Demolition Planning Guide for Owner-Builders

Demolition can involve approvals, hazardous materials, service disconnections, waste, licensed work, environmental controls, access, neighbouring property, and site-handover requirements.

This is a general research checklist for demolition. It cannot predict cost or timing and does not replace hazardous-material, engineering, approval, legal, environmental, or licensed-provider advice.

Step 1: Get an Asbestos Report

Older buildings may contain asbestos or other hazardous material. Confirm the assessment, notification, licensing, removal, monitoring, clearance, transport, and disposal requirements that apply before demolition.

Do not assume which products are affected or reuse another project's scope. Obtain a site-specific report and comparable written proposals that clearly separate each responsibility.

Step 2: Council Approval for Demolition

Confirm the current demolition approval pathway, consent conditions, utility disconnections, notifications, environmental controls, heritage or site constraints, and required certificates with the relevant authorities and certifier before work starts.

Do not assume one approval pathway or provider will be faster or cheaper. Confirm eligibility, scope, fees, evidence, notice, assessment, and current processing information for the property.

Depending on the pathway, documents to investigate may include:

• Hazardous-material or asbestos assessment where required
• Survey plan showing the existing dwelling
• Photos of the existing house from all angles
• Proof of ownership (title deed)
• Demolition plan from the demolition contractor
• Waste management plan
• Neighbour notification (varies by council)

Step 3: Disconnect Services

Confirm which electricity, gas, water, sewer, telecommunications, and stormwater services must be disconnected, abolished, protected, capped, relocated, or retained before work.

Each relevant provider has its own process, prerequisites, lead time, and fees. Obtain current property-specific information directly.

Step 4: Choose a Demolition Contractor

Demolition proposals can show different totals because their inclusions and risk allocation differ. Align the written scope before treating them as comparable.

What to check in a demolition quote:

• Does it include asbestos removal? (If separate, get a separate quote)
• Does it include skip bins and waste disposal?
• Does it include site levelling and compaction?
• Does it include tree and stump removal?
• Is there a per-day rate or a fixed price?
• Do they have appropriate insurance (public liability, workers comp)?
• Are they licensed for demolition work in your state?

Compare proposals line by line. A headline total is not useful unless hazardous-material work, disconnections, approvals, waste, trees, access, levelling, compaction, documentation, and handover are aligned.

Step 5: The Neighbour Factor

Neighbour concerns, property-protection duties, notification, access, dilapidation evidence, dust, vibration, noise, boundary issues, and authority responses are fact-specific. Keep records, follow the approval conditions and contract, use appropriate communication channels, and obtain advice rather than predicting whether a concern will affect the work.

Step 6: Demolition, Clearance and Handover

The active demolition work is only one part of the programme. Confirm the approved method, sequence, salvage, hazardous-material controls, services, public protection, monitoring, waste records, weather, working hours, inspections, clearance, site levels, compaction, survey, and required handover evidence.

Do not use another demolition's active-work duration as your programme. Provider availability, authority steps, material classification, site constraints, access, neighbours, services, disposal, testing, and acceptance can change both scope and timing.

Example Scope-Evidence Worksheet

This worksheet is a starting structure, not a complete demolition scope. Add the categories and evidence required for your property, approval pathway and contracts.