How do I prepare my house for demolition?

Clear the house

Remove furniture, personal items and anything you want to salvage, such as light fixtures, doors or hardwood. Items left behind become demolition debris. Things like paint cans, propane tanks and batteries need to go to a York Region hazardous waste depot, not into the demolition load.

Disconnect the utilities

Contact each provider well ahead, since bookings can take time:

• Enbridge Gas to disconnect and remove the gas meter
• Alectra to disconnect electricity
• The City to arrange water and sewer capping
• Phone, cable and internet providers to remove their lines

Survey and permit

Arrange a professional assessment of suspect materials. Where OHSA applies, section 30 requires the owner to identify designated substances and share the information with prospective contractors. If asbestos is found, schedule abatement under O. Reg. 278/05. Prepare the demolition application using the City's current checklist and coordinate utility appointments alongside it. Read more in what the City requires before demolishing a house.

Trees, neighbours and insurance

Arrange tree protection hoarding if you have protected trees, and get City permits for any that must be removed. Tell your neighbours the dates. Call your home insurer, because coverage on a house that is about to be demolished changes, and your builder's insurance may take over.

Paperwork to keep

Keep copies of the survey, abatement clearance, every utility confirmation, tree permits and the demolition permit together. Your builder, your insurer and the City may each ask for some of them later, and having them in one place saves time when the building permit stage arrives.

A simple timeline

Every project is different, but the order usually looks like this:

• Book the site visit and get a written scope
• Arrange the Designated Substance Survey
• Request utility disconnections
• Schedule any asbestos abatement
• Apply for tree permits and install hoarding
• Apply for the demolition permit
• Empty the house and notify neighbours

Common delays and how to avoid them

Utility appointments, incomplete application information and late discovery of hazardous materials can affect the schedule. Start provider coordination and the required survey early, and check the City's current application requirements rather than assuming one utility-letter sequence. Protected trees can also require review and hoarding before work starts. These steps reduce avoidable uncertainty without guaranteeing a completion date.

Keeping everything in one folder, with copies of each confirmation, makes the permit application quicker and gives your contractor what they need.

What this business does about it

We give you a checklist at the site visit showing which of these steps apply to your lot and in what order. Once they are done, our crew handles the residential demolition, and any leftover contents or yard material can go with junk and debris removal. Request a free estimate to get started.