Job costing for demolition contractors

Demolition is priced by the square foot, but it’s paid for by the ton at the landfill. When the debris weighs more than the bid assumed, the margin goes out in the dumpsters. JobMargin puts dump fees and hauling on the job daily, so heavy debris shows up early.

What demolition contractors track in JobMargin

• Dump fees and hauling. Dump tickets and haul costs each get their own line, so you see cost per ton while there’s still building left.
• Safety and abatement. Abatement, whether done by your crew or a sub, gets its own budget instead of hiding in “Other.”
• Crew hours by floor or phase. Crews clock in on their phones, and night work can be its own pay type.
• Hidden conditions as change orders. Extra layers of flooring or unknown structure go in as change orders, with photos.

Set up for demolition from the first day

When you pick Demolition as your trade, JobMargin loads these cost categories for budgets, receipts, and job costs. You can rename or add your own at any time.

• Labor
• Equipment Rental
• Disposal & Dump Fees
• Hauling
• Safety & Abatement
• Fuel
• Permits
• Subcontractor
• Other

Bid line items use the units demolition actually bid in: square feet (SF), cubic yards (CY), tons (TON), each (EA), and lump sum (LS).

Example: what a demolition job looks like mid-way

Strip ceilings, partitions, flooring, and MEP to the deck for a tenant renovation. About 60% of the floor is cleared.

Labor at 64% is close to the 60% cleared. Dump fees are ahead at 77%, and the likely reason is weight: old plaster and tile weigh more than the bid assumed. Track the tonnage on each dump ticket for the rest of the job, and pull out steel and copper to recycle instead of paying to dump it.

Guides and tools for demolition contractors