Demolition in a flat or house: how to order it with debris removal
What demolition covers and what must not be broken
Demolition work means taking down partitions, removing tiles, plaster and screed, taking apart floors, ceilings, windows and doors, bathroom units or whole structures. Diamond cutting and strengthening of openings in concrete and reinforced concrete is a separate job.
An important point: load-bearing walls and frame elements must not be removed, and openings in them must not be widened, without a design and approval. If you're not sure what kind of wall you have, first consult a structural engineer, and in your request write “load-bearing / non-load-bearing / don't know”.
What to put in your request
- What to demolish — partitions, tiles, screed, flooring, ceiling, old doors and windows.
- Quantity — m² of walls or flooring, number of openings.
- Material of the structures — brick, AAC block, drywall, reinforced concrete, and the thickness.
- Debris removal — needed, or you will take it away yourself.
- Site — floor, whether there is a lift, whether things must be carried out by hand.
- Timing and budget.
Example: “Toronto, a flat on the 5th floor with no lift. I need the tiles removed in the bathroom and kitchen and two brick partitions taken down (about 400 sq ft of wall). Debris to be taken away. To be done by the end of the month, budget up to $340.”
How to find a crew on BlaBlaPrice
You write one request on the home page. Crews and tradesmen in your city reply in chat: what they do, what it costs, how soon they can start. Each crew can see where its offer stands and can change its terms, so it competes for your request. Your phone number stays hidden until you choose a provider. Details are on the page How it works.
How to compare offers
The main question is whether the debris is counted. Demolition produces a lot of heavy waste, and it has to be carried out, loaded and taken away. Without a lift that is a job in itself, often priced per floor or by weight. Also look at:
- whether the price includes protecting floors, doors, the lift and neighbouring rooms from dust;
- how they handle concrete: hammer drill, diamond cutting, dust extraction;
- when the crew may work: housing societies have quiet hours and rules for noisy work;
- whether they have experience of similar jobs.
Common mistakes
Most often people forget about removal: the wall comes down, but the debris stays in the flat and on the stairs. The second mistake is not agreeing the time of work with the neighbours and the housing society, and not checking whether pipes or cables run inside the wall. The third is to break things down before the design for the new layout is ready.
After demolition you usually need finishing work or turnkey renovation. For a change of layout see design and planning.
