- Demolition day is usually the easy part. The weeks before it are where jobs get delayed.
- Utility disconnects have the longest lead time and are the single most common reason a start date moves.
- Everything here gets walked through on the estimate. Call (609) 290-3565 and we will tell you what applies to your property.
Utilities Come First
Nothing comes down until the services feeding it are properly disconnected. Gas, electric, water, and sewer all have to be dealt with, and each one is handled by a different party on a different timeline.
This is the item that moves start dates. Utility companies schedule disconnects on their own calendar, and some of them want weeks rather than days. If you are working toward a deadline, start here and work backward rather than assuming it slots in at the end.
Sewer usually needs capping rather than disconnecting, and that is often a separate trade. Ask early whether it is in your contractor's scope or yours, because it is the one that gets forgotten.
Permits And Paperwork
Demolition permits are issued by the municipality, and requirements vary from town to town. Some want utility disconnect confirmations in hand before they will issue. Some have additional review depending on the age of the structure or where it sits.
Older buildings may require testing before demolition can proceed. That is specialist work performed by a licensed party, not something a demolition crew self certifies, and it is worth knowing whether it applies to your property before you set a date.
We work through this process on the jobs we run, but the timeline belongs to the town rather than to us, and we would rather tell you that up front than explain it later.
Contents, Vehicles, And Access
The building should be empty before the machine arrives. Furniture, appliances, and household contents mixed into structural debris make the pile heavier, the disposal more complicated, and the job more expensive than it needed to be. If clearing it out is more than you want to take on, a cleanout is its own service and it is cheaper to do it properly than to bury it in the demolition.
Some things should not go in a debris pile at all: paint, solvents, fuel, propane tanks, batteries, and tires all have their own disposal paths. Set them aside rather than leaving them in a corner of the garage.
On the day itself, the practical stuff matters. Cars moved well clear, pets inside or elsewhere, gates unlocked, and a clear path for equipment and containers. If parking is tight or access runs past a neighbor, that is a conversation worth having before the morning rather than during it.