Demolition contractor, Barrie and South Simcoe

Demolition contractor in Barrie and South Simcoe

Houses, garages, barns and outbuildings taken down in Barrie, Innisfil, Midhurst, Minesing and Angus. Send the form and an owner calls you back today.

  • ✓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 Barrie and South Simcoe

Demolition contractor work around Barrie is mostly older houses on large rural lots in Innisfil, Springwater and Essa coming down for a new build, plus garages and farm buildings. The townships go easy on backfilling the old basement, as long as the grade goes back to what it was. Our own machines handle the teardown, the foundation and the backfill, and an owner is 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 Barrie and South Simcoe: what changes here

Who issues the permit

The Building Code Act governs demolition, so the City or the township issues a permit before the building comes down. Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act the owner identifies the designated substances on site and lists them for contractors before tendering; in houses built decades ago, asbestos is the first check. Gas and hydro services are shut off and removed by the utilities, and a rural well that will not be reused is sealed to the Wells Regulation. Locates and the demolition permit are filed by us.

The ground and the access

North of Barrie the ground is a rolling till plain cut by glacial valleys, and lower land toward the Minesing Wetlands stays wet. Till holds water against a foundation, so the old basement gets filled with clean, free-draining material, compacted in lifts, and graded to carry water off the lot. Where the lot slopes to a valley, the grade is set so runoff does not cut a new channel down the bank.

The rule that shapes the job

Innisfil's Site Alteration By-law exempts work in the excavation after a demolition with a building permit, as long as it stays within 3 metres of the old building's perimeter and the finished grade matches the previous grade there. Springwater's by-law similarly exempts filling an excavation back to existing grade after a permitted demolition. We keep the backfill inside those limits, so no separate fill permit is needed.

Communities we cover from here

BarrieInnisfilAlconaStroudCookstownSpringwaterMidhurstMinesingElmvaleAnten MillsEssaAngusThorntonUtopia

How demolition in Barrie and South Simcoe 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 Barrie and South Simcoe: your questions answered

Do I need a fill permit to backfill after a demolition in Innisfil?

Not if the work stays within 3 metres of the old building's perimeter and the finished grade matches what was there. Anything beyond that falls under Innisfil's site alteration permit.

Is it the same in Springwater?

Close. Springwater's By-law 2022-105 exempts placing fill in an excavation up to existing grade after a building is removed under a demolition permit.

Do you take down barns and garages too?

Yes. Outbuildings come down the same way: substances checked, utilities off, structure and foundation removed, site graded.

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.

Ready to clear the site, Barrie and South Simcoe?

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

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
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