Demolition contractor, Haliburton and Dysart et al

House and cottage demolition in Haliburton and Dysart et al

Teardowns of old cottages, houses, garages and sheds from Haliburton village to Kennisis, Redstone, Eagle and Kashagawigamog Lakes. 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 Haliburton and Dysart et al

House demolition in Haliburton and Dysart et al is mostly teardown-and-rebuild on lake lots. Where a cottage already stood, the setback that applies to the new one depends on the lot's history, so we check that before anything comes down. Thor takes down the building, digs out the foundation, backfills and leaves a graded pad, with its own machines and 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 Haliburton and Dysart et al: what changes here

Who issues the permit

Demolition falls under the Building Code Act, so Dysart et al's Building and Septic Department issues the permit before work starts. Ahead of tendering, the owner identifies the designated substances in the building and gives the contractor that list, as the Occupational Health and Safety Act sets out; older cottages are where asbestos tends to turn up. Hydro and gas lines are shut off and capped by their owners, and a dead well gets sealed under the Wells Regulation. The permit and the locates are filed by us.

The ground and the access

Dysart's lots are thin soil over Shield rock, and many slope to the water. Pulling a foundation out of rock leaves an uneven hole, so it gets filled with clean granular, compacted in lifts, and graded so runoff does not head straight for the lake. Where a septic bed served the old building, its location is marked before the machine moves so it survives the teardown if it will be reused.

The rule that shapes the job

Dysart's Official Plan keeps a 20 metre water setback for a lot that was registered and already developed on March 11, 2004, when the zoning setback was 20 metres. That clause shapes many teardown-and-rebuild jobs on older lake lots, where the default for new development is 30 metres. A complete building permit application for a house is processed within 10 days, so the rebuild can follow the teardown quickly.

Communities we cover from here

HaliburtonWest GuilfordEagle LakeHarcourtHarburnHead LakeGrass LakeKashagawigamog LakeKennisis LakeRedstone LakeDrag LakeKoshlong LakeLipsy Lake

How demolition in Haliburton and Dysart et al 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 Haliburton and Dysart et al: your questions answered

Can the new cottage go where the old one was?

Often, on an older developed lot, the Official Plan's 20 metre setback still applies. We confirm the lot's history with the Municipality before demolition, so the new footprint is settled first.

How quickly does Dysart issue the rebuild permit?

The Building and Septic Department says a complete building permit application for small projects and houses is processed within 10 days. A complete application is the part we help with.

Do you remove the foundation too?

Yes. The foundation comes out, the hole is backfilled with clean material and compacted, and the site is graded for the next build.

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, Haliburton and Dysart et al?

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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