How to Demolish a Small Mobile Home

Of course, this type of project is always best done with at least one partner to lessen the chance of injury, and demolition projects always require safety gear and proper planning.

1. Make sure that all the public utilities are shut off. All gas, electric and plumbing should be turned off and verified. If you cannot get verification that this has been done, then you must not proceed with the demolition. Once shut off, the utility companies will send out a technician to physically disconnect the services from the trailer. When you are positive this has been done, you can proceed with the demolition.

2. Clean out the mobile home completely. Remove from inside anything that isn’t nailed or screwed down, or things you might want to save like cabinets, sinks and toilets. This also involves tearing out the undersink plumbing, which will be basic PVC pipe and can literally be broken out with your sledge hammer, in both kitchen and bath areas.

3. Chop up the mobile home. Starting at approximately a quarter of the way down from either end of the trailer, use your reciprocating saw while standing on your ladder to cut through the shell, wall to wall, floor to ceiling. Make a complete cut until the piece is separated from the rest of the trailer.

4. Split up the two inner quarters. On the two inner quarters without ends, cut along the four seams, and separate the pieces with your sledgehammer.

5. Split up the end pieces. On the end quarters, cut along both floor seams and both ceiling seams, then literally cut out each end, top to bottom. Do this to all sides, and use your sledge to separate all the pieces. They will fall down into big cut-up squares.

6. Cut everything remaining down to size. Either cut up the rest of these pieces to fit in a dumpster or pack them on a trailer and take them to a scrapyard.