Old alley garages on cracked slabs are the most common demolition dig in Chicago. A full building needs a city demolition permit and a Chicago-licensed general contractor.
Demolishing a building in Chicago takes a demolition permit from the Department of Buildings, and the city requires the work to be done by a Chicago-licensed general contractor. Ask any contractor you hire to show that license. The permit also needs water cut-and-seal and sewer disconnection permits, rodent baiting with a Streets and Sanitation inspection, and a Demolition Notice of Intent filed with the Department of Public Health.
The demolition digging we do is mostly garages, slabs, driveways, patios, porches and stairs, and the cleanup after a building comes down. Old Chicago garages often sit on thin cracked slabs with no footing, and the slab and the old footings are broken out and hauled before a new garage goes in. Clean concrete and brick go to recycling where possible.
After a building comes down, the old basement is the big job. Walls and footings are broken out or the basement is filled with clean, compacted material, and the lot is graded to drain. Buried foundations from even older buildings turn up often in Chicago, and we remove them so the next project starts on firm, clean ground. Sewer and water caps are left where the inspector can see them.
Demolition in Chicago: common questions
Do I need a permit to tear down a garage in Chicago?
A garage usually needs a demolition permit, and it can sometimes share one with the house if it holds five or fewer cars. Small sheds that need no building permit are exempt.
Who can do a demolition in Chicago?
The city requires a Chicago-licensed general contractor for work that needs a demolition permit.
What about asbestos?
The Demolition Notice of Intent covers dust control and asbestos abatement. A licensed abatement company removes asbestos before demolition.
How it works
- Free estimate: Call, text or book online. We walk the site with you.
- Written quote: Scope, equipment and price in writing.
- Utility locate & plan: We have utilities marked and plan access, haul-off and erosion control.
- Dig, grade & clean up: We complete the work, grade the site and haul away spoil.