Demolition near you

The type of demolition sets the permit, the crew, the equipment and the precautions, so describe exactly what should come out and what must stay, with photos and any plans you have.

Taking down a house, a garage or any part of a building's structure generally requires a municipal demolition permit, and cities often add rules on heritage buildings, trees and notice to neighbours. In Toronto, for example, an application for a residential demolition permit with a replacement building includes a survey or grading plan showing the existing house, the property lines and the lot area, along with forms such as an infill public notice declaration, the owner's acknowledgement of demolition control conditions, a municipal road damage form and a tree declaration.

In Quebec, demolition is governed by each municipality's bylaws, and older or heritage buildings may face a more detailed review before a permit is issued. An interior strip-out may be covered by the renovation permit rather than a separate demolition permit. Your city's permit office can tell you which applies; start early, and agree in writing on who files the application.

Gas, electricity, water and telecommunications have to be shut off and disconnected before a building, or part of one, comes down. That work belongs to the utilities themselves or to licensed trades working with them, not to the demolition crew and never to the homeowner. For a full demolition, contact each utility early, since removing a meter or cutting a service at the property line has to be scheduled, and get written confirmation of each disconnection before work starts. For an interior strip-out, a licensed electrician and plumber make the affected circuits and pipes safe, and a qualified gas technician caps any gas line, before the crew begins.

Health Canada lists siding, cement and plaster, floor and ceiling tiles, roofing products, paint, putty, drywall, caulking, sealants, spackling and insulation, including around hot water pipes and tanks, among the materials in older homes that may contain asbestos. It poses no significant health risk when left undisturbed in materials in good condition, but demolition disturbs everything. Health Canada advises having a professional test for asbestos before renovating and hiring a qualified asbestos removal specialist to remove it if it's found. In practice, that means a survey of suspect materials before any demolition, and removal by specialists before the general crew starts. In Quebec, construction sites where asbestos may be disturbed also fall under the CNESST's workplace safety requirements, so ask the contractor how it meets them.

Lead is the other common hazard. Health Canada says a home built before 1960 probably contains lead-based paint, and one built between 1960 and 1990 may have it on the exterior. Sanders, heat guns and torches turn it into toxic dust and fumes, and even small amounts of lead dust are dangerous to infants and children, so keep children away from the site and ask how the crew will contain and clean up dust. None of this is do-it-yourself work.

Removing or cutting into a load-bearing wall, a beam, a post, floor joists, a chimney or part of a foundation changes how loads travel through the house. That calls for a structural engineer's design, which specifies the new beam or support, the temporary shoring during the work and how loads will reach the foundation, and stamped drawings are often needed for the permit. Don't assume a wall isn't structural because it looks thin or runs a certain way; only a qualified professional can confirm it.

Demolition produces large amounts of mixed waste, and sorting it on site is what allows much of it to be reused or recycled. Metal, clean wood, concrete, brick and asphalt shingles have recycling outlets in many regions, while drywall, insulation and mixed debris often go to sorting centres or disposal. Hazardous materials are kept apart and go only to facilities authorized to take them; Montreal's drop-off centres, for example, accept construction, renovation and demolition debris from residents but refuse asbestos.

Removing a foundation, a slab, a pool or a buried oil tank, or digging for a new foundation, means excavating near gas, electrical, water and telecom lines. In Quebec, the Régie du bâtiment du Québec asks contractors to submit a free locate request to Info-Excavation at least 4 business days before excavation begins. In Ontario, a locate through Ontario One Call is free and required by law, and should be requested at least 5 business days before digging. These services don't mark private lines, such as power to a detached garage or a gas line to an outdoor heater, so point out any you know about.