What junk removal and demolition costs on Long Island

What public data can and cannot tell you

No government agency publishes a price list for junk removal and demolition on Long Island, and vendor price ranges are not facts. What public data does show is what the labor costs, what the towns charge for permits, and what grants exist. The price for your job comes from licensed pros' written estimates after they see it.

What the trade earns on Long Island

Annual pay from the New York State Department of Labor, updated to the first quarter of 2026. Entry level is the average of the lowest third of wages; experienced is the average of the top two thirds.

What the towns charge

• Town of Hempstead: On its Chapter 86 fee printout dated July 31, 2018, the Town lists a $250 demolition permit fee for a one- or two-family house and $100 for other residential buildings or structures.
• City of Glen Cove: The City requires a permit for demolition and provides a Demolition Permit Form. Its fee schedule sets $250.00 for a demolition permit or for moving a building.
• City of Long Beach: The City Code sets a $300.00 demolition fee for a one- or two-family house, paid together with a $500.00 fee for permanently shutting off the water and sewer lines.
• City of Long Beach: The City requires a $2,000.00 debris bond, furnished to the building commissioner before a demolition permit issues, along with a $350.00 deposit.
• City of Long Beach: The City Code charges a $100.00 filing fee for a roll-off container permit, which expires four weeks after issue and can be extended another 30 days.
• Town of Babylon: The Town charges a $25.00 demolition application fee, a building permit fee based on the size of the demolition and a $20.00 letter of compliance fee, and holds a $200.00 certified check or money order until the demolition is successfully completed.
• Town of Riverhead: Riverhead charges $75.00 per structure up to 1,000 square feet and $110.00 per structure over 1,000 square feet to permit a demolition, and the permit expires after six months.
• Town of Southampton: Southampton's residential fee schedule prices demolition of a partial or whole structure at $.40 per square foot and demolition of non-roofed structures at $50 per item.
• Town of Southold: Southold's demolition fee is a $125 minimum plus $0.40 for each square foot of floor area.
• Town of Shelter Island: Shelter Island's 2022 fee schedule sets demolition permits at $80.00 for an accessory structure and $250.00 for a residential structure of up to 2,000 square feet.
• Town of Shelter Island: Shelter Island requires every commercial carter to hold a town license for commercial waste hauling, at $100 for one registered vehicle plus $10 for each additional vehicle.

What moves the price

Junk removal prices turn on the volume and the weight of what goes. Demolition prices turn on the size of the structure, the permit and disconnects, testing for materials like asbestos where required, and disposal.

How to compare estimates

• Give every company the same scope, in writing, so the prices compare.
• Check what each estimate includes: permits, disposal, patching, cleanup and warranties.
• Ask how changes are priced once work starts.
• Never pay most of the price up front.