A Melbourne homeowner has an old garage exactly where the new granny flat should sit. From the lawn, the job looks simple: remove the garage, clear the slab and start building.
Then the questions begin. Is the wall sheeting asbestos-containing material? Is power still connected? Can machinery reach the backyard? Does the concrete slab include deep footings? Will the cleared area need engineered fill before the new foundations are installed?
Demolition is not automatically a small allowance just because the structure is small. The useful budget starts with the complete removal and reinstatement scope.
What may need to be removed?
Backyard clearing can involve more than one obvious structure.
The scope may include:
- a detached garage, shed or carport
- a sleepout or old dependent person's unit
- concrete slabs, footings and paths
- a deck, pergola or retaining element
- fencing or gates needed for access
- an unused water tank or garden structure
- vegetation and buried garden materials
- redundant electrical, water or drainage lines
List each item separately. A quote that says only “clear site” makes it difficult to see what is included and what may return as a variation.
The demolition scope should also match the proposed building position. A Land Eligibility Check can help confirm whether the area being cleared is genuinely the most practical place for the granny flat.
Check permits before demolition starts
Victorian building guidance says building and demolition work generally requires a building permit unless a specific exemption applies.
Some freestanding Class 10 structures, such as certain small non-masonry sheds or garages, may meet an exemption. That should be confirmed against the actual structure, safety conditions, planning controls and current regulations rather than assumed from size alone.
A planning permit may also be relevant, particularly where a Heritage Overlay or another planning control affects demolition. Council requirements such as asset protection may apply separately.
The Council Approval Guide explains why planning, building and council processes should be checked as separate questions.
Treat possible asbestos as an early investigation
Older garages, sheds, fences and sleepouts may contain asbestos-containing materials. It cannot be reliably identified from a casual photograph.
WorkSafe Victoria recommends appropriate identification and licensed removal where required. EPA Victoria also requires asbestos waste to go to a facility authorised to receive it.
Before comparing demolition quotes, clarify:
- whether a hazardous-material assessment is included
- who is responsible for sampling if the material is uncertain
- what licence class the removal work requires
- whether removal happens before general demolition
- how the material will be packaged, transported and disposed of
- what clearance evidence or disposal records will be supplied
Do not disturb suspect sheeting to check it yourself. The cost question comes after the safety and legal pathway is understood.
Access changes the demolition method
A small excavator and truck may clear a structure quickly where there is open side access. The same structure can require more manual dismantling when the path is narrow, the main house is close or neighbouring property must be protected.
Check:
- gate and side-path width
- overhead cables, eaves and trees
- driveway condition and load limits
- distance from the street to the structure
- space for bins, trucks or temporary material storage
- whether fencing must be removed and reinstated
- how dust, noise and neighbour safety will be managed
Construction access matters too. Clearing the shed does not help if the route cannot support the planned building method. Our How We Build guide explains why delivery and site access need to be considered early.
Slab removal is not the end of site preparation
An old concrete slab may be thin and easy to break, or reinforced and connected to deeper edge beams and footings. The demolition quote should state whether concrete, reinforcement and footings are fully removed or only reduced below a nominated level.
After removal, the ground may need:
- unsuitable material taken away
- holes backfilled
- imported fill placed in controlled layers
- compaction evidence
- drainage corrected
- levels prepared for the new foundation design
This work should be coordinated with the new project's engineer or building team. Unverified backfill can create a new foundation problem even when the backyard looks clean.
Protect services before machinery arrives
Old backyard structures may still have power, water, drainage or communications connected. Other active services may pass beside or beneath the demolition area.
The scope should identify who will locate, isolate, disconnect, cap or protect each service. It should also say whether reconnection or relocation belongs to the demolition package or the later granny flat build.
Service work is one reason the cheapest demolition quote may not be the lowest complete project cost. See our Granny Flat Cost Victoria guide for the difference between a building price and the full property-specific budget.
Compare quotes on the same scope
Ask each contractor to address the same checklist:
- Structures and materials to be removed.
- Hazardous-material investigation and removal responsibility.
- Permit and council responsibilities.
- Service disconnection and protection.
- Machinery, access and temporary fencing.
- Slab, footing and buried-material removal.
- Waste transport, authorised disposal and records.
- Backfill, compaction, drainage and final levels.
- Reinstatement of fences, paths or damaged access areas.
- Exclusions and conditions that may change the price.
This does not make every risk fixed-price. It makes unresolved items visible before the main building quote relies on a cleared and suitable site.
Do not clear the backyard before the design is checked
Removing a garage too early can create avoidable cost if the preferred granny flat position later changes because of an easement, overlay, setback, drainage route or construction-access problem.
Confirm the likely building area, access route and approval pathway first. The wider Granny Flat Rules Victoria guide explains why a property can still need site-specific checks under the Victorian small second dwelling framework.
The practical takeaway
Demolition and site clearing should be treated as an enabling-work package, not a line that simply says “remove shed”.
Identify the structure, hazardous materials, access, services, concrete, disposal and ground reinstatement before comparing prices. Then make sure the cleared site specification matches the new foundation and construction plan.
If an old garage, shed or slab occupies your proposed building area, start with a Free Land Check. MPLUS can review the address and obvious site constraints before you spend money clearing the wrong part of the backyard.
