Demolition contractor, Gravenhurst and Bracebridge

Cottage and house demolition in Gravenhurst and Bracebridge

Old cottages, houses, garages and bunkies taken down on Shield lots from Gravenhurst and Kahshe Lake to Bracebridge, Bala and Port Carling. Send the form and an owner calls you back today.

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Call (705) 208-7121
★★★★★5.0from 32 Google reviews
  • ✓Same-day callback from an owner
  • ✓Written price after the site visit
  • ✓Whole structures only: the crew that quotes it takes it down
Get your free demolition quote
A few quick questions. An owner calls you back today.
Prefer to talk? Call (705) 208-7121
32 reviews, every one five stars
Same-day callback
An owner calls you back and books the site visit
Owners on site
One crew. One of the two owners runs every job
Whole structures
Houses, cottages, barns, garages and pools. No interior tear-outs

Demolition in Gravenhurst and Bracebridge

Cottage demolition in Gravenhurst and Bracebridge is usually an old place on Lake Muskoka or a smaller lake coming down for a rebuild, on a lot of rock and trees. Getting machines in without wrecking the shoreline buffer is most of the planning. The teardown, foundation removal and final grading are done on Thor's own machines, with an owner on every job.

Houses, cottages and barns

A whole structure down and the site cleared: the house, cottage, barn or outbuilding comes down, the debris is hauled away and the lot is graded for whatever comes next.

  • ✓House and cottage demolition, single storey to multi-storey
  • ✓Barns, outbuildings, sheds and garages, including rural and cottage access
  • ✓Foundations and concrete pads broken out and removed
  • ✓Hydro, gas and water disconnections coordinated before we start
  • ✓Barn beams, barn board and brick set aside on request

Pools and site clean-up

In-ground or above-ground: the concrete or liner comes out, the hole is filled and compacted in lifts, and you get a yard ready for grass or a build.

  • ✓In-ground and above-ground pool removal
  • ✓Concrete break-out and haul-away
  • ✓Full or partial fill, compacted so the yard does not sink
  • ✓Final grade and topsoil
  • ✓Lot cleared and graded, ready for the next build

We run our own excavators and skid steers, so the teardown, the haul-away and the final grade are one crew's work, with an owner on every job.

We take whole structures down. We do not do interior tear-outs, kitchen or bathroom demo, or renovation prep. If you need a wall opened for a reno, we will point you to someone who does that work.

Demolition in Gravenhurst and Bracebridge: what changes here

Who issues the permit

Bracebridge lists demolition permits among its building services, and both towns apply the Building Code Act, which covers demolition as well as construction. The owner sorts out designated substances first: the Occupational Health and Safety Act has the owner determine what is present and give the list to contractors before tendering, and older cottages are where asbestos tends to be found. A drilled well that will not serve the new cottage is plugged and sealed under the Wells Regulation, and hydro is disconnected by the utility before the teardown. Thor prepares and files the permit and the locate request.

The ground and the access

Muskoka cottages often sit on piers or short walls set on granite, with very little soil around them. Removing them leaves rock and pockets of fill, so the low spots get clean granular, compacted, and the lot is graded so runoff does not wash across the bare rock into the lake. Trees around the old footprint are protected during the work, because on rock they are slow to come back.

The rule that shapes the job

Ontario's shore lands rules let a waterfront owner remove a dock or boathouse without a Ministry of Natural Resources work permit, as long as no dredging is involved. Dredging or filling shore lands is a different matter and takes a work permit. We keep the teardown on land and out of the lake.

Communities we cover from here

GravenhurstBracebridgeMuskoka FallsBalaPort CarlingTorranceKilworthySevern BridgeMilford BayWalker's PointLake MuskokaKahshe Lake

How demolition in Gravenhurst and Bracebridge works, in four steps

1
Tell us what needs to come down
Send the form or call. An owner calls you back the same business day and books the site visit.
2
An owner walks the site
We look at the structure, the access and what is underground, and hand you a written price after the visit.
3
Permit, utilities and the survey
We apply for the demolition permit, request the hydro, gas and water disconnections, and line up the designated substances check on older buildings.
4
Down, hauled and graded
The structure comes down, the debris is hauled away, the hole is filled and the ground is graded clean.

On the job

Thor Construction excavator loading demolition debris into a bin
Thor Construction excavator digging out a foundation
Thor Construction skid steer and excavator on a float trailer

What our customers say

★★★★★

“As a custom home builder, we love contracting Thor Construction Company for all of our demolition, excavation and septic work. They are easy to work with, have great equipment and know what they are doing. Our clients are always very happy with them.”

Ethan Bender
Custom home builder · Google review
★★★★★

“Hired Thor for complete site services including bringing utilities into my new build and digging for foundation. Once the build was complete they came back and finish landscaped the property and we couldn't be happier. Strongly recommend!”

Robert Bell
New build · Google review
★★★★★

“I had a work related project with them and I must say the guys are outstanding. Honest, reliable and straightforward. Highly Recommended!”

Peter Loudon
Local Guide · Google review

Demolition in Gravenhurst and Bracebridge: your questions answered

Can you remove my old boathouse or dock?

Removing a dock or boathouse that does not involve dredging needs no Ministry of Natural Resources work permit. If the job would dredge or fill shore lands, a work permit comes first.

Does Bracebridge need a demolition permit?

Yes, the Town lists demolition permits among its building services. We file it before the machine arrives.

Can you get equipment to a rock lot?

Usually. We look at the access at the site visit and plan the route around the trees and the shoreline buffer before the date is set.

Do you get the demolition permit?

Yes. Ontario's Building Code Act requires a permit to demolish a building, issued by your municipality's building department. We prepare the application and book the inspections.

Do I need to disconnect the utilities first?

Hydro, gas and water are disconnected and capped by the utilities before demolition starts, and many building departments ask to see that before they issue the permit. We make the requests and keep you posted.

What if the building has asbestos?

Under Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act, the owner of a project determines whether designated substances such as asbestos are present before work starts. On older buildings we line up that check, and anything found is removed by an abatement contractor before we demolish.

Is hauling the debris included?

Yes. Hauling the debris to proper disposal and recycling sites is part of the job and part of the written price you get after the site visit.

Do you do interior demolition?

No. We take whole structures down: houses, cottages, barns, garages and pools. For kitchen, bathroom or renovation tear-outs we will point you to someone who does that work.

Can I keep the barn beams or the brick?

Yes. Tell us at the site visit what you want saved, and we set beams, barn board or brick aside before the rest comes down.

Other areas and services

Every page has the local permit office, the ground and the rules for that area.

Demolition in other towns

Demolitionin Bobcaygeon and Fenelon Falls→Demolitionin Coboconk, Norland and Kinmount→Demolitionin Lindsay and Kawartha Lakes→Demolitionin Omemee, Bethany and Pontypool→Demolitionin Buckhorn and Trent Lakes→Demolitionin Peterborough→Demolitionin Lakefield, Bridgenorth and Ennismore→Demolitionin Millbrook and Cavan Monaghan→Demolitionin Apsley and North Kawartha→Demolitionin Warsaw and Douro-Dummer→Demolitionin Norwood and Havelock→Demolitionin Keene and Otonabee-South Monaghan→Demolitionin Minden and Minden Hills→Demolitionin Haliburton and Dysart et al→Demolitionin Wilberforce and Highlands East→Demolitionin Campbellford and Trent Hills→Demolitionin Bewdley, Gores Landing and Rice Lake→Demolitionin Cobourg and Port Hope→Demolitionin Port Perry and Scugog→Demolitionin Beaverton, Cannington and Sunderland→Demolitionin Uxbridge→Demolitionin Bowmanville, Newcastle and Clarington→Demolitionin Oshawa, Whitby and Brooklin→Demolitionin Pickering and Ajax→Demolitionin Georgina, Sutton and Keswick→Demolitionin Mount Albert and East Gwillimbury→Demolitionin Stouffville→Demolitionin Markham→Demolitionin Orillia, Severn and Ramara→Demolitionin Oro-Medonte→Demolitionin Barrie and South Simcoe→Demolitionin Newmarket, Aurora and King→Demolitionin Bradford West Gwillimbury→Demolitionin Huntsville and Lake of Bays→Demolition, every areaThe service page→

Other work near Gravenhurst and Bracebridge

Septic installationin Gravenhurst and Bracebridge→Septic installationin Huntsville→Excavationin Gravenhurst and Bracebridge→Landscapingin Gravenhurst and Bracebridge→Excavationin Huntsville and Lake of Bays→Landscapingin Huntsville and Lake of Bays→Shoreline restorationon Lake Muskoka→Shoreline restorationon Fairy, Peninsula and Vernon Lakes→Every area we coverMap and full list→

Ready to clear the site, Gravenhurst and Bracebridge?

Send the form and an owner calls you back today. Or call now and talk to the person who will dig the job.

Call (705) 208-7121
Get your free demolition quote
A few quick questions. An owner calls you back today.
Prefer to talk? Call (705) 208-7121
Thor Construction Company
Bobcaygeon, Ontario · Serving Central Ontario, north of the GTA
  • (705) 208-7121
  • jp@thorconstruction.ca
  • Bobcaygeon, Ontario

Services

Septic installation

Excavation

Landscaping

Hardscaping

Shoreline restoration

Demolition

Service areas

Bobcaygeon and Fenelon Falls

Lindsay and south Kawartha Lakes

Buckhorn and Trent Lakes

Peterborough and the Kawarthas

Haliburton and Minden

Orillia, Severn and Ramara

Barrie and South Simcoe

Muskoka: Gravenhurst, Bracebridge and Huntsville

Cobourg, Port Hope and Northumberland

Durham: Oshawa, Whitby, Pickering, Ajax, Clarington, Uxbridge and Port Perry

York: Markham, Stouffville, Newmarket, Aurora, King and Georgina

All service areas

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