Junk removal companies handle "light" demolition: small structures and interior tear-outs that can be taken apart by hand and with power tools, with the debris leaving on the same truck. Sheds, decks, fences, hot tubs, above-ground pools, playsets, and kitchen or bath tear-outs are in. Buildings, foundations, and anything structural or hazardous are out.
Two kinds of demolition
There's demolition the way a contractor means it: excavators, permits, engineering, utility disconnects, and a building coming down. And there's demolition the way a junk removal company means it: a crew with saws, pry bars, and a truck, taking apart something in the backyard or inside the house and hauling the pieces away in one visit. The second kind is what this guide covers, and it's a surprisingly large share of what we do around Southern New Hampshire and Northern Massachusetts.
What junk removal companies take down
Sheds
The most common one. Wood sheds, metal kit sheds, and resin sheds all come apart in an order that's safe: roof, walls, floor, base. A typical backyard shed is down and loaded in two to four hours once it's empty. Many crews, including ours, will empty it on the same visit. Concrete footings or a slab underneath are a separate question.
Decks
Pressure-treated decks from the 1980s and 1990s are reaching the end everywhere around here. The crew removes railings and stairs first, then the deck boards, then the joists and posts, cutting the lumber into truck-sized pieces as they go. A medium backyard deck is usually an afternoon. Large multi-level decks can take a full day. Treated lumber goes to a licensed facility, not a recycler.
Hot tubs
An old spa is cut into sections on site: cover off, cabinet and equipment out, shell and frame cut into carryable pieces. Pumps, motor, and heater go to scrap recycling. You handle the electrician and the draining ahead of time. Full details in the hot tub removal guide.
Fences
Wood stockade, picket, chain link, and vinyl fences. Panels and rails come off, posts are pulled or cut at the ground, and any concrete at the base of the posts is either pulled with the post or left flush, depending on what you want and what the ground allows.
Above-ground pools
Drained first, then the liner, the top rail, the wall sections, the frame, and any wooden deck around it. The steel or aluminum walls and frame go to recycling. What's left is a ring of sand and a bare spot in the lawn.
Playsets, swing sets, and pergolas
Wood or metal, unbolted and cut down, loaded, and gone. Quick jobs, often paired with something else on the same visit.
Interior tear-outs
Kitchen cabinets and countertops, bathroom vanities and tubs, carpet and padding, laminate and hardwood flooring, drywall, paneling, and drop ceilings. Some junk removal companies do the tear-out itself; most, including us, mainly haul the debris after a homeowner or contractor has done the demo. Either way, the debris goes on the same truck. See construction debris removal.
What they don't do
- Buildings: houses, garages, barns, additions, and mobile homes
- Structural work: load-bearing walls, chimneys, foundations, retaining walls
- In-ground pools and large concrete slabs or driveways
- Hazardous material: asbestos siding, floor tile, or pipe wrap; lead paint abatement
- Utilities: disconnecting gas, electric, or plumbing. A licensed electrician or plumber does that before the crew comes.
Those need a licensed demolition or abatement contractor, usually with permits, and often with heavy equipment. A good junk removal company says so plainly instead of guessing.
Permits
Rules vary by town. Many towns in Southern NH and Northern MA don't require a permit to remove a small freestanding shed or a fence, but some require one for a deck attached to the house, a pool, or any structure above a certain size. A five-minute call to your building department before the job is scheduled avoids a problem later. Crews that work in your town regularly can usually tell you what to expect.
What to have ready
- The structure empty, or a plan to have the crew empty it
- Hot tub drained and disconnected by an electrician; pool drained
- A clear path from the structure to the driveway
- Gates unlocked, pets inside, cars moved
- A decision on footings, slabs, and post concrete
How Rocky's does it
We take down and haul away sheds, decks, fences, hot tubs, above-ground pools, and playsets across Southern New Hampshire and Northern Massachusetts from our base in Salem, NH. Text photos of the structure and the path to the driveway to 603-500-5865, or book a free on-site estimate; the price is set before any work starts. See the shed and deck demolition and hot tub removal service pages, or send a quote request below.
