If you have an old house or outbuilding on your property that's slowly falling into disrepair, you may want to have it torn down rather than leave it up to become a haven for pests. A deteriorating building can also be dangerous for kids to play around, so tearing the building down is often the best choice. Here are some steps involved in the house demolition process.

1. Plan And Prepare

A lot of preparation goes into house demolition. You'll need an inspection from a contractor and a plan developed that you can submit to the code's office to get a permit. You'll also need to notify utility companies to disconnect gas and electricity from the building. You'll also need to have utility lines marked.

All these phases of preparation can take time, so don't expect to get started on a demolition project right away. The time needed to get a permit and for the utility company to come out and take down lines is out of the control of the contractor, and they have to wait for preparations to be done before they begin work.

2. Deal With Environmental Hazards

A demolition contractor may be required by law to inspect the building for mold, lead, and asbestos before they can tear down an old building. If these problems are present, the materials will need to be removed according to EPA guidelines to prevent creating a health hazard at the work site.

3. Demolish The Building

You have two options for tearing down an old building. One is to bring in heavy machinery and knock it down fast, and the other is to take the building apart by hand. Hand demolishing takes a lot longer and is more expensive.

This might be a desirable option if you're tearing down a house that has a lot of things in it that can be recycled or if an old barn has a lot of valuable wood that can be reclaimed. However, if the house is old and falling apart, taking it down with heavy machinery is often the best solution.

4. Recycle Valuables

Even if the building is knocked down with heavy equipment, the contractor might sort the debris and pull out valuable items such as copper pipes. They'll typically sort debris to pull out things worth recycling and toss everything else into dumpsters to be hauled away. If the building is small and mostly empty inside, the work might be complete in a day or two.

5. Level The Land

Ask the demolition contractor if they can also level the land when all the debris is gone. You may want the area leveled and graded if you're putting a new building in the same location. Even if you just want to plant grass, you'll still want the land leveled so you can put down sod or seeds.

Speak to local demolition services to learn more.