HAUSE / DEMOLITION & DECONSTRUCTION
Make room
for what’s next.
From a careful interior strip-out to a complete building removal. Understand the scope, ask the right questions, and start with a better plan.
Project guidance and requests through HAUSE.
Provider availability is confirmed for your location and scope.
THE RIGHT START FOR YOUR PROJECT
Different projects.
Different demolition.
A whole-house teardown, a kitchen renovation, and a concrete slab need different conversations. Start with the work you have in mind.
House demolition
Make room for the next chapter with a clear plan for the house, foundation, utilities and finished site. Understand the decisions that shape a residential demolition quote before committing to a start date.
Explore the scope
Interior demolition
Plan a kitchen, bathroom, basement or whole-home strip-out around what stays as carefully as what goes. Define removal depth, protect the surrounding home and prepare a clear handover for the renovation trades.
Explore the scope
Concrete removal
Prepare a clearer quote for a driveway, patio, path or garage slab. Identify the removal boundary, access and disposal assumptions, then agree how the ground and surrounding surfaces should be left.
Explore the scopeGarage demolition
Structures, services, slabs, and access.
Commercial strip-outs
Tenancies, retained services, and fit-out scope.
Deconstruction & salvage
Plan what can be recovered before removal.
Images illustrate project types and are not a portfolio of completed work.
PRECISION BEFORE DEMOLITION
The work starts before the first wall comes down.
The most useful demolition conversation covers the building you have, the space you want, and the decisions between the two.
Name the structure, services, and finishes that need to stay.
Materials, concealed conditions, approvals, and utility responsibilities deserve an answer before work starts.
Agree on debris, foundations, backfill, and who takes over next.
FROM FIRST IDEA TO SITE HANDOFF
See the whole project
before the work begins.
Explore six decisions to resolve with the people responsible for the project.
Define the boundary.
List the building, rooms, slabs, and finishes to remove. Just as clearly, name the walls, services, landscaping, and neighbouring property that must remain. A marked-up plan and clear photos make the same scope easier to price.
Ask: Does the quote include the foundation, slab, and final cleanup?
Read the project guideCheck the permission path.
Demolition, renovation, and redevelopment can follow different approval paths. Identify the authority for the property, who applies, and which approvals or conditions are still outstanding before agreeing on a start date.
Ask: Who is responsible for each application and its fees?
Read the project guideUnderstand what is there.
An assessment of the actual building helps identify materials requiring specialist attention. Keep survey findings and any required hazardous-material work in the demolition scope, with clear responsibility for unresolved areas.
Ask: What was assessed, and what has not yet been investigated?
Read the project guideConfirm every service.
Coordinate with the responsible utilities and trades. Physical disconnection, written signoff, and underground utility identification answer different questions; a vacant building or closed account does not settle them.
Ask: Who obtains and keeps each disconnection confirmation?
Read the project guidePlan the work around the site.
Access, adjacent buildings, retained spaces, and material streams affect how the contractor plans the job. Agree on protection, loading areas, permitted work hours, waste destinations, and how unforeseen conditions will be handled.
Ask: What access and protection are included in the quote?
Read the project guideAgree on the finish line.
Define the condition to be delivered: foundations or slabs retained or removed, debris cleared, and backfill or grading where included. Align the handoff with the next contractor and keep the agreed completion records.
Ask: What exactly does “site cleared” include?
Read the project guideA planning overview. Your contractor and qualified professionals determine the work sequence for the actual site.
CALGARY & ALBERTA / LOCAL GUIDANCE
Know the local starting points.
Approvals depend on the property and proposal. These official references help you ask a more specific question.
Outside Calgary? Check the authority responsible for your address.
Building removal and interior work follow different paths.
Calgary’s demolition guidance covers removing a building. Interior alterations may fall under renovation permits, and garages have their own exceptions.
Utility signoffs belong in the schedule.
The City’s disconnection form identifies the applicable water, electricity, and gas steps. Coordinate responsibilities before treating a removal date as confirmed.
Hazardous materials need their own review.
Alberta’s demolition rules address hazardous substances and stability. Have the actual property and affected materials assessed before disturbance.
UNDERSTAND YOUR QUOTE
The price only makes sense beside the scope.
Two quotes can describe very different finish lines. Make the inclusions, exclusions, and allowances visible before comparing totals.
| Cost driver | What to clarify |
|---|---|
| Removal boundary | Building only, or foundations, slabs, outbuildings, and finishes too? |
| Site access | Equipment access, protection, loading space, and neighbouring property. |
| Materials & services | Assessment, specialist work, utility disconnections, and unknown conditions. |
| Waste & transport | Sorting, hauling, receiving facilities, disposal charges, and load limits. |
| Final site condition | Debris clearance, backfill, grading, records, and the handoff to the next trade. |
Quote-planning checklist. Costs are project-specific; no market price is implied.
LESS GUESSWORK. BETTER QUESTIONS.
A few useful tools
for a big decision.
Work with your own measurements and quotes. Keep an editable brief for your next conversation.
Scope builder
Define what comes out, what stays, and what still needs an answer.
TOOL 02Material volume
Convert your area and thickness into solid material volume.
TOOL 03Container planner
Compare your loose debris volume with a usable container size.
TOOL 04Quote comparison
Compare entered amounts, allowances, exclusions, and credits.
THE DEMOLITION FIELD GUIDE
Get into the details.
Explore all 12 project guidesWhat to include in a demolition quote request
Define the removal area, retained features and finished condition so contractors can price the same project.
Hazardous materials: questions to resolve before demolition
Connect the assessment to the actual rooms and materials being disturbed, then establish who arranges specialist work and the next handover.
Demolition permits: find the right approval route
Whole-building removal, interior alterations and garage replacement can follow different approval paths. Check the address and scope before scheduling work.
Utility disconnections before demolition
Identify every relevant service, establish who arranges the disconnection and confirm what the demolition team needs before work starts.
Full or selective demolition: compare the project scope
Look at what each option removes, preserves and leaves for reconstruction before comparing its price or programme.
Plan salvage before materials leave the building
Choose what to recover, confirm a destination and price the careful handling separately from the general removal scope.
QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU START
A little clarity
goes a long way.
What does demolition cost?
The removal boundary, access, material assessment, utility work, waste, and final site condition all affect the price. Ask for an itemized quote and compare the same scope. Our quote tool compares the amounts you enter; it does not supply a market price.
Do I need a demolition permit in Calgary?
Calgary generally requires a demolition permit for full or partial building removal. Interior renovation work and some detached-garage projects follow different routes. Check the proposal against the City’s current requirements. Official guidance.
Can I keep part of the building?
Selective demolition is planned around what remains. Identify retained structure, rooms, finishes, and services, then have the appropriate professionals review the proposal. Do not assume a wall is non-structural from its appearance.
When should hazardous materials be assessed?
Before work disturbs the affected materials. Give the assessor the proposed removal scope and make sure the contractor receives the findings and any restrictions. A photo or building age alone cannot establish material identity. Official guidance.
Does sending a request book a contractor?
Your request goes to HAUSE intake for review. Service availability, the provider, timing, and pricing must be confirmed before you enter a project agreement.
What should I include in my first request?
Share the city, project type, approximate size and building age if known, what should remain, and your preferred timing. Mention any access limitations, plans, quotes, or material reports you already have. The scope builder helps organize those details.
YOUR NEXT CHAPTER STARTS HERE
What are you making room for?
Tell us what needs to come out, what you want to keep, and where the property is. HAUSE can review your request and confirm the available next steps.