Insights · Knockdown rebuild · Costs
Knockdown Rebuild Cost per Square Metre in Sydney (2026)
A square-metre rate is only useful if you know what it's measuring, and what it leaves out.
Every builder quotes a rate per square metre. Hardly anyone explains where it comes from. Here's the build-up the way an estimator does it, using the Rawlinsons Australian Construction Handbook, so you can sanity-check any knockdown rebuild quote that lands on your table.
Short answer
How much does a knockdown rebuild cost per square metre in Sydney?
Building the new house typically costs around $2,200 to $2,650 per m² for a medium standard finish in Sydney today, based on Rawlinsons rates brought forward from 2021. High-standard homes cost considerably more. Demolition, asbestos removal, tip fees, site works, driveways, landscaping and connections are extra. Demolishing a brick house was about $64 per m² in Rawlinsons' 2021 Sydney tables, before asbestos and tip fees.
Written and reviewed by Oliver Alameri
Licensed builder, NSW Contractor Licence 487805C · Founder, Buildana
Fact-checked
Where the numbers come from
Rawlinsons is the cost handbook quantity surveyors and estimators across Australia use. Its 2021 edition priced a medium-standard individual house of 150 to 350 square metres in Sydney at $1,815 to $1,955 per square metre for framed construction, $1,965 to $2,120 for brick veneer, and $2,050 to $2,210 for full brick.
Step up to a high standard finish, still without air conditioning, and brick veneer was $2,745 to $2,960. Prestige full brick with partial air conditioning was $3,625 to $3,905, and top-of-the-range work could run up to double that.
Those are 2021 rates. Construction costs have risen a lot since. Brought forward to today, a medium-standard home in Sydney sits around $2,200 to $2,650 per square metre, which is the band we price against before adjusting for the suburb.
- Medium framed, Sydney 2021: $1,815–$1,955/m²
- Medium brick veneer, Sydney 2021: $1,965–$2,120/m²
- Medium full brick, Sydney 2021: $2,050–$2,210/m²
- High brick veneer, Sydney 2021: $2,745–$2,960/m²
The measuring detail most people miss
Rawlinsons measures floor area between the inner faces of the external walls. Many builders and brochures quote area to the outside of the walls, which is bigger. The handbook says to reduce its rates by about 10% if you're measuring to the outer face.
So when comparing a quote's 'per square metre' with Rawlinsons, ask how the area was measured, and whether it includes the garage, alfresco and porch. A garage costs far less per square metre than a living room, and lumping it in makes the average look cheaper.
Two quotes at the same rate per square metre can be tens of thousands apart, depending on what's counted as a square metre.
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0476 300 300Demolition, tip fees and asbestos
Rawlinsons' 2021 Sydney rate to demolish a single or two-storey brick and tile house, including grubbing up footings, sealing off services and removing debris, was $63.70 per square metre. A timber-framed, timber-clad house with a metal roof was $53.10. On a 150 square metre brick house, that's roughly $9,500 before extras.
Those rates exclude asbestos and exclude tip fees. Rawlinsons listed Sydney tip fees for mixed demolition material at $360 to $370 a tonne in 2021, among the highest in the country. A house produces a lot of tonnes.
Asbestos is priced separately again. The handbook's Sydney partial demolition rates for stripping an asbestos cement roof were $33.10 a square metre, and $40.30 for asbestos ceiling linings, before any special containment. Licensed removal, air monitoring and clearance add to that.
What else sits outside the rate
The house rate covers the building. It doesn't cover the site. Budget separately for engineered footings on reactive clay or rock, retaining walls, stormwater systems, service connections, driveways, paths, fencing, landscaping, and council or infrastructure contributions.
It also excludes design, surveys, engineering, BASIX, approval fees and certifier fees, and any upgrades beyond the chosen standard. On a knockdown, add rent for the months your family lives elsewhere.
A worked example
Illustrative only. A 150 square metre brick house comes down: about $9,500 at the 2021 demolition rate, plus tip fees, plus asbestos removal if it's there. Then a new 240 square metre medium-standard home goes up at $2,200 to $2,650 per square metre: $528,000 to $636,000.
Add site costs, external works and connections, which vary hugely between lots, plus fees and contributions. That's why two knockdown rebuilds of the same size can differ by $100,000 or more.
A proper quote comes after a site visit, a survey and a soil test. Anything sooner is a guess.
Comparing knockdown rebuild quotes
Ask every builder these before comparing rates.
- 01
How is floor area measured: inner face or outer face?
- 02
Are the garage, alfresco and porch counted in the rate?
- 03
What finish standard does the rate assume?
- 04
Is demolition priced, including tip fees?
- 05
Is asbestos surveyed and priced, not left as a provisional sum?
- 06
Which site works, connections and fees are excluded?
Knockdown rebuild cost questions
How much does demolition cost in Sydney?
Rawlinsons' 2021 Sydney rate was $63.70 per m² for a brick and tile house and $53.10 for a timber-framed one, excluding asbestos and tip fees. Current prices are higher.
Is double-storey cheaper per square metre than single-storey?
Often slightly, because the roof and slab are shared over more floor area. The difference is usually small and depends on the design and site.
Why do knockdown rebuild quotes vary so much?
Different floor area measurements, finish standards, and what's included for demolition, asbestos, site works and external works. Compare scope line by line, not just the rate.
Is the garage counted in the rate per square metre?
Only if the quote says so. Rawlinsons rates are for the house itself. Garages, alfrescos and porches cost less per m², so including them lowers the average and flatters the rate.
Sources and references
Costs are from the Rawlinsons handbook with the local cost index applied; rules and timeframes are checked against the sources below.
Start with a rate you understand.
Rawlinsons-based pricing for your knockdown rebuild, with every exclusion shown.