How To Demolish A House

House Demolition Contractor Northeast Pennsylvania

Did you know that a house can last indefinitely if constructed properly and maintained? Simply maintaining the roof, siding, gutters, and foundation can help keep a house in tip top shape.

If a house is neglected over time, it can become beyond repair. The only solution for these old houses is deconstruction, as they can become unfit for human habitation.

A+ Enterprises is a licensed & insured demolition contractor that provides demolition services to the greater Scranton/Wilkes-Barre areas in Pennsylvania.

Guide To Demolishing A House

While the process of demolishing a house sounds simple and straightforward, it is not. There are many variables that must be taken into account such as nearby structures, asbestos, etc. In addition, the operator of the machine must be extremely skilled to have complete control over the machine to demolish the structure.

Some things we don’t go over in this guide are the acquisition of permits, utility disconnects, and asbestos testing.

This guide is for informational purposes only and is not recommended that anybody follow this advice.

House Removal Steps

  1. Assess the property for nearby structures & hazardous materials
  2. Calculate the amount of dumpsters needed & the right sized excavator for the job
  3. Begin demolishing the structure
  4. Grind up debris & separate recyclable materials
  5. Load up dumpsters & clean up all debris
  6. Remove the house foundation
  7. Backfill the foundation & final grading

Assess The Property & Order Dumpsters

The first step in demolishing any type of structure is to assess the property. You must take note of any nearby structures, overhead lines, and any other access restrictions. In addition, take note of the size & height of the property.

By taking all of these variables into consideration, you will be able to select the right-sized machine & game plan to continue with the deconstruction project.

Next, you will need to calculate the correct amount of dumpsters needed to load with the deconstruction debris. Most houses range between 4-8 40 cubic yard dumpsters depending on the size of the house and the contents inside them. It is important to find a reliable dumpster company that will work with your schedule to ensure the dumpsters are being swapped out consistently.

The Removal Process Begins!

Demolish A House in Kingston, Pennsylvania
Deconstruction Contractor in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Areas

Now that everything is calculated & ordered, it is time to begin demolishing the structure. Have one employee use a hose to spray down the area you will be working. Make sure the employee is wearing a hard hat and is standing a safe distance away. The water is essential for dust control.

Begin tearing into the house with the excavator, taking small bites at the structure. This will help the house stay structurally sound, instead of collapsing onto itself. As you continue to tear into the house, keep in mind the way the house leans and moves and adjust your process accordingly.

There is a certain amount of faith the operator needs to have in his abilities & control over the excavator. The operator needs to be confident and have complete control over every aspect of the machine. One wrong move and the entire deconstruction can go haywire.

Load Up & Remove Debris

How To Demolish A House in Scranton, Pennsylvania
Deconstruction Contractor in Scranton, PA

Now that the house is demolished & on the ground, there is a giant pile of debris left. There will be sections of roofing, long boards, etc still intact. It is imperative that you spend time crushing all this debris up with the machine before it is loaded into dumpsters.

It is easy to crush the debris up! Simply grab it with the bucket & thumb, and crush it until the debris breaks into smaller pieces. Drop it to the side and repeat.

Once all the debris is reduced in volume, it is time to load up dumpsters. Take your time with this and be sure not to damage the dumpster with your excavator. Load the dumpsters scoop by scoop with the debris until a small pile is left that you cannot grab with the large excavator bucket.

Have 2 laborers clean up this small pile and load it into the last dumpster full of debris.

Foundation Removal & Backfill

Concrete Removal Demolition Contractor Wilkes-Barre, PA
Removing Concrete From A Foundation in Scranton, PA

Depending on the type of house you are demolishing and the area where you are located, there are multiple options for the foundation removal & backfill. Some houses don’t have a foundation and sit on a concrete slab, while others have a deep foundation into the ground.

In addition, certain areas allow you to use broken up parts of the foundation as backfill as long as no other structure will be built on this site. Other areas require all of the foundation material to be hauled away & disposed of.

As a rule of thumb, our deconstruction company always entirely removes the foundation & backfills the area with clean fill. For budget-conscious customers, we will reuse the foundation as fill but warn the customer of the downsides of doing this.

Hire A Professional Deconstruction Contractor

House Demolition Company in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Locally Owned Building Removal Contractor

Does this sound like way too much work to handle yourself? As you can see, demolishing a structure has many more parts to it than simply knocking it down.

If you are located in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area and are seeking a deconstruction contractor, give A+ Enterprises a call! We provide all facets of removal services including house removal.

Other Deconstruction services we provide include:

Request a Free House Removal Estimate

    Call us today! 570-373-9996


    • Called for estimate for tv removal, good price came that morning I called, Sal is great, will use again.

      Debbie Rumensky Avatar Debbie Rumensky
      March 15, 2020

      I never leave reviews but Sal (I think his name is) was great. Both times we used them they showed up the next day on time and did a fast and efficient job. Personable and reliable. Highly recommend.

      Carissa Dewey Avatar Carissa Dewey
      May 5, 2019

      Can’t thank the guy we spoke to enough! He was wonderful to us! We were in a last minute crunch to get rid of stuff and he worked with us and even went way out of his way to accommodate our needs! He truly has great customer support and was beyond generous! Can’t thank this awesome company enough! It meant a lot to us!! We highly recommend!

      Kaitlyn Szorady Avatar Kaitlyn Szorady
      July 11, 2020
    • AMAZING!!! 30 years of junk in a HUGE truck garage. We could not have done this job without A+ Enterprises. Thanks to Sal, Joe and the entire staff. I've never met in this day and age such HARD WORKERS!!! Also extremely polite and professional. I HIGHLY recommend this company to everyone. My rating is A+++++++++++

      Bunny Degilio Avatar Bunny Degilio
      August 8, 2019

      Called A + enterprise junk removal to have a few items removed from my apartment. Sal and his team were GREAT!!! Fair price and fast service plan on using them again.

      John Steve Avatar John Steve
      March 20, 2019

      The price was amazing and the workers were professional. They completed the job within a short period of time and I’m having them come back for more work. Thanks A plus

      Maurice Oates Avatar Maurice Oates
      May 22, 2020
    • A+ Enterprise . . .gave an accurate estimate. . .did a PROFESSIONAL job. . .the team was "on-time" completed the work on schedule. . . very easy to work with. . . Highly Recommend!

      Wes Coates Avatar Wes Coates
      January 22, 2020

      I can't say enough about Sal. He was very patient, knowledgeable, and went out of his way to ensure my company was taken care of. I absolutely recommend anyone to use this company. They get in and out very quickly and offer a great price. They also stick to their word which is very rare now-a-days!

      Mark Van Dyke Avatar Mark Van Dyke
      October 25, 2019

      Top notch. I called and spoke with a Guy named Sal. Very friendly and excellent Customer Service, 100%. I was set up in minutes. The pricing was great. Delivered it next day. When it was time for pick up I advised that I would be working and not able to hear the door so just knock hard. I went out on my Lunch break wondering what the heck? And the Dumpster was gone. Great service. Great Price. I called about 6 Dumpster Rental places and of all of them, A+ Was definitely the best and Props to Sal. Great Service. Truly is A+

      Baby Cakes Avatar Baby Cakes
      June 10, 2020
    • Hard working guys got the job done in one day. I recently bought a foreclose property and have A+ Enterprises help do the clean up. Its a 3 bedroom house full of junk, and everything was gone at the end of the day. Image a house hoarders live in, 3 bedrooms, each with bed, dressers, night stand, TV and many other trash, you do not want to be in the room more than 1 minute. Kitchen full of dirty dishes, appliances and dining table with chairs. At the end of the day, whatever not bolted down was gone, including most of the nasty carpet. I will definitely use their service again. Great service and the hard working people.

      Calvin L Avatar Calvin L
      April 7, 2021

      Hired A Plus Enterprises last year to remove some old pool equipment, old yard equipment, and old furniture from my house. There timing, professionalism, and reasonable pricing was overwhelmingly amazing. Great job and look forward to hiring you again!

      Ryan Croughn Avatar Ryan Croughn
      May 4, 2020

      They cleaned out my grandmas house today in under 6 hours. And we had a lot of stuff! Friendly guys and great work!! Definitely recommend.

      Grace Baker Avatar Grace Baker
      July 25, 2020
    • Fantastic customer service. Sal was on time, very responsive to messages and professional. The price for the dumpster was very reasonable also. I have had issues with other junk removal companies in the past and wish I had found them sooner. I will definitely use them again in the future.

      Erin G Avatar Erin G
      October 17, 2019

      Contacted Sal to have some old boxes removed, called me the next day to set up a time to estimate the work. Came first thing the next morning and gave me a great quote. We agreed on a wonderful price and literally 15 minutes later he was here with his truck cleaning out our boxes. He was done quickly and efficiently! Very nice man, We will be contacting him again in the near future! My family and I highly recommend!

      Lakin Parsons Avatar Lakin Parsons
      October 17, 2020

      Absolutely amazing! Highly recommended! I recently moved to Pennsylvania and purchased a fixer upper in Luzern County. I had a large pile of debris from the house that I needed to get rid of. I called A+ Junk Removal and spoke with Sal. He was extremely professional and very personable. He was able to work with my schedule which was greatly appreciated. Sal also contacted me through text to remind me of my scheduled appointment. Joe and Andrew showed up on time to give me an estimate for my junk pile. They gave me a great price and got right to work. Both Joe and Andrew were very polite and extremely professional. Very friendly as well. They did an amazing job! I couldn’t have asked for a better crew to come and do this job for me. I am extremely appreciative for Sal, Joe and Andrew. I highly recommend this company and will definitely use them again on the future. Thank you so much A+ Enterprises!

      Rebecca DeKonty Avatar Rebecca DeKonty
      March 26, 2020

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