How We Work: From First Call to Cleared Site
Every demolition is priced from a site visit rather than from a rate card, because access and attachment to neighbouring structures change the method rather than just the effort. The visit takes 30 to 45 minutes on a house. What follows is the written quote, the permit application, and a programme built around the two things that take longest.
Free site visit and written quote anywhere in greater Cape Town.
The site visit
Nothing is quoted from a photograph or a phone call. Seven things are established on site, and each of them changes the price or the programme.
- Structure type and storeys — masonry, concrete frame, steel frame or timber.
- Machine access — measured, not estimated. The largest single cost factor on any demolition.
- Attachment — free-standing, close to a boundary, or sharing a party wall.
- Age — a structure over 60 years old brings a second approval process into the programme.
- Services — where they enter, and whether disconnection has been requested.
- Suspect materials — particularly fibre-cement roof sheeting.
- Recoverable material — what is worth taking out by hand before the machine starts.
What the quote itemises
A demolition quote that is a single figure hides the decisions that matter. Each line below is stated separately so it can be checked, questioned or changed.
| Line | Why it is separate |
|---|---|
| Strip depth | Above ground, to slab or to footings changes both price and what you can build afterwards |
| Permit application | Included, with the waste management plan prepared |
| Service disconnection coordination | Runs on the supply authority's timeline, so it is flagged rather than promised |
| Demolition and load-out | Method and plant stated, so the approach is visible |
| Disposal, by stream | Named licensed facilities, so lawful disposal is evidenced |
| Salvage credit | Shown as a credit so you can see what your material is worth and keep it instead |
| Reinstatement | Backfill, compaction and grading, so the site is left buildable |
| Exclusions | Stated plainly rather than discovered later |
What is always excluded
Asbestos removal. It is restricted by law to a contractor registered under the Asbestos Abatement Regulations, 2020. Where asbestos is present or suspected, the quote says so and flags the effect on the programme, and a registered contractor is appointed for that scope. See asbestos on demolition sites.
Construction. A demolition permit authorises removal, not building. Anything that replaces the structure needs approved building plans in its own right.
How work is carried out
- The demolition permit application and waste management plan are prepared and submitted as part of the quote
- Neighbouring structures are photographed and dated before work begins, and a copy goes to the neighbour
- Recoverable material comes out by hand during the soft strip, before machine work starts
- Waste streams are separated on site rather than at the landfill, and disposal records are handed over
- Dust is suppressed by misting at the breaker head rather than open hosing, under Cape Town water restrictions
- Excavations are backfilled and compacted in layers, so the ground does not settle later
The two things that set the programme
Neither of them is the demolition. Permit approval and service disconnections both run on other parties' timelines, and on most jobs they take longer than the work itself. A realistic programme starts both on day one and fits the demolition around them. See the demolition timeline and the demolition process.