Demolition in Pretoria

For a demolition in Pretoria we send a 20–25 t excavator (R3,500–R5,600 a day with operator) or a TLB with a hydraulic breaker (R5,000–R6,550 a day with operator), each with an experienced operator, plus bobcats and tipper trucks to clear the rubble. Before any machine starts, the City of Tshwane must give written permission to demolish and get at least 10 days' notice, and a building older than 60 years also needs a heritage permit.

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Last updated 1 November 2026

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Demolition machines and prices in Pretoria

Every machine comes with an experienced operator or driver. Prices exclude VAT; transport is its own line.

Demolition machines in Pretoria, excl. VAT. Prices updated: November 2026
Machine	What it does on a demolition	Price
Excavator, 20–25 t	Pulls down walls and roofs, breaks slabs with a hydraulic breaker, sorts and loads rubble	R3,500–R5,600 a day
Excavator, 36–55 t	Bigger industrial structures and thick foundations	R6,500–R8,100 a day
TLB with hydraulic breaker	Single-storey houses, outbuildings, boundary walls, slabs and driveways	R5,000–R6,550 a day
Bobcat with breaker	Interiors, tight yards, shopfronts, loading in small spaces	R3,000–R3,600 a day
Tipper, 6 cube	Carting rubble to landfill or a crusher	R1,250–R1,900 a load
Tipper, 10 cube	Bigger volumes, all day	R3,700–R5,250 a day
Water truck, 8,000–12,000 litre	Dust control on bigger sites	R2,000–R2,300 a day
Heavy electric jackhammer	Hand breaking where no machine fits	R380–R610 a day, machine only

The excavator comes on a lowbed: Pretoria is one of the main centres we send machines from. Transport for an excavator there and back usually comes to R6,000–R9,500, shown as its own line on your quote. A breaker TLB drives to site.

Worked example: 3 days in Pretoria
Example quote (for illustration only)	Amount
20–25 t excavator, 3 days at R3,500–R5,600 a day with operator	R10,500–R16,800
Transport both ways to Pretoria	R6,000–R9,500
Example total, excl. VAT	R16,500–R26,300

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Demolition contractors in Pretoria: which machine for which job

An older house cleared for townhouses or a new build

The most common Pretoria demolition. A 20–25 t excavator takes down a single-storey brick house, breaks the slab and foundations, and loads the tippers, usually in two to four days. On a narrow stand where a lowbed can't park, a breaker TLB does the same job a little slower.

Outbuildings, boundary walls, pools and slabs

A breaker TLB for a day or two: it breaks the concrete, loads the rubble and levels the ground. A pool shell is broken up, the rubble hauled away, and the hole backfilled and compacted in layers so the ground doesn't settle later.

Interior strip-outs and shopfronts in the CBD

Inside buildings and on tight inner-city stands, a bobcat with a breaker and a jackhammer crew working into a tipper parked at the kerb. Parking the tipper in the street may need the City's permission to occupy the road.

Factories and sheds in Pretoria West and Rosslyn

Roof sheeting and steel come off first, often with a crane truck lowering the trusses; then a 36–55 t excavator (R6,500–R8,100 a day with operator) takes down walls and breaks thick floor slabs and machine bases.

Permits and rules for demolition in Pretoria

1. The City of Tshwane's written permission

Regulation E1 of the National Building Regulations: no one may demolish a building, or have it demolished, without the local authority's prior written permission. Tshwane can attach conditions for the safety, health and convenience of the public and for neighbouring buildings. Ask the City's building control office which form and documents it wants with your application, and apply before you book the machines.

2. At least 10 days' notice

Regulation A22: you must give the municipality notice of the date demolition starts, on its form, at least 10 days before, not counting Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Not giving notice is an offence. Book our machines for a date after the notice period ends.

3. Buildings older than 60 years

Section 34 of the National Heritage Resources Act: no one may alter or demolish any structure, or part of one, older than 60 years without a permit from the provincial heritage resources authority. In 2026 that catches anything built before about 1966, which includes much of Pretoria's older housing in suburbs such as Arcadia, Sunnyside, Brooklyn and Muckleneuk, and many buildings in the CBD. If the permit is refused, the authority must consider the place for formal heritage protection within three months. Check the date on the original building plans before you book a machine.

4. Asbestos survey first

Many Pretoria houses and factories of that age have asbestos-cement roofs, gutters, fascias or ceilings. Under the Asbestos Abatement Regulations, 2020 (GN R.1196):

a competent person records all asbestos in an inventory of asbestos in place (regulation 4);
the Department of Employment and Labour's provincial office (Chief Director: Provincial Operations) is notified in writing at least seven days before asbestos work starts (regulation 10);
a registered asbestos contractor removes it, an approved inspection authority checks the work, and an asbestos clearance certificate is issued afterwards (regulations 12, 13 and 22).

Our machines start once the clearance certificate is in hand.

5. On the day: supervision and services

Regulation 14 of the Construction Regulations, 2014: the contractor must appoint a competent person in writing to supervise and control all demolition work on site. Before we arrive, have the City disconnect and seal the water and electricity, and mark any gas, sewer and fibre lines. Tell the neighbours the dates and protect shared walls.

6. Dolomite in the south

In Centurion and the dolomite areas south of the city, water getting into the ground is what triggers sinkholes. Basements, pool shells and foundation holes are backfilled in compacted layers straight after the demolition, and broken water and sewer pipes are capped, not left leaking.

How long a Pretoria demolition takes, and what it costs

Typical machine time (examples; your quote is based on photos and floor area)
Job	Machines	Typical time	Machine cost, example
Boundary wall or outbuilding	Breaker TLB	1 day	R5,000–R6,550
Single-storey house, slab and foundations	20–25 t excavator	2–4 days	R10,500–R16,800 for 3 days
Same house, narrow stand	Breaker TLB	3–4 days	R15,000–R19,650 for 3 days
Rubble carting	6 cube tippers	Alongside the machine	R12,500–R19,000 for 10 loads

The paperwork takes longer than the machine work: the 10-day notice, the City's permission, the asbestos inventory and seven-day notification, and a heritage permit for old buildings. Start those first. Rubble volume and loads: tipper loads and cubes.

Before the machine arrives

Written permission from the City of Tshwane, and the 10-day notice given.
Heritage permit if the building is older than 60 years.
Asbestos inventory, and the clearance certificate if asbestos was removed.
Water and electricity disconnected; other services marked.
Access for a lowbed and tippers checked, and neighbours told.

The full method, permits and safety rules are in our demolition guide and on demolition. After the demolition: site clearing and earthworks. Every machine in the city: plant hire in Pretoria.

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Questions people ask

Do I need a permit to demolish a house in Pretoria?

Yes. Under regulation E1 of the National Building Regulations nobody may demolish a building without the local authority's prior written permission, which in Pretoria and Centurion means the City of Tshwane. Regulation A22 adds at least 10 days' notice of the start date, not counting weekends and public holidays. If any part of the building is older than 60 years, a heritage permit is also needed.

How much does it cost to demolish a house in Pretoria?

For a single-storey house, plan on two to four machine days plus the rubble carting. As an example, three days of a 20–25 t excavator are R10,500–R16,800, or three days of a breaker TLB R15,000–R19,650, before lowbed transport and tipper loads. Asbestos removal, landfill fees and the permits are separate. Send photos and the floor area for a written price.

Who removes asbestos before a demolition?

A registered asbestos contractor, before our machines start. A competent person first lists all asbestos in an inventory, the Department of Employment and Labour's provincial office is notified in writing at least seven days before the asbestos work, and an asbestos clearance certificate is issued when it's done.

Do you do demolitions in Centurion too?

Yes. Centurion is part of the City of Tshwane, so the same permission and notice apply. On dolomite stands, basements, pool shells and foundation holes left by the demolition are backfilled in compacted layers rather than left open to collect water. See plant hire in Centurion.

Need an excavator in Pretoria?

WhatsApp us the job, the town and the dates. We confirm the machine, the start date and the price in writing before the machine moves.

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