The chemical reactions and pathways resulting in the breakdown of proteoglycan containing heparan sulfate, any member of a group of glycosaminoglycans that have repeat units consisting of alternating alpha-(1->4) linked hexuronic acid and glucosamine residues, the former being a mixture of sulfated and nonsulfated D-glucuronic and L-iduronic acids, and the latter being either sulfated or acetylated on its amino group as well as sulfated on one of its hydroxyl groups. [ https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=bn%3A0198506732 GOC:mah ]