Old-Siding Removal & Disposal Cost
Price the tear-off as its own line: net area × your tear-off rate per square foot, plus the disposal or dumpster fee.
Tearing off 1,336 sq ft at $1.50/sq ft plus $400.00 disposal is about $2,404.00. Removing old siding and hauling it away is its own line — priced per square foot plus a dumpster fee; asbestos-cement or lead-painted (pre-1978) siding is a certified-pro / EPA RRP matter, not a DIY tear-off.
1 Enter your numbers
Removing the old siding is a distinct operation from hanging the new, and it deserves its own line rather than being buried in an installed rate. It has two parts with different units: labor to strip the wall, priced per square foot of what comes off, and a flat disposal cost to haul the debris away. Keeping them separate makes a re-side quote legible and lets you compare the tear-off portion across bids.
One safety caveat carries real weight here. Old siding can hide asbestos-cement board or pre-1978 lead paint. That is not a DIY tear-off and not a line you should price to the cheapest crew — it is a certified-firm, EPA RRP matter. When in doubt, test before anyone starts pulling boards.
Formula
tear_off = net_area × tearoff_$/sq ft + disposal
The net area is the wall you actually strip — the same walls-plus-gables-minus-openings figure you use for the new siding, since you do not tear off a doorway.
Worked example
1,336 sq ft at $1.50/sq ft tear-off, with a $400 dumpster:
tear_off = 1,336 × $1.50 = $2,004total = $2,004 + $400 = $2,404
Tear-off typically runs a fraction of the install rate — here $1.50 against a $7 install — but on a house with multiple siding layers, stubborn fasteners or a lead/asbestos protocol it climbs fast. Price it honestly rather than assuming the installer “throws it in.”
Before you strip a single board
- Test old surfaces first. Pre-1978 lead paint follows the EPA RRP rule and needs a certified firm; asbestos-cement siding needs licensed abatement. Neither is a DIY tear-off — this tool does not price abatement.
- Strip the net area, not the gross. You do not remove siding from doorways and windows; subtract the openings so the labor line matches reality.
- Multiple layers cost more. A house re-sided once already may have two layers to pull — roughly double the tear-off labor and debris.
- Disposal is often a step change. A single dumpster covers a range of volume; a big house or a lead/asbestos load can need a second haul and special handling.
Reference table
| Opening | Deduct |
|---|---|
| Standard door (3 × 7) | 21 sq ft |
| Standard window | 15 sq ft |
| Patio / sliding-glass door | 40 sq ft |
| Single garage door (9 × 7) | 63 sq ft |
| Double garage door (16 × 7) | 112 sq ft |
Labeled typicals — measure your actual openings. Tear-off is priced on the same net wall area you strip, so subtract the doors, windows and garage before you multiply by your tear-off rate.