” and you’ll see a few options. Common metals you can recycle on a mobile home are the old aluminum window frames, aluminum siding, and the steel chassis under the house. If the load is big enough, the recycling center will pick-up from your location. It’s usually not a lot of money, but they’ll often give you a few hundred dollars instead of paying a few hundred dollars.
City/County Inspection
Once you’re done, you’ll need to get the City or County (whoever issued your demo permit) to come and inspect the job. This inspection is pretty simple, definitely not like it is building a house. They’ll make sure the structure is gone and all the utilities are capped, shut-off, and remain in working order.
Foundation Removal & Clean-Up
After the structure is gone, you’ll be left with the foundation. Most mobile home foundations are a block & pier system, where the steel frame on which the mobile home sits are leveled on cinderblocks. In total, these are heavy and It’ll cost too much to put them in the dumpster. Taking them to a rock quarry or gravel pit is a great option. You’ll save a lot of money.
MOBILE HOME DEMOLITION QUOTE – HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
We work with NW General Contracting (CCB# 210107). They’re licensed, bonded, and insured and they always do great work for us. They quote the following for mobile home demolition:
Single-Wide: $7,500
Double-Wide: $14,000
Triple-Wide: $18,000
This quote includes the costs of permits, dump fees, and site clean-up. They handle everything and communicate with you if anything unusual comes up. They’re honest, reliable, and a good partner to Inked Real Estate. We highly recommend them if you are looking at mobile home demolition.
HOW WE CAN HELP
If you’re unsure about whether mobile home demolition is the path you should take, contact us! We may remove the mobile home for free! We’ll ask for pictures, an address, and visit the site. Instead of spending thousands of dollars for mobile home demolition, we often can either remove the mobile home for free or pay you thousands of dollars to remove ithe mobile home for you!
Sometimes, if the mobile home is not quite bad enough to demolish, but not good enough for us to remove the mobile home for free, we can often give you the best of both worlds:
Broker + Demolition
In the case where the house is too good for demolition but not good enough for us to remove for free, we’ll offer a broker + demolition option. This process is one that gives you all the positives without any of the drawbacks. How this works is we schedule the mobile home demolition for, let’s say, 120 days from now. In the meantime, we’ll try to find a buyer for the home. If we can find a buyer, we’ll give you free mobile home removal. If we can’t find a buyer before the mobile home demolition date, you can proceed with the mobile home demolition. If you’ve got time to wait, why not try for free mobile home removal and save yourself the costs of mobile home demolition..?
What do you have to lose!?
Contact us today if you have a mobile home you want removed from your property by filling out our contact form, emailing us at nick@inkedre.com, or calling us at (503) 893-9691.
Good luck!
Frequently Asked Questions
Related
How much does mobile home demolition cost?
The cost of mobile home demolition depends on the size ofthe mobile home, labor, equipment, and disposal fees. A typical mobile home demolition quote for mobile homes may range from around $7,500 for a single-wide to $14,000 or more for larger units. Pricing from a demolition service or service provider often includes permits, debris removal, site cleanup, and full demolition services. Costs may also vary depending on local regulations in areas like Marion County or if a local contractor is required.
What is involved in the mobile home demolition process?
The mobile home demolition process begins with obtaining a permit and checking local regulations before any demolition starts. Property owners must also address potential hazardous materials such as asbestos. Utilities are disconnected, and equipment is used for house demolition or mobile home demolition services. After the structure is removed, contractors complete construction debris removal, debris hauling, and final site cleanup so the property owner can prepare the land for new construction.
Is mobile home removal different from mobile home demolition?
Yes. Mobile home removal involves transporting a mobile home off the property intact, while mobile home demolition involves tearing down the structure and disposing of the junk and debris. In some cases, removal may be possible if the structure is still in good condition. If the home cannot be moved, a professional mobile home demolition or mobile home demolition service is usually required to handle the removal, disposal, and cleanup.
What other services may be included with demolition services?
Many demolition services also provide related cleanup options such as junk removal, construction debris removal, and estate cleanout or office cleanout services. Depending on the project, a service provider may also offer furniture removal, appliance removal, mattress removal, carpet removal, fence removal, hot tub removal, and interior demolition. Some local contractor teams also provide services in nearby areas such as Long Beach, High Point, or Oakland County, helping property owners manage demolition and full site cleanup efficiently.