Denver Junk Removal · Resource Center
How to Tear Down a Shed: A Denver Homeowner’s Guide
Everything you need to safely dismantle a shed — the right order, the tools, Denver’s permit rules, the asbestos catch on older sheds, and what to do with the debris pile the city won’t touch.
That leaning, rotted shed in the back corner of your Denver yard isn’t going anywhere on its own. The good news: tearing down a typical backyard shed is a very doable weekend project — if you go in the right order, with the right tools, and a plan for the surprisingly large pile of debris you’ll be standing next to when it’s over. Here’s the whole process, Denver rules and all.
Do you need a permit to tear down a shed in Denver?
For most backyard sheds, no. Denver does not require a demolition permit for a structure that’s 200 square feet or less and 8 feet tall or shorter — the city specifically names sheds as an example. A standard 8×10 or 10×12 storage shed falls comfortably under that line.
If the structure is larger than 200 sq ft OR taller than 8 ft (think a big shed or detached garage), Denver requires a demolition permit — and that triggers a state (CDPHE) asbestos notification even if no asbestos is present, plus liability-insurance requirements. When in doubt, call Denver Community Planning & Development at 720-865-2705 before you swing a hammer.
Before you start: three things to check
Five minutes of prep here saves you a very bad afternoon.
- Empty it and sort as you go. Pull everything out and split it into keep / donate / hazardous / trash before demo — not around a debris pile. Set aside propane tanks, fuel, pesticides, paint, and batteries; those never go in a dumpster or the curbside cart.
- Kill the power. Denver lets a shed have up to two lights and two receptacles on a valid electrical permit, so plenty of them are wired. Shut the circuit off at the main breaker and have any wiring disconnected before you touch the structure. Not confident with electrical? Hire that part out.
- Planning to dig up a slab or skids? Call 811 first. In Colorado you must contact Colorado 811 at least three business days before any digging — it’s free, it’s the law, and fines for skipping it run from $250 into the tens of thousands. This applies the moment you break a slab, pull footings, or grade the spot afterward.
The tools you’ll need
- Pry bar & wrecking bar — your main demolition tools for a wood shed.
- Reciprocating saw (Sawzall) with demolition/nail blades — the single biggest time-saver on framed sheds.
- Cordless drill / impact driver — essential for metal and vinyl sheds, which are screwed and bolted together, not nailed.
- Claw hammer + a small sledge, socket/nut driver set, roofing shovel (for shingles), utility knife.
- PPE: safety glasses, cut-resistant gloves, an N95 (a half-face respirator for old, dusty sheds), boots, long sleeves.
- Haul-out: a roll-off dumpster or trailer, tarps, contractor bags, a magnetic nail sweeper for cleanup, and a separate bin for scrap metal.
How to tear down a shed, step by step
The golden rule is top-down — the reverse of how it was built. You’re un-building it, and gravity is the hazard, so everything comes off from the top so nothing collapses onto you. Work with a partner, never solo.
- Strip the fixtures. Remove doors (unscrew the hinges or lift sliding doors off their tracks), windows, shelving, and hooks. Salvage glass and hardware now.
- Take off the roof covering, then the deck. Pry off the asphalt shingles and roofing felt with a roofing shovel, then remove the sheathing (the OSB or plywood panels that form the roof deck).
- Remove the roof structure. Unfasten the rafters or trusses (the angled members that hold up the roof) and the ridge board at the peak. On a metal shed these are screwed panels — just reverse the screws and lift them off in sheets.
- Drop the walls, top plate down. Pry off the siding and wall sheathing, then knock apart or unscrew the studs (the vertical wall framing) down to the sill plate (the board anchoring the wall to the floor). A reciprocating saw through the corner fasteners makes this fast.
- Lift the floor. Floorboards are usually screwed to the joists (the horizontal members under the floor) — back the screws out, pry up stubborn boards, then remove the joists.
- Deal with the foundation. If the shed sat on skids (pressure-treated runners) or a gravel pad, you’re nearly done — drag the skids out and rake the gravel. If it’s on a concrete slab, see the next section.
By shed type, in one line each
- Wood/framed — the easiest and cheapest to break down; mostly pry-and-cut.
- Metal/steel — a screw-removal job; unscrew the galvanized panels and stack them, then the corner posts. Save the metal for scrap.
- Vinyl/resin — modular kits; unbolt the panels with a socket driver, usually no cutting needed.
The concrete slab decision
Once the shed is off, you have a choice. Leaving the slab is cheapest — many people repurpose it as a patio or a base for the next shed. Removing it means a sledgehammer or a rented electric jackhammer, and it dramatically raises the weight, effort, and disposal cost. Concrete is heavy C&D debris (construction & demolition debris) and the city will not take it. And remember: breaking or digging out a slab or its footings means you must call Colorado 811 first.
Old shed? Check for asbestos and lead first
This is the one step people skip and shouldn’t. Roofing and siding shingles made from roughly the 1920s into the early 1980s can contain asbestos, and you cannot identify it by sight — it takes a lab test. The rule of thumb from the EPA: if suspect material is in good condition and undisturbed, leave it alone; the danger is created when you cut, break, or sand it during demo.
For a single-family home, Colorado (CDPHE Regulation 8) sets homeowner limits of 32 square feet on surfaces, 50 linear feet on pipes, or a 55-gallon drum of asbestos-containing material. At or above those amounts, a state-certified inspector and abatement contractor are required. Sheds painted before 1978 may also have lead paint — don’t dry-sand it. If your shed is genuinely old, test before you tear.
What to do with the debris (the part Denver makes hard)
Here’s the surprise that catches people: the teardown is the easy part — the debris pile is the real problem. A demolished 10×12 wood shed produces roughly a ton of mixed wood, shingles, and skids — typically 15–25 cubic yards of C&D debris — and here in Denver the city has no route for it.
Denver’s Large Item Pickup runs only once every nine weeks, caps you at 5 items, and explicitly excludes construction materials — concrete, wood, fencing, and pallets are all on the no list. The purple cart is recycling only. A torn-down shed is exactly the stream the city won’t take.
So you’re left with three real options:
| Option | The catch | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Rent a roll-off dumpster | You still do all the loading, and it sits in your driveway for days. Most single sheds need a 10–20 yard bin. | DIYers who want to work at their own pace |
| Self-haul to a landfill | Multiple trips in a truck you may not own; fees by weight/vehicle. The metro C&D site is DADS at 3500 S Gun Club Rd, Aurora. | Small piles + access to a truck/trailer |
| Junk-removal crew | Costs more than a permit, but it’s hauled the same day and sorted for recycling. | Anyone who wants it just gone |
That last option is us. You can absolutely DIY the demolition — the part people underestimate is disposal. Junk Same Day hauls the debris pile same-day across the Denver metro and recycles 60%+ of what we pick up, so the wood, metal, and shingles don’t just go to a hole in the ground. Don’t want to swing the hammer at all? We also do the whole shed removal — teardown and haul-away in one visit.
How long it takes & what it costs
Every shed is different, but these are the typical ranges (industry estimates — your job may vary):
| Shed | DIY teardown time | Typical removal cost |
|---|---|---|
| Small wood (up to 8×10) | ~2–4 hours | From $799 |
| Medium (10×12–12×16) | ~4–6 hours | $899–$1,499 |
| Large or on a slab | a full day or two | $1,499–$2,800+ |
Professional shed removal in Denver starts at $799; a concrete slab or a packed shed is what pushes a job toward the high end. Going fully DIY, most of your cost is the dumpster rental. For a Denver-specific breakdown, see our shed removal cost guide.
Shed teardown FAQs
Do I need a permit to tear down a shed in Denver?
For a shed 200 square feet or smaller and 8 feet tall or shorter, no — Denver doesn’t require a demolition permit and names sheds as an example. Larger or taller structures do need a permit, which also triggers a state asbestos notification and insurance requirements.
Can I demolish a shed myself?
Yes, for a typical small wood, metal, or vinyl shed with basic tools — it’s a doable weekend job. Hire it out if the shed has live utilities, sits on a concrete slab you want removed, or is old enough (pre-1980s) to have asbestos-suspect shingles.
How long does it take to tear down a shed?
A small wood shed usually takes about 2–4 hours; a medium shed 4–6 hours; and a large shed or one on a concrete slab can take a full day or two. Metal and vinyl sheds often go faster since they unscrew rather than pry apart.
Can I put shed debris in my regular trash or the city pickup?
No. Denver’s trash and Large Item Pickup (every nine weeks) explicitly exclude construction and demolition debris — wood, concrete, fencing, and pallets. You’ll need a roll-off dumpster, a self-haul trip to a C&D facility, or a junk-removal service.
What’s the fastest way to get rid of an old shed?
Have someone do the teardown and haul in one visit. Junk Same Day removes the whole shed — or just hauls your debris pile if you’ve already knocked it down — same-day across the Denver metro, and recycles most of the material.
Left with a pile the city won’t take?
We haul shed debris — or tear down the whole thing — same-day across the Denver metro, and recycle 60%+ of it. Free quote, flat price up front.