People often assume demolition is demolition — knock it down, cart it away. In Sydney, the reality is more nuanced. Commercial and residential demolition are two very different disciplines, with different machinery, different approvals, different waste streams, and very different price tags. Here's how to think about which one applies to your project.
The work itself
Residential demolition almost always means a single building — a house, granny flat, garage, or small block of units — usually on a single allotment with reasonably easy street access. The structure is typically brick or timber, the slab is conventional, and the whole job takes 3–5 days for a single storey.
Commercial demolition covers a much wider range: offices, retail, warehouses, factories, hotels, schools, multi-storey concrete and steel structures. The methodology shifts from simple excavator work to staged top-down or progressive collapse, high-reach excavators, dust suppression, and detailed engineering controls. A multi-storey CBD demolition can take 6–12 months.
Approvals
Residential demolitions in NSW are usually approved as a Complying Development Certificate (CDC) by a private certifier in 7–10 days — quick and cheap. Heritage homes and properties with significant trees often need a full Development Application (DA), which can take 6–12 weeks. Our deep dive on Inner West demolition permits walks through the differences council-by-council.
Commercial demolition usually requires a DA (Section 4.55 modification of an existing consent is common for partial demolitions inside fit-outs). Engineering reports, traffic management plans, neighbour notifications, and dilapidation reports are typically required before a Construction Certificate is issued.
Equipment & methodology
A residential job typically uses a single 5–20 tonne excavator fitted with a grab or pulveriser, a couple of tipper trucks, and a 1.7t mini for the slab. A two-person crew can knock down a house in a day, with another two days for clean-up and cartage.
Commercial demolition often involves high-reach excavators (up to 35 m boom), concrete crushers on site, hydraulic shears for steel, scaffolding, hoardings, full-time dust monitoring and a crew of 6–15. Multi-storey jobs use a "top-down" sequence with floor-by-floor stripout before structural demolition.
Asbestos & hazmat
Asbestos shows up in both. Most Sydney homes built before 1990 contain bonded asbestos somewhere — typically eaves, bathroom walls, vinyl floor backing. Commercial buildings of the same vintage often contain larger volumes plus friable asbestos in fire-proofing, lagging and vermiculite. Either way, SafeWork NSW asbestos rules apply, and only licensed removalists can do the work.
Waste
Residential waste is dominated by brick, concrete, timber and roof tile. Most of it is recyclable through standard C&D facilities. Commercial waste is more varied — glazing, metal cladding, plasterboard, fitout debris, ceiling grids, carpets — and needs more sorting on site to keep tipping rates down. Our construction rubbish removal service handles both.
Which contractor is right for which job?
Most demolition companies in Sydney specialise. The crews who do houses well aren't necessarily the right team for a 15-storey commercial. Defence Demolition runs separate crews for each — the same brand, but the right tools and the right people for the job. If you're not sure which category your project falls into, request a free quote and we'll point you in the right direction.
Frequently asked questions
Is commercial demolition more expensive than residential?+
Yes — commercial projects involve high-reach plant, staged top-down sequencing, dust monitoring and larger crews, so the per-square-metre rate is several times a typical residential knock-down.
Can the same contractor handle both?+
Most Sydney firms specialise in one or the other. Defence Demolition runs separate crews for commercial and residential so each job gets the right plant, ticket levels and supervision.
Do I always need a DA for commercial demolition?+
Almost always. Partial commercial demolitions inside an existing fit-out can sometimes be approved as a Section 4.55 modification, but full commercial demolitions are DA work.
How long does a multi-storey commercial demolition take?+
Six to twelve months is typical for a Sydney CBD multi-storey demolition once approvals are in place, including hazmat removal and progressive structural demolition.