What Equipment Do I Need for House or Garage Demolition?

A garage demo is an E35 or 305.5, a dump trailer (or three), and a plan for the slab. A full house is a different size class than this yard lists for rent — we will not pretend a mini excavator is a high-reach demo spec. Pull permits, kill utilities, then pick the machine that matches what is actually coming down.

Equipment for residential demolition

Primary machines

Mini excavator

Primary

E35 with thumb for sheds and light garages; 305.5 class when walls are masonry or the slab is thick.

Pull structures you have the right to pull, sort debris, and load the trailer.

Skip it when you are only hauling a pre-dismantled shed. A trailer is enough.

Browse

Dump trailer

Primary

7×14 (14k) for garage-scale; add a roll-off when you are past a few loads.

The demo is not done until the debris has a place to go.

Skip it when a 20-yard dumpster is already on the driveway and you can load it by hand.

Browse

Optional / nice to have

Skid-steer hydraulic breaker

Optional

Breaker on S550/T550 class. Confirm flow.

Slab, footings, and the driveway approach after the building is gone.

Skip it when the slab is staying for the new garage.

Browse

Compact track loader

Optional

T550 class.

Load, sort, and carry without destroying the yard you still have to grade.

Skip it when the mini can load the trailer directly and access is tight anyway.

Browse

Typical pairing

Garage: 305.5 or E35 + 7×14 dump + breaker for the slab the next morning. House-scale: call us for compact machines on the edges, and hire a demo contractor for the structure.

What a mini can honestly take down

Sheds, carports, interior gut-outs (carefully), and many single-car garages. Thumbs help. A skid-steer breaker eats slabs and footings after the building is down. Swinging a bucket through a two-story house next to a neighbor’s property line is how you buy two roofs.

Debris is the real rental

Wet plaster and shingles are heavy. A 7×14 dump trailer earns its keep; a 6×12 is for punch-list. If the volume is a true house, get a roll-off. Do not overload because “one more run” felt expensive.

What we will not do for you

Asbestos, lead, and structural demo plans are yours. We rent the machines. If you need a high-reach or a full-size excavator, that is a different vendor.

FAQ

Can a mini excavator take down a house?

Not as a responsible plan for a full two-story. Minis are for the pieces around a house and for small structures. Full-house demo wants a bigger class and a contractor who does this every week.

What about the concrete pad?

Breaker on a skid steer after the building is down. Trying to “just crack it” with the mini bucket is slow and hard on the machine.

Do I need a boom lift?

Only if you are doing a selective interior or roof tear-off from height. Most garage demos never see an aerial.