Why the contractor matters more than the price

Most Brisbane homeowners only demolish a house once. That makes it hard to judge whether a demolition contractor knows what they are doing, and easy to fall back on the lowest price. The trouble is that two quotes for the same Queenslander can describe very different jobs. One may include the asbestos removal, the slab, the stumps and a clean, level block. The other may leave those as extras that only appear once the machines are on site.

Choosing well comes down to a handful of checks. None of them need technical knowledge, and all of them can be done before you sign anything.

Check the licences yourself

In Queensland, demolition work generally needs a licence from the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) in the demolition class. Ask for the licence number and look it up on the QBCC online licence search. It takes a couple of minutes and shows whether the licence is current and what class it covers.

Asbestos is licensed separately, by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ). Most Brisbane homes built before 1990 contain some asbestos, often in eaves, wet-area linings, fibro walls or old vinyl. Removing more than 10 square metres of bonded asbestos requires a Class B licence, and friable asbestos requires a Class A licence. Ask who will remove it, and confirm that business holds the right class. A demolition contractor that does not hold an asbestos licence should be bringing in one that does.

Ask how the asbestos will be handled

The asbestos plan usually affects the price more than anything else on the quote. A good contractor will want an asbestos inspection or a pre-demolition survey before giving a firm number, or will spell out what their price assumes. Be wary of a figure that treats asbestos as a vague allowance with no inspection behind it.

Ask three questions:

Who is doing the asbestos survey, and when?
Is the removal included, and what happens if more is found once work starts?
Will you receive a clearance certificate and the disposal records at the end?

Our asbestos-aware demolition approach follows that same order: identify it, remove it under the right licence, clear the area, then demolish. If you want the detail, our guide to asbestos before demolition walks through it step by step.

Make sure approvals are covered

Every house demolition in Brisbane needs a building approval from a private building certifier. Some also need council development approval first, especially older homes in Brisbane City Council's character or heritage overlays, where approval to demolish is not guaranteed. Logan, Moreton Bay and the Redlands each have their own planning schemes, so the overlays differ across council areas.

Ask whether the contractor will arrange the building approval, and whether they have checked the overlays for your address. If nobody has looked at the overlays, the start date on the quote is a guess.

Service disconnections and Before You Dig

Before demolition, power, water, sewer, gas and telecommunications all have to be disconnected or made safe. In south-east Queensland, power is usually disconnected by Energex after you contact your retailer. Water and sewer depend on your council area: Urban Utilities in Brisbane, Logan Water, Unitywater in Moreton Bay, or Redland City Council. A Before You Dig Australia enquiry should also be lodged so underground assets are located before any digging.

Some contractors manage all of this for you; others expect you to do it. Either is fine, as long as the quote says which.

What a detailed quote should include

A useful demolition quote is specific. Look for:

The structures included — the house, plus the garage, sheds, carport, pool and fences if they are going
What happens below ground — stumps, footings, slabs, old pipes and septic tanks removed, not just cut off at ground level
Asbestos — survey, removal, clearance and disposal, or a clear statement of what is excluded
Trees and vegetation — which are coming out and whether any are protected by council
The finished site — cleared and roughly level, with the crossover and any retained fences noted
Waste and recycling — where the concrete, steel and timber are going

If you are planning a knock down rebuild, give the quote to your builder too. Builders often have firm expectations about how the block is left, and it is better to find a gap before demolition than after. Our knockdown rebuild demolition page covers what builders usually ask for.

Ask for insurance and safety paperwork

Ask to see a current certificate of public liability insurance, and for the safe work method statement for your job. On a tight inner-city block, ask how neighbours, footpaths and powerlines will be protected. A contractor who answers these questions clearly is usually one who plans the rest of the job properly.

Red flags to watch for

A price given over the phone with no site visit or photos
No mention of asbestos on a pre-1990 house
Cash-only payment or a large deposit before any approval is in place
Vague wording such as "site cleared" with no detail on slabs, stumps or footings
Pressure to start before the building approval is issued

Comparing like with like

When you have two or three quotes, line them up against the list above rather than comparing the totals. The quote that looks dearer often includes asbestos, slab removal or disposal that the cheaper one leaves out. For a sense of what moves the price, see our guide to house demolition cost in Brisbane.

If you would like a quote for house demolition anywhere across Brisbane, Logan, Moreton Bay or the Redlands, send through the address and a few photos and we will set out exactly what is included.

Choosing a Demolition Contractor in Brisbane: What to Check Before You Book