diff --git a/dvc/external_repo.py b/dvc/external_repo.py
index 874240bc7f..46657fc4d7 100644
--- a/dvc/external_repo.py
+++ b/dvc/external_repo.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 from dvc.config import NoRemoteError
 from dvc.exceptions import RemoteNotSpecifiedInExternalRepoError
-from dvc.utils import remove
+from dvc.utils.fs import remove
 
 
 REPO_CACHE = {}
diff --git a/dvc/remote/local.py b/dvc/remote/local.py
index 2145fc1701..bd20e91b55 100644
--- a/dvc/remote/local.py
+++ b/dvc/remote/local.py
@@ -26,13 +26,13 @@
 from dvc.utils import file_md5
 from dvc.utils import makedirs
 from dvc.utils import relpath
-from dvc.utils import remove
 from dvc.utils import tmp_fname
 from dvc.utils import walk_files
 from dvc.utils.compat import fspath_py35
 from dvc.utils.compat import open
 from dvc.utils.compat import str
 from dvc.utils.fs import move
+from dvc.utils.fs import remove
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
diff --git a/dvc/repo/destroy.py b/dvc/repo/destroy.py
index e5938e195a..0f92728541 100644
--- a/dvc/repo/destroy.py
+++ b/dvc/repo/destroy.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-from dvc.utils import remove
+from dvc.utils.fs import remove
 
 
 def destroy(self):
diff --git a/dvc/repo/get.py b/dvc/repo/get.py
index 0117006840..21d01ed7e7 100644
--- a/dvc/repo/get.py
+++ b/dvc/repo/get.py
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@
 from dvc.path_info import PathInfo
 from dvc.stage import Stage
 from dvc.state import StateNoop
-from dvc.utils import remove
 from dvc.utils import resolve_output
+from dvc.utils.fs import remove
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
diff --git a/dvc/repo/init.py b/dvc/repo/init.py
index fce49b7d7f..e06307e0a1 100644
--- a/dvc/repo/init.py
+++ b/dvc/repo/init.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 from dvc.scm import SCM
 from dvc.utils import boxify
 from dvc.utils import relpath
-from dvc.utils import remove
+from dvc.utils.fs import remove
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
diff --git a/dvc/state.py b/dvc/state.py
index a7d6f733df..6ef52a114a 100644
--- a/dvc/state.py
+++ b/dvc/state.py
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 from dvc.exceptions import DvcException
 from dvc.utils import current_timestamp
 from dvc.utils import relpath
-from dvc.utils import remove
 from dvc.utils import to_chunks
 from dvc.utils.compat import fspath_py35
 from dvc.utils.compat import is_py2
@@ -18,6 +17,7 @@
 from dvc.utils.compat import urlunparse
 from dvc.utils.fs import get_inode
 from dvc.utils.fs import get_mtime_and_size
+from dvc.utils.fs import remove
 
 
 SQLITE_MAX_VARIABLES_NUMBER = 999
diff --git a/dvc/utils/__init__.py b/dvc/utils/__init__.py
index 864c9e5f56..a318842115 100644
--- a/dvc/utils/__init__.py
+++ b/dvc/utils/__init__.py
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 import math
 import os
 import re
-import shutil
 import stat
 import sys
 import time
@@ -173,19 +172,6 @@ def _chmod(func, p, excinfo):
     func(p)
 
 
-def remove(path):
-    logger.debug("Removing '{}'".format(relpath(path)))
-
-    try:
-        if os.path.isdir(path):
-            shutil.rmtree(path, onerror=_chmod)
-        else:
-            _chmod(os.unlink, path, None)
-    except OSError as exc:
-        if exc.errno != errno.ENOENT:
-            raise
-
-
 def _split(list_to_split, chunk_size):
     return [
         list_to_split[i : i + chunk_size]
diff --git a/dvc/utils/fs.py b/dvc/utils/fs.py
index 76be6f9a0a..eff297693c 100644
--- a/dvc/utils/fs.py
+++ b/dvc/utils/fs.py
@@ -10,9 +10,11 @@
 
 from dvc.exceptions import DvcException
 from dvc.system import System
+from dvc.utils import _chmod
 from dvc.utils import dict_md5
 from dvc.utils import fspath
 from dvc.utils import fspath_py35
+from dvc.utils import relpath
 from dvc.utils import walk_files
 from dvc.utils.compat import str
 
@@ -103,3 +105,18 @@ def move(src, dst, mode=None):
         os.chmod(tmp, mode)
 
     shutil.move(tmp, dst)
+
+
+def remove(path):
+    path = fspath_py35(path)
+
+    logger.debug("Removing '{}'".format(relpath(path)))
+
+    try:
+        if os.path.isdir(path):
+            shutil.rmtree(path, onerror=_chmod)
+        else:
+            _chmod(os.unlink, path, None)
+    except OSError as exc:
+        if exc.errno != errno.ENOENT:
+            raise
diff --git a/tests/basic_env.py b/tests/basic_env.py
index ae80d60e5b..1fba67a550 100644
--- a/tests/basic_env.py
+++ b/tests/basic_env.py
@@ -13,9 +13,9 @@
 from git.exc import GitCommandNotFound
 
 from dvc.repo import Repo as DvcRepo
-from dvc.utils import remove
 from dvc.utils.compat import open
 from dvc.utils.compat import str
+from dvc.utils.fs import remove
 
 
 logger = logging.getLogger("dvc")
diff --git a/tests/unit/utils/test_fs.py b/tests/unit/utils/test_fs.py
index 32fa749a5b..a8faabb0c1 100644
--- a/tests/unit/utils/test_fs.py
+++ b/tests/unit/utils/test_fs.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 from dvc.utils.fs import get_inode
 from dvc.utils.fs import get_mtime_and_size
 from dvc.utils.fs import move
+from dvc.utils.fs import remove
 from tests.basic_env import TestDir
 from tests.utils import spy
 
@@ -152,3 +153,14 @@ def test_move(repo_dir):
     move(src_info, dest_info)
     assert not os.path.isfile(src_info.fspath)
     assert len(os.listdir(dest_info.fspath)) == 1
+
+
+def test_remove(repo_dir):
+    path = repo_dir.FOO
+    path_info = PathInfo(repo_dir.BAR)
+
+    remove(path)
+    assert not os.path.isfile(path)
+
+    remove(path_info)
+    assert not os.path.isfile(path_info.fspath)