Permits, asbestos, utilities, timelines

Yes. Demolishing a building in Ottawa requires a City demolition permit. The application includes a Demolition Permit Clearances form showing the utilities have been dealt with, plus a site plan or survey. We give you the checklist and track it with you.

Under the City’s 2026 building fee schedule, the base fee is $117 for the first 5,000 sq ft of floor area, plus $12.75 for each additional 1,000 sq ft. Properties under the Demolition Control By-law pay $1,170, and heritage-designated properties pay $3,510. Starting demolition before the permit is issued adds a 50% surcharge. Fees change each January, so confirm with the City.

A strip-out on its own usually does not need a demolition permit, but the renovation that follows often needs a building permit, especially if walls, plumbing, ductwork or structure change. If yours does, apply before we start so the inspector can see the open walls.

Sheds under 15 m² do not need a building permit to build, but demolishing a building generally does need a permit. For small sheds, confirm with the City. We will tell you what we know about your structure when we quote.

We guide you through it and prepare the checklist. Permit applications are made by or on behalf of the owner, and we can discuss filing on your behalf with your written authorisation.

No. We do not remove, disturb or haul asbestos or other designated substances. When a building needs it, a licensed abatement contractor removes it first, and we start once you have their clearance letter. We would rather lose a job than cut corners on this.

Asbestos was common in Ontario building materials until around 1990. Under Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act, the owner has to identify designated substances and give that list to contractors before a contract is signed. For a pre-1990 or unknown-age building, that means a designated-substances survey (DSS) before demolition.

Vermiculite attic insulation, textured or popcorn ceilings, some plasters, 9×9 vinyl floor tiles and their adhesive, pipe and boiler insulation, cement (transite) siding and some older shingles. Do not disturb these before testing.

Yes. We quote after the site visit and mark the quote as conditional on the survey and, if needed, completed abatement. That way you can line up the order of work and know your demolition cost early.

A qualified environmental consultant does the survey, and a licensed abatement contractor does the removal. We can point you to firms we know; you hire them directly so the paperwork is in your name.

Gas (Enbridge), hydro (Hydro Ottawa), water and sewer (City of Ottawa), plus telephone, cable and internet drops. Oil tanks, wells and septic systems need their own attention. The City wants clearance letters with the demolition permit application.

Enbridge gas disconnects take about 44 days from payment, so request that one first. Hydro Ottawa asks for the request three to four weeks ahead. Water and sewer capping is arranged with the City, and a sewer disconnection fee may apply.

The property owner, because the utilities deal with the account holder. We give you the list, the order to call and what to ask for, and we keep track of the dates.

Not the whole house. Your electrician makes the circuits in the work area safe and your plumber caps lines that are coming out. We do not cut or disconnect live services.

Before any ground work we request Ontario One Call locates. They are free and take about five business days.

Plan on six to eight weeks from first call to demolition day, mostly for permits and the gas disconnect. The demolition itself usually takes one to three days, plus foundation removal and backfill if included.

A kitchen or bathroom is usually one day. A full basement is two to three days. A full house gut is typically three to seven working days.

Junk removal and small demolition jobs can often be scheduled within a few days. Larger jobs depend on permits, surveys and disconnects, which we map out with you at the start.

Yes. Interior demolition, guts, house demolition, shed and garage removal and junk removal all run through the winter. Exterior concrete, asphalt and deck footings are scheduled April to November.

Demolition is always quoted on site. Book a site visit and we walk the job with you, looking at what is coming out, the size, the age of the building and access. Junk removal is the exception: text us photos and we send a price back. Every quote is written, with the scope and exclusions spelled out.

Yes. Text us a few photos of what is going, roughly how much, and your neighbourhood. We send a price back and confirm it on site before anything is loaded.

When we leave, the debris is gone, the work area is swept and vacuumed, and outside the nails have been picked up with a magnet sweeper. The next crew, whether framers, plumbers or a builder, can get straight to work.

To licensed sorting and recycling facilities. Metal goes to scrap recycling, clean concrete and asphalt to clean-fill recycling, and usable items to donation when you ask. Weigh tickets are available on request.