Decks fail from underneath. The boards look tired long before anything else shows, and by the time a board gives way underfoot the joists and posts have usually been going for a while.
Deck removal is priced on four things: how big it is, how high it sits, what it is built from, and what is holding it up. This guide covers each one, plus the two things worth sorting out before anyone starts pulling boards.
Key Takeaways
- Square footage is the starting point, but height off the ground changes the job more than area does.
- A ground-level deck on gravel is a different job from a raised deck on concrete footings with stairs and railings.
- Composite boards and pressure-treated timber are disposed of differently from clean untreated wood.
- Decide before you book whether the footings are coming out or staying. It is the largest single swing in the quote.
- Lighting, outlets or a gas line run to the deck need isolating before anything is dismantled.
The Short Answer
Deck removal is quoted on the structure rather than on volume alone, because two decks of the same footprint can be very different jobs. The crew looks at the size, the height, the material, the footings and the route out, then gives you a firm price before anything comes up.
That price covers taking the deck apart, carrying the material out, loading it and disposing of it. What sits outside it is usually the concrete, which is covered below.
What Sets the Price
1. Size
Measure the footprint in feet and multiply. A rough square footage is enough and most people can pace it accurately. Give the number when you ask for a quote rather than describing it as large or small, which means different things to different people.
2. Height Off the Ground
This matters more than people expect. A ground-level deck comes apart from above and the material is lifted straight out. A raised deck has a substructure underneath that has to be worked on from below or dismantled from the top down, and anything above about waist height means working at height with the care that requires.
A second-storey deck off the back of a house is a different job again, and should always be described as such when asking for a price.
3. What It Is Built From
| Material | What It Means for Removal and Disposal |
|---|---|
| Pressure-treated timber | The most common decking. Comes apart readily, but disposal is restricted at many facilities so it is routed separately from clean wood. |
| Cedar or redwood | Lighter and usually in better condition than treated timber of the same age. Clean untreated wood recycles well. |
| Composite boards | Heavier than timber and not recyclable with wood, because they are a timber and plastic mix. Routed separately. |
| Tropical hardwood | Very dense and heavy. The same square footage weighs considerably more than softwood decking. |
| Steel or aluminum framing | Less common residentially. The metal goes to scrap recycling, which is the easiest disposal of any decking material. |
4. What Is Holding It Up
The substructure is where the work is, and the footings are the decision point.
- Posts on surface blocks or pads. The simplest. Everything lifts away and the blocks come with it if you want them gone.
- Posts set in concrete footings. Each footing either comes out with the post attached or the post is cut off at grade and the footing stays in the ground.
- A concrete slab under the deck. Fine if it stays. Breaking out and removing a slab is a much larger job and is quoted separately.
- Ledger board attached to the house. Comes off as part of the job, and the fixings and flashing come with it. The wall behind it will need making good, which is usually a separate trade.
5. The Extras
Railings, stairs, built-in benches, planters, a pergola or a roof over part of the deck, and skirting around the base. Each adds material and time. List them when you ask for a quote rather than letting them be discovered on the day.
The Footings Decision
Worth its own section because it is the largest single variable and most people have not thought about it.
If a new deck or a patio is going in on the same spot, removing the footings usually makes sense. Old concrete in the ground gets in the way of new post positions and of any excavation.
If the area is being turned back to lawn or planting, cutting the posts off below grade and leaving the footings is often fine, and it is faster and cheaper. A few inches of soil over a buried footing makes no practical difference to grass.
Either answer is reasonable. What costs money is not deciding until the crew is already on site.
Two Things to Sort Out First
Power, Lighting and Gas
Deck lighting, an outdoor outlet, a hot tub supply or a gas line run out to a grill all need isolating and making safe before anything is dismantled, by someone qualified. Cables clipped under a deck are easy to forget and not something to find with a reciprocating saw.
What Is Underneath It
Decks collect things underneath. Stored timber, garden equipment, bags of material, and occasionally wildlife that has made a home in the space. Have a look before the day, because clearing under a deck is slower than clearing the deck itself and it is better to know in advance.
Repair or Remove?
| Situation | Worth Considering |
|---|---|
| A few soft or split boards, frame sound | Repair. Replacing boards on a good frame is far cheaper than replacing the deck. |
| Boards fine, joists soft underneath | Removal. The frame is the deck. Boards on a failing frame are a surface fix on a structural problem. |
| Posts rotted at ground level | Removal. Post rot at grade is the usual end of a deck’s life. |
| Deck bounces or moves underfoot | Removal, after someone has looked at it. Movement is a frame or footing problem. |
| Sound but you want a patio instead | Removal, and decide on the footings based on what is going in afterwards. |
What Happens to the Material?
- Clean untreated timber such as cedar and redwood goes for recycling or chipping.
- Pressure-treated timber is routed separately, because disposal is restricted at many facilities.
- Composite boards are separated from timber, since the plastic content means they cannot go through wood recycling.
- Metal framing, fixings, railings and hardware go to scrap metal recycling.
- Concrete footings, where they are coming out, go to masonry recycling.
How The Top Junk Can Help
Taking a deck apart is a long job with a saw, a pry bar and a great deal of carrying, and the material volume surprises people every time. We do deck takedown and removal across Campbell and the South Bay, and it leaves the same day rather than stacking up beside the house.
What We Handle
- The takedown. Boards, joists, beams, posts, railings, stairs and skirting.
- The ledger board off the house, with the fixings and flashing.
- The footings, pulled with the post or cut off below grade, whichever you decide.
- Whatever has accumulated underneath, cleared as part of the job.
- The haul, with treated timber, clean wood, composite and metal each routed to the right place.
How It Works
- Measure the footprint and photograph it from a few steps back, including one shot showing the height off the ground.
- Tell us the material and the footings. Timber or composite, and whether the concrete is coming out.
- Get a firm price before anything comes up, covering the takedown, the loading and the disposal. Learn more about our waste clearance costs.
If an old fence or a failing shed is going the same way, say so when you ask. One visit covering the whole yard costs less than three separate bookings and means one lot of disruption rather than three.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Is Deck Removal Priced?
On the square footage, the height off the ground, the material, the substructure and the route out. You get a firm price before anything comes up, covering the takedown, the loading and the disposal.
Do the Concrete Footings Have to Come Out?
No. They can be pulled with the post or the post can be cut off below grade with the footing left in place. If a new deck or patio is going in on the same spot, removing them usually makes sense. If the area is going back to lawn, leaving them is normally fine. Decide before you book.
Can You Take a Composite Deck?
Yes. Composite is heavier than timber and cannot go through wood recycling because of the plastic content, so it is separated and routed differently. Tell us when you book that it is composite rather than timber.
What About the Wall Where the Deck Was Attached?
The ledger board, fixings and flashing come off as part of the removal. Making the wall good afterwards, including any siding, paint or waterproofing, is a separate trade and worth lining up before the deck comes off.
How Long Does It Take?
Most residential decks come down in a day. A large raised deck, a second-storey deck, or one with extensive railings, stairs and a pergola can run longer, because the time goes into working at height and carrying rather than into dismantling.
Can You Do the Deck and the Fence at the Same Time?
Yes, and one visit covering both costs less than two bookings. Mention everything in the yard that is going when you ask for the quote so the right crew and vehicle are allocated.
Getting a Price for Your Deck
The Top Junk takes down and clears away old decks across Campbell and the South Bay. We handle the structure, the extras, the footings where they are going, and whatever has collected underneath, and we leave the ground clear.
Measure the footprint, photograph it from a few steps back, and tell us the material. Call or text (669) 327-6688, or see our deck removal service for what the job covers.