Demolition Services in Chicago, IL

Demolition is half of what we do, and the half that most concrete contractors subcontract out. Because we handle the tear-out and the new pour in-house, you get one crew accountable for the whole project instead of two contractors pointing at each other about who damaged what.

We handle interior demolition, garage and structure tear-downs, concrete removal, and the disposal that goes with all of it, across Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.

Interior demolition and strip-outs

Kitchen and bath gut-outs, full-floor strip-outs for a rehab, drywall and plaster removal, flooring, cabinetry and fixtures. The job is as much about protection as removal: floor protection on the path out, dust containment on the openings, and the building's common areas left clean at the end of each day.

In a Chicago two-flat or a courtyard building, the logistics are the job. Everything comes out down a staircase or through a gangway, and the neighbors are home while it happens.

Garage and structure tear-downs

Detached garages in the alleys, sheds, decks, porches and small structures. These come with permits, with utility disconnects that have to be confirmed before anything swings, and with neighboring structures often a few feet from the line.

The slab underneath usually comes out too. Leaving an old garage pad in place limits what can go there next.

Concrete removal and haul-away

Driveways, walks, patios, steps, stoops and foundations. Breaking concrete is straightforward; getting it off a site with no alley access and a four-foot gangway is not.

Concrete is heavy, and disposal is priced by weight. An honest demolition quote accounts for the haul and the tipping fees rather than surprising you with them later.

Selective and structural demolition

Taking out a load-bearing wall, opening up a floor plan, or removing part of a structure while the rest stays standing. This is where temporary shoring, engineering and permits are not optional.

We will tell you when a job needs a structural engineer's drawing before we touch it. That is not us being difficult; it is what keeps the rest of the building up.

Permits, utilities and disposal

Demolition permits, utility disconnects, and in older Chicago buildings the question of what is in the walls. Anything suspected of containing asbestos or lead is work for a licensed abatement contractor, and it has to be handled before demolition starts, not during.

We separate material for recycling where the facility allows it. Clean concrete in particular is recyclable and it keeps tipping costs down.

How we run a demolition services job

1. Scope walkWe look at what is coming out, what is staying, how material leaves the site, and what the building or municipality requires.
2. Permits and disconnectsDemolition permits pulled where required. Utilities confirmed disconnected before anything starts.
3. Protect and containFloor protection, dust containment, and protection for anything staying put.
4. Demolish in sequenceWorked in an order that keeps the structure stable and the site safe.
5. Load and haulMaterial loaded and hauled, separated for recycling where the facility allows.
6. Broom cleanSite left broom clean and ready for whatever comes next, including our own concrete crew.

What affects the price

• Size and type of structure or area
• Access: alley, gangway, stairs, or open site
• Disposal weight and tipping fees, especially for concrete
• Permits and utility disconnect coordination
• Protection and containment required for occupied buildings
• Whether abatement is needed before demolition can start

What we check before quoting

An estimate that arrives without anyone looking at the site is a guess. These are the things that move the number, and the reason we come out.

• Access. Whether a truck can back up to the work or everything moves by buggy, pump and wheelbarrow. On a Chicago city lot this can double the labor on its own.
• What is underneath. If the existing base was never compacted, it has to come out. Pouring over failed base buys a couple of seasons at most.
• Drainage. Where water goes now and where it needs to go. Downspouts, grade and yard drainage all feed into this.
• Public way. Aprons and sidewalk sections sit on city property, need a permit, and have to meet municipal specification.
• Load. What the finished work actually carries, which sets thickness and reinforcement.
• Disposal. Concrete is priced out by weight. An honest quote includes the haul and the tipping fees instead of adding them later.

Caring for new concrete

The first year decides the next twenty. Keep vehicles off new slabs for about a week and foot traffic off until the following day. Do not use de-icing salt on new concrete through its first winter, and seal it before the second. Keep downspouts discharging onto grass or a splash block rather than onto the slab, and put something underneath anything heavy that sits in one spot so it does not trap moisture there. Hairline shrinkage cracks are normal and not a defect; cracks with vertical displacement between the two sides are telling you something moved underneath, and those are worth a call.

Why concrete fails in Chicago

Chicago is one of the hardest climates in the country on concrete. The freeze-thaw cycle runs from November into March, de-icing salt goes down on every driveway and public walk, and the clay soil underneath holds water instead of draining it. Concrete that survives here is air-entrained, poured on a compacted stone base, pitched so water leaves, jointed on a proper grid, and kept away from salt through its first winter.

• Freeze-thaw scaling. Water gets into the surface, freezes, and lifts the top layer off in flakes. It comes from too much water in the mix, finishing while bleed water is still on the slab, or skipping the air entrainment Illinois exterior concrete needs.
• Road salt damage. De-icing salt accelerates surface scaling badly. New concrete should not see salt through its first winter and should be sealed before the second.
• Slabs poured on bad base. Most cracked driveways in the older neighborhoods were poured straight on disturbed clay with no compacted stone under them.
• Control joints cut late or shallow. Concrete is going to crack. Joints decide where. Cut at the wrong depth or a day late and the slab picks its own line across the middle.

Demolition services across Chicagoland

We handle demolition services throughout the city and the suburbs. A lot of this work happens in Oak Park, Avondale and Chicago, and we cover Evanston and Naperville regularly too. Every area we serve has its own page with the local detail.

Related work: Concrete driveways, Concrete patios and Concrete foundations. See all services or the full service area.

Demolition services FAQ