Light Demolition · South Shore & South Coast
Light Demolition on the South Shore: Sheds, Decks, Fences and More
Count On Me! takes apart and hauls away the old, non-structural things on your property, a shed, a deck, a fence, a playset, a hot tub, kitchen cabinets or carpet, for homeowners from Freetown and Fall River to Plymouth, the Cape and Rhode Island.
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Some junk isn't sitting loose. It's bolted together, screwed down or standing in the backyard: the shed with the rotted floor, the deck nobody walks on anymore, the swing set the kids outgrew. Light demolition on the South Shore is the part of junk removal where we take the thing apart first. You get a price before any work starts. Then we break it down, carry every piece out, load the truck, clean up the spot and haul it all away, sorted for recycling where we can.
What light demolition covers
Light demolition means tear-out-and-haul of things that aren't holding up a building. A wooden, metal or vinyl shed. A deck, with its boards, railings and stairs. A run of old fence. A wooden playset or a metal swing set. A hot tub that hasn't run in years. The kitchen cabinets coming out before a remodel. Wall-to-wall carpet and the pad under it. We take it apart, carry it out and haul it away in the same visit.
It's a natural extension of junk removal. Most of these jobs start as a cleanout: the shed is full of old tools and a lawn mower that doesn't start, or the basement carpet comes up while the room is being cleared. Rather than you hiring one person to knock something down and another to haul it, we do both. Empty the shed or leave the contents in it; either way we'll take it.
The limit is structure. We don't take down walls inside a house, anything load-bearing, a porch or deck that holds up a roof, foundations, chimneys or roofs. We don't do electrical or plumbing work, and we don't handle anything that might contain asbestos. Those jobs belong to a licensed contractor, and once they're done we're happy to haul what they leave behind. Every light demolition job is looked at before we book it so we both know exactly what's coming down.
What this covers
- Shed removal: wood, metal or vinyl, with or without the contents
- Deck removal: boards, railings, stairs and framing
- Fence removal: wood, vinyl or chain-link runs
- Playset and swing set removal
- Hot tub tear-out and removal
- Kitchen cabinet and countertop removal before a remodel
- Carpet and pad removal from rooms, stairs and basements
What’s included
- A free estimate, usually on site for demolition, with the price before any work starts
- Taking the structure apart and carrying every piece to the truck
- Hauling, with wood, metal and recyclables sorted out where they can be
- Removing whatever is stored inside, if you want it gone too
- Raking or sweeping the spot where it stood
- Same-day pickup when the schedule has room
What light demolition costs, and what moves the price
There's no price list, because a 6-by-8 metal shed and a 12-by-16 wooden shed with a floor are very different jobs. You get an exact price from photos or a free on-site estimate before any work starts.
What moves it: the size and the material (pressure-treated lumber and hot tub shells are heavy; a metal shed is light and mostly goes to scrap); how it's built (screws, bolts and posts set in concrete take longer than nails and posts in dirt); access (how far we carry every piece, and whether there's a gate or a hill in the way); and what's inside. If the shed is still full, the contents are part of the load. Anything that costs more to dispose of in Massachusetts, like a fridge, a TV, a mattress or tires found in the shed, adds to the price.
What helps: tell us about concrete posts or footings up front, get any power and water disconnected before the day, and clear a path from the structure to the driveway.
Why tearing something down in Massachusetts takes more than a sledgehammer
The hard part isn't knocking it down. It's what happens to the pieces. Massachusetts bans wood, metal, asphalt, brick and concrete from landfill disposal, and has since July 1, 2006 (310 CMR 19.017). A pressure-treated deck, a metal shed and a chain-link fence can't go in the trash or out with the bulky-item pickup. They go to facilities that take construction and demolition material, and the metal goes to scrap. We sort as we load, so you don't have to know where each piece belongs.
Older properties need a careful look first. Plenty of sheds, outbuildings and basements in Fall River, New Bedford, Taunton and the older South Shore towns were built or covered decades ago, and some older siding, roofing and floor tile can contain asbestos. Massachusetts treats that seriously: asbestos removal has to be done by a licensed abatement contractor with advance notice to MassDEP, and MassDEP has fined both contractors and homeowners for asbestos violations during home renovations. If anything on the job might contain it, we stop and point you to an inspector.
Backyards here are rarely easy to reach. Older neighborhoods have narrow side yards and tight driveways, Cape Cod lots can be sandy, wooded or close to the neighbors, and a deck in the back means every board is carried around the house. That's why demolition estimates are usually done on site: the carry distance changes the job as much as the size of the shed. If you're not sure whether your town wants a permit for the job, the building department will tell you before we schedule.
How it works
- 1
Call or text us photos
Send a few pictures of what's coming down, a wide shot showing where it sits, and your town. Tell us whether the shed or deck has power or water.
- 2
Free estimate
For demolition we usually come out to look. You get an exact price before any work begins, with no obligation, and we agree on exactly what comes down.
- 3
Get it ready
Have any power, gas or water lines disconnected by a licensed electrician or plumber before the day. Move anything you want to keep.
- 4
We take it apart and load it
Our crew breaks it down into pieces we can carry, brings everything to the truck and sorts wood, metal and the rest as it loads.
- 5
Clean up and haul
We pick up nails, screws and debris from the spot, rake or sweep, and haul the load to the right facilities.
Light Demolition questions
How much does it cost to tear down a shed and haul it away?
It depends on the size, what it's made of, how it's built and how far we carry the pieces. A small metal shed is a quick job; a large wooden shed with a floor, shingled roof and a full load of stuff inside is a much bigger one. We don't publish prices because of that. Send photos or book a free on-site estimate and you'll have an exact price before any work starts.
Can you remove an old deck?
Yes. We take decks apart board by board, including railings, stairs and framing, carry everything out and haul it. If the posts are set in concrete, tell us when you send photos and we'll talk it through on the estimate. If the deck is part of the house's structure, like a porch that holds up a roof, that's a job for a licensed contractor; we can haul the debris afterward.
Do you remove hot tubs?
Yes. We take hot tubs apart on site, carry the pieces out and haul them, then clean up the area where it sat. Before we come, have the tub drained and the power disconnected by a licensed electrician; we don't do electrical work. Many hot tubs won't fit through a gate in one piece, which is why breaking one down is light demolition rather than a simple pickup.
Can you take out kitchen cabinets before a remodel?
Yes. We remove upper and lower cabinets and the countertops on them, carry everything out and haul it, so your contractor starts with an empty room. Have the sink, dishwasher and any gas line disconnected by a licensed plumber first. Stone countertops are heavy, so mention them when you send photos. If the cabinets are in good shape, we'll try to keep them out of the disposal pile.
What kinds of demolition won't you do?
Anything structural: interior walls, load-bearing walls, foundations, chimneys, roofs, porches that support the house. No electrical or plumbing work, and nothing that might contain asbestos, which in Massachusetts has to be handled by a licensed abatement contractor. If your job is bigger than light demolition, hire a licensed demolition contractor, and call us afterward to haul away what they leave.
Sources (6)
- law.cornell.edu/regulations/massachusetts/310-CMR-19-017
- mass.gov/doc/frequently-asked-questions-construction-demolition-materials-waste-ban/downlo
- recyclingworksma.com/construction-demolition-materials-guidance/
- mass.gov/doc/bwp-aq-04-anf-001-asbestos-removal-notification-instructions/download
- mass.gov/news/massdep-fines-medford-man-for-asbestos-violations-during-home-renovation-in-
- mass.gov/news/massdep-penalizes-renovation-company-for-asbestos-violations-during-medway-h
Send a photo of what's coming down
Call or text us pictures of the shed, deck, fence or hot tub. You'll get an exact price before any work starts.