Deck Removal in New Braunfels: What Drives the Cost
Soft posts, a sagging middle, a deck pulling loose? When a deck is past saving, we do deck removal in New Braunfels: we take it all down, haul every load away and clear the spot for a new composite deck. Your quote is free.
Can you tear out my old deck?
Yes, we tear out old decks in New Braunfels and the towns around it. When a deck is past saving, we take the whole structure down and haul every piece away. That leaves the spot clear for a new deck, or simply gives you your yard back.
What do I need to move before the deck comes out?
Everything on it and everything under it. Furniture, grills, planters and anything stored below the deck slow the first day if they're still there. Then think about the way out. A side gate, a fence close to the deck or steps down to the street all change how the debris leaves, so tell us about any of those up front.
When a deck is past saving
When the frame has failed, not just the boards. You can check the signs yourself before you call Comal Decks:
- joists that are soft and crumbling
- a deck pulling away from the house
- a sag or a sway that new boards never fix
Not sure which side of the line yours is on? A look at the frame from underneath usually settles it. That look costs far less than tearing out a deck a repair could have saved.
Sometimes the deck is sound but in the way. You want the yard back, or a different layout. That's a removal too, even with nothing wrong with it.
The whole structure comes out
The whole deck comes out, roughly in the reverse of how it went up:
- the decking and railing
- the joists, beams and posts
- the ledger board, unfastened from the house
- the footings, pulled or left in the ground, depending on what goes there next
- every load of it, hauled off the property
That's what we mean by removal: the full structure. Removing only the old decking and railing, and leaving the frame in place for new boards, is a smaller job we price on its own. If a new deck goes in the same spot, that's deck replacement, and the two can run as one job.
Permits for tearing out a deck
Inside the city limits, plan on a permit before the tear-out: taking a deck down needs one, just like building one does. Expect it to be in hand before the first board comes off.
Taking a deck down in Seguin, Canyon Lake, Bulverde, Spring Branch or San Marcos instead? We work there too. Spring Branch's city issues no building permits. Putting a new deck back up around Canyon Lake, in unincorporated Comal County? That takes Comal County's floodplain development permit; it's how the county decides if the new deck is in the floodplain.
Where the old wood goes
Out with the rest of the construction and demolition debris, and never into a backyard fire. Don't burn CCA or other preservative-treated wood, since the smoke and ash can carry toxic chemicals you'd breathe in. So the fire pit is out for old boards from a treated deck. And since it counts as construction debris, it doesn't go out with the household trash either.
What raises the price of taking a deck out
Two things set the price: how much there is to take apart, and how hard it is to get out of your yard. Check your deck for these:
- A bigger or higher deck means more to take down and more loads to haul.
- A deck fastened to the house takes more care than one standing on its own.
- Footings that have to come out add digging.
- A tight yard with no easy path to the street slows every trip out.
With a pool beside it
A pool next to the deck means extra care at the edge, so nothing from the tear-out lands in the water. We plan the debris path around the pool, never across it.
How soon can it come out?
As soon as you've settled the plan and any permit is in hand. If a new deck follows, line the two jobs up so your yard doesn't sit torn up for weeks in between.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to have someone remove an old deck?
Removing an old deck runs from about $1,000 to $7,000 or more. You pay for two things: taking the deck apart, and getting rid of what comes off it. Wood from an old treated deck goes out as construction and demolition debris, not with the household trash, so the haul-off is real work. When you compare two prices, make sure both cover the same work, footings out or left and haul-off included, because that's where they usually differ.
How do you get rid of a deck?
Take it apart from the top down, then get every piece off the property. Two rules keep it safe. Leave the ledger board until the rest of the frame is down, so the deck stays tied to the house while it comes apart. And on a raised deck, never pull a post while the frame still rests on it. That's how a deck drops all at once.
Will the house wall need work once the deck is off?
Sometimes. When the ledger board comes off, you see the wall it covered for years. Look for soft or stained wood, and gaps where water got behind it. If a new deck is going in the same spot, that wall has to be sound before a new ledger goes on. If not, it needs a patch to close it up.
Can you price the tear-out and a new deck together?
Yes, and when a new deck is going in, one price for both makes the most sense. You see the tear-out and the new build in one plan with one total, so you can weigh composite against wood with the full number in front of you.
Want an old deck gone?
Your free quote starts from a few facts about the deck: its rough size and height, whether a pool sits beside it, and what you want there next, a new deck or just the yard back. A few photos, one of them from below, help more than a long description.
Call, or send the details through the form, and we'll call you back to plan the tear-out and the haul-off.