How Long Does It Take to Demolish a House? A Missouri Timeline

How long does it take to demolish a house?

AES says that if all the paperwork is present, a house can often be demolished in as little as 3 to 5 days. AES also says a small to medium building takes 5 to 10 days without additional work such as asbestos removal. Larger projects can run for months. The wrecking is the short part. The paperwork around it is the long part.

Most websites that rank for this question give one national number and a list of “factors.” This post splits the job into phases, shows which ones Missouri rules lengthen, and gives you a schedule you can hold a contractor to.

What does the full timeline look like?

A house demolition runs in phases, and the phase before the machine arrives often takes longer than the teardown. The table puts each phase and its time source in one place.

Add up the phases and the house is on the ground in a few days, but the project spans weeks. A calendar that shows only the teardown is a calendar that will slip.

How long does the paperwork take before the machine arrives?

AES says obtaining all the correct permits and giving notification can take a minimum of 10 working days, especially if you have asbestos on site. That matches the state rule. Missouri DNR says demolition notifications must reach the department at least 10 working days before the demolition of any regulated structure.

Here is the part that confuses owners. DNR exempts a single residential structure with four or fewer dwelling units. Two or more residential structures are not exempt. A building once used for another purpose, such as a house converted to commercial use, is not exempt. If you own a typical single-family house, the state notice may not apply to you.

That does not make the house paperwork-free. Inside the City of St. Louis, the 2018 demolition handbook says all structures to be demolished must undergo an asbestos inspection by a licensed contractor before wrecking starts. The City says its Building Division will process an application in under 30 days. A City permit is good for 30 days. See our St. Louis City permits guide, our County permits guide, and the post on the 10 working day rule.

How many days does the teardown itself take?

Three to five days for a house, per AES, when the paperwork is in place. For a small to medium building, AES says 5 to 10 days without additional work such as asbestos removal. A bigger structure takes longer, and AES says large projects can run for months.

Method changes the number. Junk South says mechanical demolition takes about one week in most cases, while deconstruction can take two weeks or more. Pittsburgh Demolition and Wrecking, a Pennsylvania contractor, says multi-story homes or properties with extensive basements can take two to four weeks. These sources use different starting points and different cities, so treat the ranges as a spread, not a conflict. A single-story house with no basement and clear access sits at the fast end. A two-story house in a tight lot with a full basement sits at the slow end.

If you want to save lumber, flooring or brick, ask for a deconstruction quote and a mechanical quote. Compare days and dollars side by side.

What makes a house demolition run longer?

Five things add days. Check each one against your house.

• Asbestos or lead. Older houses can hold both. Our asbestos survey page explains how the inspection works, and the glossary has an entry for asbestos-containing material.
• A basement. Foundation removal, backfill and grading add work. The City’s 2018 handbook lists basement and grading inspections as called inspections with 24-hour notice.
• Tight access. Narrow lots, alleys and shared walls slow the machine and the trucks.
• Attached or party walls. Shared walls need extra care. The City handbook has a section on party walls.
• A historic district. The City says buildings in Local Historic Districts, Preservation Review Districts, or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places may be flagged for a review before the permit.

How does demolition type change the schedule?

A full teardown clears the whole lot. Interior demolition strips a building’s insides and leaves the shell, so it runs on a different clock. AES lists both complete demolition and partial interior demolition among its services. If your project is a gut job instead of a teardown, see the interior demolition page and ask for a separate schedule.

Hazardous removal also changes the order. Abatement comes first, because the crew must not wreck material that holds asbestos. That is why a survey belongs at the top of every timeline. The glossary entry for an asbestos survey explains what the inspector does, and the NESHAP entry explains the federal rule behind the notice.

What inspections happen during and after demolition?

The City of St. Louis 2018 handbook says the Building Division will conduct four to five inspections on each permitted demolition. Three of them are called inspections with 24-hour notice: basement, grading and final. Plan your crew’s days so no one waits for an inspector with an open hole in the lot.

How long will my house take? A quick sorting table

Use this table to place your house on the spread. The days come from the sources named above. None of them is an AES quote.

These ranges cover the teardown only. The survey, the notice and the permit sit before them, and the final inspection sits after.

What should you ask a contractor to put in writing?

A schedule beats a promise. Ask for these in your quote.

1. A start date for each phase, not only the teardown.
2. Who files the permit and any asbestos notice, and who pays the fees.
3. The survey and lab turnaround time.
4. What happens to the schedule if the survey finds asbestos.
5. How utility shutoffs are handled.
6. The date of the last City inspection and the day the lot is graded.

For a Missouri job, add one more question: does the contractor hold the right registration for asbestos work? AES holds Missouri DNR asbestos contractor registration 27-06-0640. Ask any contractor for the same.

Next step

Read the house demolition page. Not sure how long the permit step takes first? See how long a demolition permit takes in St. Louis. Then call Advanced Environmental Services at (314) 865-2662 or send the quote form at /contact. Tell us the address, the size, whether there is a basement, and your target date. AES quotes each job.