Demolition and Site Clearing
Demolition is the first scope on site and the one most likely to uncover something nobody planned for. Undocumented structures, unmarked utilities, buried tanks, unexpected materials.
We clear sites and remove existing improvements, and we document what we find while it is still visible.
The first scope on site is where surprises live
Every existing site has a history and almost none of it is fully documented. Foundations from a building removed decades ago, an abandoned septic system, a well nobody recorded, a utility that was cut but not capped. These come out of the ground during demolition and clearing, and how they are handled determines whether they become a change order, a schedule delay, or an environmental issue.
What we do
Hazardous material is a specialist scope
Asbestos, lead paint, and contaminated soil are handled by licensed abatement and environmental contractors, coordinated under our contract where the scope calls for it. What we will not do is discover suspect material and keep working. Work stops, it gets identified, and it gets handled correctly, which is both the legal position and the only defensible one.
Utility abandonment done properly
Cutting a line is not abandoning it. Services have to be disconnected at the source by the utility, capped to the applicable standard, and recorded. Lines abandoned casually turn into the unmarked utility that stops a crew on the next project, or the pathway that lets water travel where nobody expected.
Recycling and diversion
Most jurisdictions in Southern California require construction and demolition debris diversion, with documentation, as a permit condition. Concrete, asphalt, metals, and wood are separated and the tonnage recorded. The deposit does not come back without the paperwork.
Documenting what is uncovered
Anything encountered that differs from the documents gets photographed and measured on the day it is exposed, before it is removed. That is the only window in which the evidence exists, and it is the difference between a resolved condition and a disputed one.
Demolition capabilities
- Structure and foundation demolition
- Slab and pavement removal
- Clearing and grubbing
- Tree removal and protection
- Utility abandonment and capping
- Septic and well abandonment
- Tank removal coordination
- Abatement subcontractor management
- Material separation and recycling
- Debris hauling and disposal
- Diversion documentation
- Site securing and fencing
How we run this work
Every scope is bid against real quantities and built to the governing agency's standard.
Pre-demolition survey
A documented record of what exists before anything comes down, including conditions that differ from the plans.
Utility disconnect plan
Confirmation that every service is disconnected at the source before demolition begins, coordinated with each utility.
Abandonment record
What was capped, where, and to what standard, so the next project on this site is not guessing.
Diversion documentation
Tonnage by material with receipts, which is what releases the permit deposit.
Discovery record
Photographs and measurements of anything uncovered, taken the day it is exposed.
Clean, secured site
A cleared site at the agreed condition, fenced and secured for the next scope.
Questions we get on this scope
What happens if you find something unexpected?
Work stops in that area, it gets documented and identified, and we come to you with what it is and what the options cost before anything else happens. The expensive version is a crew deciding on their own to keep going.
Do you handle asbestos or contaminated soil?
Those are licensed specialist scopes performed by abatement and environmental contractors, coordinated under our contract where applicable. We do not perform them ourselves and we do not work through them.
Can you demolish next to occupied buildings?
Yes. Adjacent structure protection, monitoring, dust and noise control, and access maintenance are standard on infill demolition and they are a real part of the cost that a per square foot number will not capture.
Do you handle the demolition permit?
We pull the demolition permit where that is our scope, and we coordinate the utility disconnect confirmations most jurisdictions require before they will issue it. That confirmation step is a common source of delay and it starts earlier than people expect.
Get a bid on demolition and site clearing
Send us the plans, the specification, and the schedule you are working to. We will tell you whether we are the right contractor for it and what it will cost.
Send us the project
Tell us the site, the scope, and the deadline. Initial consultations carry no fee and no obligation.