Demolition & Teardowns
Most demolition jobs come down to three questions: how much will it cost, what about asbestos, and how long will it take? We answer all three before you sign, and we handle the permits, the abatement coordination, and the disposal so you’re not stitching three contractors together.
What we tear down
Houses and additions
Full residential demolition, including basement and slab removal.
Cottages
Including older builds with mixed-era materials and shoreline considerations.
Garages, sheds, and outbuildings
Standalone or as part of a larger project.
Demolition
01
Cottage Teardowns
Cottage teardowns are their own world. The structure may pre-date modern building codes, the access may be tight, the lot may be on a Conservation Authority register, and the new build is often waiting on the demolition to clear. We’ve done enough cottage work to know the questions to ask up front: What was the structure built with? Is there a septic system that ties to the building? Are there shoreline or watershed approvals needed? If you’re planning a teardown-and-rebuild, we usually quote the demolition and the new excavation together, same crew, same schedule.
02
Permits & approvals
Most municipal demolitions in Ontario require a demolition permit from the local building department. The application typically includes:
- Site plan or survey
- Structural drawings (sometimes)
- Disposal plan
- Designated Substance Survey (DSS) if the building is older
Townships also have specific requirements for site security, dust control, and traffic management during demo. We coordinate the permit with you or with your builder.
03
Asbestos, lead, and hazardous materials
Buildings built before the late 1980s, and many cottage structures from any era, can contain asbestos, lead-based paint, or other designated substances. Ontario law requires a Designated Substance Survey (DSS) before demolition of most pre-1990 structures. If a survey hasn’t been done, we’ll point you to a qualified surveyor. If asbestos or lead is found, we coordinate with certified abatement subs. Once the abatement is complete, we come in to handle the structural demolition and disposal.
04
Disposal & cleanup
Everything we tear down gets sorted on-site where possible:
- Wood and combustibles to disposal or chipped on-site if the lot allows.
- Concrete and masonry are hauled to a recycling yard.
- Metal to a metal recycler.
- General debris to a licensed disposal facility, we keep the receipts in case the township asks.
The site is left ready for the next stage of work.
Cost Factors
Building size and stories
Access
Tight lots, cottage roads, neighbours close by.
Construction era and materials
Pre-1990 buildings often need a DSS first.
Disposal volume
What’s coming out and where it’s going.
Asbestos or lead remediation
Handled by certified subs; quoted separately.
Whether excavation comes next
Bundling demo with the new excavation usually saves money.
More Services
Excavation
Foundation digs, basements, utility trenches, lot excavation.
Site Preparation
Land clearing, lot grading, stump removal, erosion control.
Demolition
House and cottage teardowns, concrete demolition, debris removal.
Septic Installation
Septic system installs and replacements, with permits handled.
Drainage
French drains, weeping tile, regrading, swales, culverts.
Trucking & Aggregate Delivery
Gravel, sand, topsoil, fill — by the load, on schedule.
Retaining Walls
Armour stone, boulder walls, and shoreline-safe walls.
- Waubaushene
- Tay Township
- Port Severn
- Midland
- Orillia
- Port Carling
- Parry Sound
- Tiny
- Springwater
- Elmvale
- Oro-Medonte
- Gravenhurst
- Rosseau
- Collingwood
- Bracebridge
- Huntsville
- Dwight
- Baysville
- Bala
- MacTier
Get a demolition quote
We’ll need the address, what’s being torn down, age of the building (roughly), whether you have a survey or a DSS, and your timeline.