On Southern Vancouver Island, we’re surrounded by water on three sides. Much of the land that can be developed, has been. If you want to build a new home, purchasing a property with an existing structure and demolishing it is sometimes the best option.
What you need to know about house demolition in Victoria, BC
While the process of demolition is relatively simple, there are several things to consider before work can begin. These things can affect your timeline and the total cost of the project.
Permits
Before any work starts on your property, you need to have the proper permits in place from your municipality. The process, cost and wait time can vary depending on where you live and how busy the city is with applications.
Hazardous Materials
If your house contains asbestos, it may need to be removed before demolition can begin. Asbestos is likely present in homes built between the 1940s and the late 1970s. It can be present in flooring, insulation, drywall, roofing materials and more. You may or may not be required to have the asbestos removed prior to starting with a demolition. A good contractor can guide you through this process.
Demolition
Once your permits are in place and you’ve confirmed that any hazardous material has been dealt with according to local regulations, it’s time to get that old building down. Typically, house demolitions are completed using a 120-250 size excavator.
There’s a lot of empty space inside a typical house and they come down quicker than you may think, with an average demolition taking no more than a day or two. Generally, the demolition material is loaded into bins on site. When full, the bins are picked up and disposed of at a local dump. Once the demolition is complete you’ll be left with a raw piece of land to start building your new home.
Cost Factors
Every job and every site is different, and there are a number of things that can affect the cost of a residential demolition. Permits, as mentioned above, can sometimes take time to come through and cause costly delays to your project.
Asbestos removal can also get expensive. If your home was built prior to 1940 or after 1980, this likely will not be an issue.
Some other things that can affect the cost of demolition include the accessibility of the site for heavy equipment and trucks, the amount of concrete to be broken up and removed, trees and habitat protection areas and more.
If you’re considering a demolition project, it’s worth your time to talk to a contractor with experience knocking down homes in your area. Erdem Excavating has taken on a number of demolition projects in the Greater Victoria area from Sidney to Sooke. We have the experience and expertise to get the job done correctly, on-time and on-budget.
We don’t just demo houses. We can professionally demo barns, sheds, garages and more.
Contact us today for a free consultation on your demolition project.
