Demolition (Demo)
Removal and disposal of existing flooring before new install can begin.
Demo is the removal of the existing flooring before new install. Common scenarios: pulling up carpet and pad, prying glued-down LVP off slab, demolishing tile, sanding old hardwood adhesive off subfloor.
Demo cost varies widely by what's coming up. Pull-up carpet runs $0.50-$1/sqft. Glued-down LVP runs $1-$2/sqft. Tile demo runs $2-$4/sqft. Disposal (haul-away and dump fees) is a separate line item — typically $200-$500 for a residential remodel dumpster.
Always quote demo and disposal as separate line items, even on a job where you're including them. The customer needs to see what they're paying for.