Gut-outs for remodels
Independence Demolition Pros: Interior Demolition in Independence, Missouri
Kitchens, bathrooms, basements and whole houses stripped to the studs, with plaster, cabinets, flooring and fixtures hauled and the shell left clean for the next trade.
- Independence and 10 towns within 20 miles
- Written price before any work starts
- City permit, utility and asbestos steps explained
- Local, licensed, insured contractors
Independence Demolition Pros connects Independence owners and remodelers with local contractors for interior demolition, the gut-out that comes before a kitchen, a bathroom, a basement finish or a whole-house renovation. In a city where the median house is from 1967 and the older streets run back to the 1910s, that means lath and plaster, nine-inch floor tile, knob-and-tube wiring and lead paint, all of which change how the job is done.
Having a handyman "just tear it out" for $500 before the asbestos test on a 1960s kitchen can turn into a contaminated house that costs $2,000 or more to clean; the inspection first costs a few hundred dollars and settles the question.
What it costs
$1,067 to $5,057
The published national range for interior demolition (HomeAdvisor), about $2 to $7 per square foot. A kitchen alone runs $500 to $3,000 and a bathroom $1,000 to $2,300. Plaster and lath, a full basement, and asbestos or lead handling add to the number.
Calls answered Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Jobs that start with a gut-out
- A kitchen or bath remodel that is moving walls, plumbing or the layout
- A water or sewer backup that soaked drywall, insulation and flooring
- A flip or rental turnover where everything inside is being replaced
- A basement finish that needs the old paneling, drop ceiling and carpet out first
- Smoke damage or a heavy odor that has soaked into the finishes
- Mold behind the walls that a remediator has already identified
What comes out and what stays
Interior demolition is selective. The crews we work with remove drywall or plaster and lath, cabinets, countertops, fixtures, flooring, trim, drop ceilings and non-structural partitions, and they leave the framing, the subfloor where it is sound, and anything the remodeler wants kept. Plumbing and electrical are cut back and capped by the appropriate trade, not torn out. Debris goes to a roll-off in the drive; a dumpster alone runs about $360.
- Size
- $2 to $7 per square foot; kitchen $500 to $3,000; bathroom $1,000 to $2,300
- Hazards
- Asbestos tile and mastic, lead paint on pre-1978 trim
- Permit
- Usually part of the remodel permit; ask the City when walls move
Lead paint, asbestos tile and plaster dust
Houses built before 1978 are presumed to have lead paint on the trim and windows, and the federal lead-safe work rules apply to anyone paid to disturb it. Nine-inch floor tile and the black mastic under it, textured ceilings and pipe insulation in 1950s and 1960s houses are the usual asbestos positives, and Missouri rules put a licensed inspector through the materials before they are disturbed. The asbestos page covers the sampling; the short version is test first, then demolish.
Remodel waiting on a clean shell?
Say which rooms, roughly how many square feet, and when the house was built. A local contractor prices the gut-out, the hauling and any testing in writing.
Call (816) 846-2347Plaster and lath houses
The 1910s to 1930s houses of Englewood, Procter, Mount Washington and Fairmount are plaster on wood lath. It comes off in heavy sheets, weighs far more than drywall, and generates fine dust that gets into every room, so the crews we work with seal doorways, run negative air where needed, and budget for the extra tonnage. Knob-and-tube wiring behind the plaster is left for the electrician, not pulled.
Interior demolition in the towns around Independence
The same gut-out in Raytown or Gladstone, both full of 1950s ranches, runs into the same tile and mastic. When a remodel turns into a teardown, the house demolition page explains the difference in permits and price.
Interior Demolition available in
Frequently asked questions
What owners ask before a teardown
How much does interior demolition cost in Independence?
The published national range is $1,067 to $5,057, about $2 to $7 per square foot. A kitchen runs $500 to $3,000 and a bathroom $1,000 to $2,300. Plaster and hazardous materials add to it.
Do I need a permit for interior demolition?
When walls, plumbing or wiring move, the City of Independence treats it as part of the remodel permit. A cosmetic strip-out of cabinets and flooring usually does not need one, but ask before the dumpster arrives.
What are the signs the interior needs a full gut rather than a partial one?
Water or sewage that reached insulation and subfloor, mold behind the walls, smoke that has soaked the finishes, or a layout change that touches most of the rooms.
Does a 1960s kitchen need an asbestos test before demolition?
It should be tested. Nine-inch floor tile, the mastic under it and textured ceilings from that era are common positives, and Missouri rules require a licensed inspector before the materials are disturbed.
How long does a gut-out take?
A kitchen or bath is usually a day or two. A whole plaster-and-lath house is a week or more, with the extra tonnage and dust control built into the quote.