Hiring a demolition contractor: what to ask first

Demolition quotes vary more than almost any other trade, and the reason is usually that they are not quoting the same job. These are the questions that make two quotes comparable.

1. Is debris removal included, or extra?

This is the big one, and it is where cheap quotes usually hide. Taking a structure down is fast; getting the resulting pile off the property is the slow, expensive part. A quote that covers only the teardown leaves you booking a second contractor, or with a dumpster in the driveway for a month. Ask explicitly, and get the answer in writing.

2. Who deals with utilities?

Gas, electric and water have to be disconnected properly before anything comes down. Ask whether the contractor arranges it or whether that is on you, and how far ahead it needs to happen - it is the single most common cause of a job slipping on day one.

3. What happens if there is asbestos?

Anything built before the 1980s might contain it, and it cannot be dealt with by a demolition crew. It needs a licensed abatement contractor first. A contractor who waves this away is not one to hire. The honest answer is that the job stops until it is surveyed and cleared.

4. Are permits needed, and who pulls them?

It depends on the structure and the jurisdiction. A shed usually needs nothing; a garage or a house usually does. What matters is that somebody has established which applies and has said so out loud before work is scheduled.

5. Can I see the site afterwards, not just before?

Before-and-after photographs of finished jobs tell you more than any description. What you are looking for is the state of the ground in the "after" - level, cleared and ready, or churned up with debris pressed into it.

Why we answer these the way we do

Hauling is our main line of work, so on our jobs the debris removal is the same crew and the same visit rather than a separate line item. That is not true of every contractor, which is exactly why question one is worth asking.