Demolition contractor, Huntsville and Lake of Bays

Demolition contractor in Huntsville and Lake of Bays

Whole cottages, houses, garages, barns and pools from Utterson and Port Sydney to Dwight, Baysville and Dorset. 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 Huntsville and Lake of Bays

A demolition contractor in Huntsville and Lake of Bays takes down cottages, houses, garages, barns and pools, and on a waterfront lot the planning status of what stands matters as much as the machine. Huntsville's by-law holds a rebuilt legal non-complying building to its original footprint, size, height and location, so the existing building is recorded before anything comes down. An owner runs every job, the debris is hauled away, the site is graded, and salvage is set aside on request.

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 Huntsville and Lake of Bays: what changes here

Who issues the permit

The Town of Huntsville requires a demolition permit for any structure over 15 square metres, filed through Cloudpermit with a site plan; farm buildings on a farm are exempt. Its Call Before You Demo checklist confirms disconnects with Public Works, Hydro One or Lakeland Power, the District of Muskoka for water and sewer, Bell, Cogeco, the gas utility, CN Rail and the Fire Department, on 48 hours' notice. Clearing trees within 30 metres of the water on a rural or waterfront lot takes a community planning permit. In Lake of Bays, demolition goes through Cloudpermit with an owner authorization. We file it all for you.

The ground and the access

Soils here are typically 10 to 30 centimetres of sand over granitic bedrock, with deeper sand, silt and clay in the valleys, so the depth to rock under an old foundation varies from lot to lot. Huntsville maps a Flood Zone Overlay, and the 2013, 2016 and 2019 floods reached businesses from Huntsville to Bala. Replacing a building and its foundation needs no community planning permit when there is no fill, no grade change and no change in footprint or height. We haul the debris away and grade the site.

The rule that shapes the job

Rebuild rights. Under Huntsville's Community Planning Permit By-law, when a legal non-complying building, such as a cottage closer to the water than today's setbacks allow, is demolished, its reconstruction is restricted to the original footprint, building size, height and location. The building permit to replace it goes in within two years of the damage or destruction, or that section no longer applies, and any expansion takes a Community Planning Permit. We document the existing building before demolition starts.

Communities we cover from here

HuntsvillePort SydneyUttersonAllensvilleRavenscliffeWilliamsportHidden ValleyDwightBaysvilleDorsetFox PointSouth Portage

How demolition in Huntsville and Lake of Bays 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 Huntsville and Lake of Bays: your questions answered

Is my Huntsville property on the heritage register?

The Town keeps a register and map of properties of heritage interest. For a listed property, the Ontario Heritage Act requires 60 days' written notice to Council before a building comes down, and listed properties leave the register unless Council gives notice of intent to designate by January 1, 2027. We check the register before we quote.

Can I rebuild an old cottage that sits close to the water in Lake of Bays?

Within limits. Buildings put up before November 26, 1996 that do not meet By-law 2021-111 are covered by Section 3.14 as legal non-complying, and requests to recognize, expand or add to them are limited and may need planning approval. Structure setbacks are 20 or 30 metres depending on the lake. We confirm the status before demolition.

Is an asbestos check needed before a cottage comes down in Huntsville or Lake of Bays?

Yes. Ontario Regulation 278/05 has the owner get an asbestos examination before arranging demolition, and material that could be disturbed is removed first, to the extent practicable. Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the owner's list of designated substances reaches the contractor before a contract is signed. We read it before pricing.

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 Gravenhurst and Bracebridge→Demolitionin Newmarket, Aurora and King→Demolitionin Bradford West Gwillimbury→Demolition, every areaThe service page→

Other work near Huntsville and Lake of Bays

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, Huntsville and Lake of Bays?

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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