Commercial Demolition in Brisbane

The kinds of buildings involved

Commercial demolition in Brisbane covers a wide range: suburban shopfronts, older offices, fast-food and service-station sites, warehouses and workshops in industrial pockets like Eagle Farm, Rocklea, Geebung and Murarrie, and the sheds and amenities blocks attached to them. Each brings its own structural system, from tilt-up concrete panels and steel portal frames to load-bearing masonry.

Planning comes first

Before demolition, the building's asbestos register is checked and, where needed, a destructive asbestos survey is carried out. Other hazards are noted too, such as old fluorescent fittings, lead paint, underground fuel tanks and contaminated soil. A safe work method statement and site plan set out exclusion zones, machine access, traffic management and the order in which the structure will be taken down.

Where a building is demolished in stages, or a neighbouring tenancy keeps trading, temporary walls, propping and separation of services are worked out in advance.

Approvals and permits

Commercial demolition still needs a building approval from a private building certifier, and some sites need council development approval, especially where a heritage or character overlay applies. Work that affects the footpath or road may need council permits, and traffic control may be required for truck movements on busy roads.

Working around the public

Brisbane commercial sites often front main roads, bus routes or shared car parks. Hoarding, overhead protection, spotters and dust control keep the public safe and the site contained. Deliveries and truck movements are timed around peak traffic and trading hours where possible.

Waste, recycling and records

Commercial sites generate large volumes of concrete, steel, brick and timber. Most of it can be separated on site and sent for recycling rather than landfill. Many owners and head contractors need waste tracking and disposal records for their own reporting, so documentation is kept as the job progresses.

What happens below ground

Commercial slabs are often thicker than residential ones and may include pits, grease traps, footings and old service trenches. Whether these come out depends on the site's next use. A redevelopment will usually want everything removed, while a slab might be kept for a new tenancy. That decision is made before the price is set.

Services and utilities on commercial sites

Commercial buildings often carry three-phase power, fire services, sprinkler mains, grease arrestors and trade waste connections. Each has to be isolated and made safe by the right trade before demolition, and some need sign-off from the utility or the fire services provider. On larger sites, temporary power and water may be kept for the demolition itself.

What you should check

• The building's asbestos register and when it was last reviewed
• Whether your demolition contractor holds the QBCC licence class needed for the size and type of building
• Lease make-good obligations if you are a tenant rather than the owner
• Any heritage listing or overlay on the property

For strip-outs that leave the building standing, see our internal demolition and strip-out service.