Demolition contracts go to the contractor whose bid a general contractor can read. That means three separate lines: the demolition itself, the hazardous material work (and who does it), and disposal. Most bids blur them into one number, which makes them impossible to compare and risky to accept. To find the work, watch demolition permits and asbestos survey results, then write to the GC or developer before the job is awarded. This page covers the buyers, the triggers, a bid layout with arithmetic, an email and the follow-up.

It differs from excavation because the money question is not soil, it is what's inside the building and where it goes afterward. If you do site work too, see how to get excavation contracts in this same series. Everything below is general information. Demolition and hazardous material rules vary by state and city, so confirm requirements with your licensing authority and an attorney or consultant before you bid.

Who buys demolition

Three buyers. A general contractor doing a gut renovation or a rebuild, who subs the demolition and gives you a plan set. A developer clearing a site for a new building, who often hires a demolition contractor directly. An owner's representative managing a project for a school, a hospital system or a city. The title to reach is the project manager or estimator at the GC, the development or construction manager at the developer, and the project manager at the owner's rep firm. For finding these people by name, how to find general contractors to sell to is the source guide, and getting clients as a general contractor shows how they see the world.

Permits and surveys as triggers

Three signals. A demolition permit application, which cities usually publish with the property address and applicant. An asbestos or hazardous materials survey result: in the US, federal rules (EPA's asbestos NESHAP) generally require an inspection before demolition or major renovation and a notification before work starts, and states add their own rules, so a notification on file tells you a job is real and close. A gut renovation permit for a commercial space, since interiors must come out before anything goes in. Public records and agency notification lists are where you find them. Check the notification list in your state; some publish them.

Set a weekly routine: 30 minutes to check new demolition and alteration permits, copy five into a sheet with the address, applicant, type and date, and write to two. Rocketship can build the list of GCs and developers with active projects, show 25 by name before you spend a lead, and email them from your own Gmail. Our guide to finding new businesses in your area adds another source: new LLCs buying old buildings.

What a clear demolition bid states

The principle: separate the lines by who does the work and who carries the risk. Illustrative example, 14,000 square foot one-story retail building, slab left in place. Numbers are made up to show the layout.

  • Demolition of structure, 14,000 sq ft at $4.80: $67,200. Includes sorting metal for recycling.
  • Hazardous material abatement: allowance of $18,500, performed by a licensed abatement subcontractor named in the bid, based on the owner's survey (floor tile and roof mastic identified). Actual cost adjusts to the survey scope.
  • Disposal: 380 tons at $62 a ton: $23,560. The weight is an estimate; final charge follows scale tickets, which we provide.
  • Utility disconnect coordination: allowance of $2,400. The utility companies' own fees are separate.
  • Total: $111,660.

Check: 67,200 + 18,500 + 23,560 + 2,400 = 111,660. Below the lines, state the exclusions (permit fees, anything not in the survey, underground tanks, work below the slab) and what happens if the survey is wrong: "new material found is priced at unit rates in writing before we touch it." A GC reading this can set it beside a bid that says "$118,000 demo, all in" and know which one has a gap. Insurance, bonding and licenses go on the cover sheet. Don't write that your hazmat work is compliant with anything unless a licensed sub is performing it and is named.

A first email to a general contractor, with a sample

Subject: Demolition bid for the Dunmore Ave retail strip (permit filed Oct 2)

Hi Kendra, I saw the demolition permit filed on October 2 for the 14,000 sq ft building on Dunmore Avenue. Redrock Demolition handles structure demo, sorting and hauling around Albuquerque. If demo isn't awarded, I'd like to walk the site and price it with demolition, hazardous material and disposal on separate lines, so it's simple to compare. If you can send the owner's survey, I'll name the licensed abatement sub I'd use and give you a number by Friday. If someone else has it, tell me who.

Tom Alvarez, Redrock Demolition, tom@redrockdemo.example, 1840 Girard Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106. Reply "stop" to end these emails.

Include the physical address and a way to opt out (CAN-SPAM), keep the From line and subject accurate, and don't claim certifications you don't hold.

Following up on addenda and surveys

Demolition bids change when the survey changes. Follow up when something new lands: an addendum, a revised survey or a schedule shift. "Kendra, I saw the survey was updated Tuesday. Do you want me to re-price the abatement allowance?" is a better reason to write than "checking in." Day 3 after the bid: ask about questions. Day 10: send a note if a new addendum appeared. Day 21: a call. If you lose, ask for the reason and the winning range; our guide on following up on a quote has more wording.

Staying on the bid list

GCs invite the same few demolition subs repeatedly. To be one: reply to every invitation even when you pass ("not our size; send the next one"), send a short capabilities sheet with equipment, licenses, insurance and three completed projects, and ask each GC how they want bid invitations delivered. Add every project manager to a list you write to twice a year. Related pages: commercial flooring contracts picks up where demolition leaves off.

Watching permits and writing to the right project manager every week is repetitive. Rocketship finds the buyers, emails them from your own Gmail, follows up, and books the meeting on its own. Plans that get you customers start at $24.99 a month (Launch), and both Launch and Frontier start with a 7-day free trial, card required. Answering your existing number works on Launch, with call minutes bought as you go ($15 for 50), and a dedicated line is $5 a month. See the AI workers.