Demolishing a home is a good choice if it needs more repairs or renovations than you're willing to pay for, especially if you want to stay on the same lot. You can then have a new home built on that location, often using the same foundation as the old home. Whatever your needs for a residential demolition, note a few questions you might have about this work so you can ensure it gets done properly.

Do you need a permit for an interior demolition?

An interior demolition refers to tearing out the interior of the home, while leaving most or all of the framework intact. You typically need a permit for this job, since an interior demolition will affect the plumbing, electrical and other features of a home that need to be installed according to local building codes. You may also need a permit to ensure that the work is done safely and that the home's structure won't start crumbling and literally fall away during the demolition.

Why shouldn't a homeowner just tear down their own house?

You may hesitate at the idea of paying a demolition company to do what you assume is an easy job, but tearing down a house safely and easily may be more complicated than you realize. A home is meant to be very strong and solid and to withstand damage, so using a small bobcat or other such equipment may make the job very difficult, if not downright impossible. You may also find that demolition creates far more waste than you planned for, so you'll need to make additional arrangements to have the rubbish hauled away. In turn, the job may take much longer than it should, making it worth the cost of a professional demolition company.

Can a home on a small lot be demolished?

If your home is on a small and cramped lot, you can typically still have it demolished. A demolition company may do more of the work with handheld saws, sledgehammers, and jackhammers, but these tools can usually make quick work of the demolition, especially when the work is done by an experienced demolition expert. They may also work with more crews than usual, so that a roofing crew removes the roof by hand while another crew works through the interior demolition, and the like. If your lot is particularly small and the home close to neighbours, don't assume this means it cannot be demolished, but ask a demolition crew their recommendations for getting this job done.

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