Interior demolition in Calgary

Interior demolition is the part of a renovation nobody photographs and everybody underestimates. A kitchen comes out in a day. A 1960s bungalow taken back to studs and subfloor is a week, a bin every second day, and a decision at every wall about what is behind it. We do the second kind, and we do the hazardous material check before the first swing rather than after.

What an interior strip-out covers

• Kitchens and bathrooms — cabinets, counters, tubs, tile, vanities and fixtures out, walls and floors back to substrate
• Basement gut-outs — panelling, studwork, drop ceilings, old flooring and the insulation behind it
• Full-floor and whole-house strip-outs — back to studs, joists and subfloor, ready for the framer
• Commercial tenant space — partitions, ceiling grid, flooring, millwork and fixtures taken back to shell
• Selective demolition — one wall, one ceiling, one room, with everything around it protected and still usable
• Post-loss demolition — removing what cannot be salvaged after a fire or a flood, documented as it goes for the insurer

The step most quotes leave out

If the building predates the mid-1990s, the drywall joint compound, the floor tile and the adhesive under it, the textured ceiling and the pipe insulation can all contain asbestos. Alberta’s rules require that material to be identified before it is disturbed, and the City of Calgary will not release a building permit on a pre-1990 property until the asbestos abatement form has been filed.

This is where strip-outs go wrong. A crew starts swinging, the drywall comes down dry, and what was a contained problem in two rooms is now dust through the whole house. Cleaning that up costs several times what testing would have cost. It is not a rare outcome and it is not anyone’s bad luck — it is the predictable result of demolishing an old building without looking first.

We test before we demolish. If it comes back clean you get a strip-out and nothing else. If it comes back positive, the abatement and the demolition run under one contract, with one mobilization, instead of you finding a second contractor mid-job.

How a strip-out runs

Suspect materials are sampled and sent to an independent laboratory first. Utilities are isolated — we do not disconnect live electrical, that is a licensed electrician’s work, and we will tell you what needs to happen before we start. Floors and anything staying put get protected. Where asbestos is present, the area is contained under negative air and abated before general demolition begins. Then the strip-out itself, sorting as we go so recyclable material does not attract the mixed-load surcharge at the landfill. At the end the site is left broom-clean, with debris hauled and the disposal paperwork in your hands.

What it costs

Interior demolition is quoted in writing after a site visit, because square footage alone does not tell you whether there is lath and plaster behind the drywall or how far the bins have to travel. What we can publish is the testing: a sampling visit is $225 within Calgary plus $85 a sample, so a typical three-sample test is $480. Full prices are on our pricing page, and the $225 visit fee is credited against the contract if we carry out the removal.

Where we work

Interior demolition across Calgary and the surrounding communities, including Calgary, Airdrie, Cochrane, Okotoks, Chestermere, Strathmore, High River and Red Deer. Travel outside Calgary is priced into the written quote.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an asbestos test before an interior strip-out?

If the building predates the mid-1990s, yes. Alberta's OHS Code requires material with the potential to release asbestos fibres to be identified before it is disturbed, and on a pre-1990 Calgary property the City requires the asbestos abatement form before it will release a building permit. Testing a few materials costs a few hundred dollars. Cleaning up a house after a dry strip-out costs thousands.

Can you do the demolition and the asbestos removal together?

Yes, and that is the main reason to use us. Testing, abatement and demolition run under one contract with one mobilization, so there is no gap while you find a second contractor and no second set of setup charges.

Do you handle the bins and disposal?

Yes. Debris is sorted on site so recyclable material does not trigger the mixed-load surcharge at the landfill, and you get the disposal paperwork. Asbestos waste goes to Shepard under permit, and you can ask us for the weight ticket.

Will you disconnect the electrical and plumbing?

No. We do not disconnect live electrical — under Alberta's Safety Codes Act that is a certified electrical contractor's work, and a permit has to be pulled by one. We will tell you at quoting exactly what needs isolating and by whom, so it is arranged before we mobilize rather than discovered on day one.

How long does a strip-out take?

A kitchen or bathroom is usually a day. A basement is two to four. A whole-house gut on a bungalow is normally a week or more, and longer if asbestos abatement is part of it. The written quote gives commencement and completion dates rather than an estimate.