FAQsStraight Answers About Demolition
- Licensed C-11855 · CUC041521
- Family owned since 1978
- We own the transfer station
- Serving 4 Tampa Bay counties
Questions
The questions every demolition customer asks
Service-specific questions — pool depths, slab thickness, commercial sequencing — are answered on the individual service pages. These are the ones that apply to every job.
Are you licensed and insured?
We hold C-11855 Specialty Demolition Contractor and CUC041521 Underground Utility, and we carry general liability and workers’ compensation coverage. Ask for the certificate of insurance before anyone mobilizes — we send it on request, any legitimate contractor will hand it over, and you should ask everyone bidding your job. An uninsured crew on your property is your exposure, not theirs.
What do the neighbors see, and do they need to be told?
A demolition is a fenced site, a machine, a few container swaps and, on a house, one to three days of noise. We water for dust, keep the street clean and work normal daytime hours. Notifying neighbors is not usually a legal requirement, but on a tight lot it is worth a knock on the door — we will tell you at the walk-through which of your neighbors is close enough to matter.
Can I take anything out before you start?
Yes, and it is worth doing. Appliances, cabinets, doors, windows, light fixtures and the AC unit are all fair game if you want them, and pavers and clean fill are often worth keeping on site for the rebuild. Tell us at the walk-through so the scope reflects it — once the machine starts, nothing comes out whole.
Does my HOA or deed restriction affect this?
In the deed-restricted communities around Carrollwood, Westchase, Trinity and Odessa, often yes — an architectural committee may want to see the plan, and there are usually rules about fencing, hours and how long a site can sit. That approval is the owner’s to obtain and it runs alongside the municipal permit, not instead of it. We will tell you what they normally ask for.
How does payment work?
The terms are written into the contract before work starts — ask dispatch what they are for your job. What we do not do is ask for a large payment up front and disappear, or revise the number on the final invoice. The quote is the invoice unless the scope changed in writing.
Do you take the trees too?
Vegetation and tree work is scoped per job and per municipality, because many local governments protect trees over a certain size and some require a separate permit to remove one. Clearing brush and small growth is routine site work; a protected specimen tree is its own approval. We say which is which in the written scope rather than assuming.
Do I need a permit to demolish a structure?
Almost always, for anything structural — houses, garages, pools, commercial buildings. Municipalities across Tampa Bay each run their own process, and we pull the permit as part of the contract. Small flatwork like a driveway usually does not need one, but we confirm per city.
Who handles the asbestos survey?
We arrange it. Florida requires a survey by a licensed asbestos inspector before a demolition permit issues, whatever the age of the structure, plus a 10-working-day NESHAP notification. It is the step that most often delays a job, so we start it early.
What about power, gas, water and sewer?
Disconnects have to be confirmed before demolition starts, and the sewer has to be capped. Our CUC041521 underground utility license covers the cap-offs and septic abandonment; the account-level disconnects with the utility companies we walk you through.
How long does a demolition take?
The machine work on a house is typically one to three days. The calendar time is the paperwork — permit review and, on older structures, the asbestos survey and its 10-day notice. Plan on weeks from first call to cleared lot, not days.
How much does demolition cost?
We do not publish price ranges, because a demolition number that is not based on a site visit is a guess dressed up as a quote. What sets it is the structure, the access, what has to be protected around it, and the disposal weight. Every service page lists the factors for that job type, and the estimate is free: book a site visit and you get a firm written number.
What happens to the debris?
It goes to our own C&D transfer station at the Keene Rd yard, where concrete, block and rock are crushed into road base, paver base and #57 rock. Owning the disposal end is why our bids are not padded with someone else’s gate rate.
What size job do you take?
Whole structures — houses, commercial buildings, mobile homes, pools — and the slabs, driveways and pool decks that come off the same lot. Remodel-scale demolition is not our trade: we do not do interior strip-outs, kitchen and bath gut-outs, or a deck on its own. If the building is coming down, it is our job.
Do you do land clearing or just structures?
Both. Structures are the core of the business, but site clearance, concrete removal and grubbing are on the services list. If it is outside our scope, we will say so on the first call.
How far do you travel?
We work across Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco and Manatee counties from the Clearwater yard. Outside those, call and ask — we travel for the right job.
When do I pay, and how?
You get a firm written quote before any work starts, and the invoice matches it unless the scope changes in writing. Payment terms are agreed in the contract — ask dispatch about methods when you book.
Do I need to be there during the demolition?
No. Most customers are there for the estimate walk and not for the machine work. We confirm the scope in writing before we start and send word when the site is graded and done.
Can you leave the concrete, or fill the hole?
Either. Some customers want the slab crushed and left as compacted base; pool removals need engineered backfill; teardowns for rebuilds usually want a clean, graded lot. Say what the site is for and we quote it that way.
What is sarnagoandsonsrecycling.com?
Our sister site — same family, same yard. Roll-off dumpsters, the transfer station and recycled base material live at sarnagoandsonsrecycling.com; this site covers the demolition side.