Frequently Asked Questions

Ask each bidder to put the scope in writing: what comes down, whether the foundation and driveway go, what fill and grading are included, and who handles the permit, rodent letter, sewer plug and tree protection. Ask how they handle asbestos and lead paint on an older house. A clear, itemized estimate is easier to compare than a single number.

Yes. Smaller jobs like a shed, a detached garage, a backyard pool or a cracked driveway are a big share of our work. They use smaller equipment and fewer truckloads, and many do not need the full set of teardown paperwork, though we still check what your city or county requires.

Yes. The City of Atlanta requires a demolition permit, and its procedures sheet calls for a rodent letter, a plumbing permit to plug the sewer, and site plans with erosion control reviewed by several departments including the arborist. Suburban cities and unincorporated areas have their own versions, so we check the rules for your address.

Gas, electric and water service have to be disconnected by the providers before a building comes down, and the sewer is plugged under a plumbing permit in the City of Atlanta. We give you the list and the order, and we request Georgia 811 locates before digging out foundations or driveways.

It is wise on any older house, and it is often required. Georgia EPD says homes with four or fewer units are exempt from its demolition notification rule unless part of a larger project, but if asbestos is being removed, the City of Atlanta will not issue the permit until it sees the EPD notification. A survey up front tells you whether abatement belongs in the budget.

HomeAdvisor's national guide puts house demolition at $4 to $17 a square foot, with most jobs between $6,000 and $25,000. Fixr lists $7,500 to $15,000 for a 1,500-square-foot house with a slab. Basements, asbestos, tight access and tree protection push the number up. The written estimate after our walk-through is your price.

Not without extra review. A City of Atlanta information sheet on historic districts says owners in designated districts who seek a demolition permit are sent to the Urban Design Commission for a Certificate of Appropriateness. Expect that review to add time, and check with the neighborhood association early.

Atlanta protects trees 6 inches and larger in diameter, and removing one needs a permit and usually a recompense payment. Trees you are keeping get protective fencing, and we keep heavy equipment and debris piles out of their root zones.

The demolition itself usually takes a few days for a typical house, with another day or two for foundation removal and grading. The permit process takes longer, especially when arborist review, historic review or asbestos abatement is involved, so we plan around that timeline.

In the City of Atlanta, yes. The demolition permit procedures require a current rodent letter on an exterminating company's letterhead confirming the property was treated, so rodents do not move into neighboring homes when the house comes down.

Often, yes. If the new plan reuses the driveway or a garage slab, we leave it in place and protect it during demolition. We note what stays on the estimate so there is no confusion on demo day.

Trees that need to come out are part of the arborist review on the site plan, and trees 6 inches and larger in diameter need a permit in Atlanta. We plan the work around the trees that stay and coordinate removals with the permit.

The structure and foundation are gone, holes are backfilled and compacted, and the lot is rough-graded. If you want it seeded and strawed or left ready for a builder's footings, we note that on the estimate.

If it is a non-bearing wall, yes, usually in a day. If it carries floor or roof load, it needs a designed beam and a permit first, and we leave it standing until that is in place. We can usually tell which you have on the walk-through, and we will say when an engineer should confirm.

It depends on the work. Removing finishes for a remodel is often covered under the remodel's building permit, while structural changes always need one. We check with your city or county and with your contractor so the demolition fits the permitted plan.

Some dust is unavoidable, but we keep it in the work area with plastic sheeting and zip doors, cover the path to the exit and clean daily. On pre-1978 homes we use lead-safe practices where painted surfaces are disturbed.

Yes. Tell us before we start and we will remove them carefully and set them aside or load them for donation. Cabinets glued or built in place do not always come out intact, and we will tell you if that is the case.

A typical residential driveway is usually broken out and hauled in a day or two, depending on size, thickness and reinforcement. Access for trucks and how far the concrete has to be carried also affect the schedule.

Yes. We saw-cut a straight line where the old concrete will stay, so the edge is clean for the new pour, and remove only the damaged section or the area being widened.

Removing a private patio or walk often does not need one, but driveway aprons that connect to a public street, and work in the right-of-way, usually do. We check with your city or county before we start.

Not by us. We remove the old concrete and leave the ground graded and ready. If your concrete contractor is scheduled right after, we coordinate so the base and grade are what they need.

Partial removal costs less and works well if the spot will be lawn or garden. Full removal costs more but leaves nothing buried, which matters if you may build there later or want a cleaner disclosure when you sell. Vinyl and fiberglass pools are usually removed fully.

Most inground pool removals take a few days from draining to final grade, depending on size, access and whether it is a partial or full removal. Aboveground pools are usually done in a few hours.

Not if the fill is placed in layers and compacted, with drainage holes through the old floor on a partial removal. Loose fill dumped in all at once is what causes settling, especially in Atlanta clay.

Yes. We finish with topsoil suitable for sod or seed and grade it to drain. Trees and large shrubs are better kept away from the old shell on a partial removal.

Usually, yes. Most cities and counties in metro Atlanta treat a garage as a building that needs a demolition permit, and a structure with electrical service needs a safe disconnect. Small sheds may not need one. We check the rules for your address.

A small shed is often gone in a few hours. A detached garage usually takes a day, plus time for the slab if it is coming out.

If the slab is level, uncracked and thick enough for the new building, yes. If it is cracked or sinking, building on it will carry those problems into the new structure, and we will recommend removal.

Often. Steel buildings and carports can be recycled, which reduces hauling cost. We account for that on the estimate.

In practice, yes. Georgia EPD treats all commercial demolition as subject to its asbestos rules regardless of how much material is present, and requires written notification ten working days before work starts. A survey tells you whether abatement is needed first.

Plan for the EPD ten-working-day notice, plus survey and permit review time. The actual demolition of a small building is often a matter of days; the paperwork is what sets the start date.

Yes. We work within the hours and access the landlord allows, contain dust and protect shared systems such as sprinklers and alarms.

If they are part of the scope, yes. We remove slabs, foundations, curbs and paving and leave the site graded for the next phase.