What deck removal costs in the Twin Cities
Most backyard decks in the Twin Cities land between $900 and $3,400 to tear down and haul off. Size, height, composite vs wood, and whether a trailer can reach the yard do more than any 'per square foot' headline.
Typical 2026 ranges
Ground-level wood decks usually run about $6–$9 per square foot, with a floor around $750 for small platforms. A 220 sq ft patio-level deck is often $1,250–$1,950.
Elevated decks cost more — roughly $8–$11 per square foot — because every board comes down a story, and stairs are extra debris. A 280 sq ft second-story deck with stairs commonly lands $2,200–$3,400.
Those numbers include tear-down, haul-away, and a raked site. Deck piers and pads stay in the ground — we don't demo concrete.
What actually moves the price
Square footage is the starting line, not the finish. Stairs add $225–$475. Composite and PVC are heavier than treated lumber, so dump fees jump 12–20%.
Tight access is the sleeper cost in Edina, south Minneapolis, and lake-town lots. If the trailer cannot sit next to the deck, every board is carried. That is a 15–25% adder, not a rounding error.
Attached ledgers, hidden rot at the house, and buried hardware slow the job. Photos catch most of it. A five-minute walkthrough catches the rest.
DIY dumpster vs hiring it out
A 20-yard dumpster in the metro is often $400–$650 plus overweight fees. Then you still need two weekends, a reciprocating saw, and a way to get heavy, nail-filled lumber into the box without wrecking the lawn.
We show up with the truck and dump trailer, take it apart, and leave. You don't rent equipment, you don't make dump runs, and you don't store a rotting pile until Saturday.
How to get a real number tonight
Use the ballpark estimator on this site, then text 1–3 photos to (651) 245-6285. Include one wide shot of the whole deck, one of the stairs, and one of the side-yard access. Most quotes go out the same evening.
We work after 4 and on weekends, based in Minnetonka, across the Twin Cities and farther when the job is a real teardown.
Questions
Most Minneapolis and inner-ring decks fall in the $900–$3,400 range for full tear-down and haul-away. Tight lots and elevated structures sit at the high end. Photos lock the number.
Winter doesn't change the structure price. We still run jobs when access is safe. Frozen ground is why we leave piers in place.
No. We leave deck piers and pads. A concrete contractor can take those. We tear the wood down and haul it off.