Hand Demolition
Taken apart by hand, where a machine cannot be trusted
Demolition carried out by hand rather than by machine: tight sites with no access, internal walls and strip outs, renovation work, and structures hard against a neighbouring building. Slower by design, because the point is control rather than speed.
Carried out under demolition licence AD214737
Before anything starts
Six things have to be settled first, and not all of them are ours
Most jobs that run late run late on this list rather than on the work itself. Each line says who owns it.
- 01
Hazardous materials survey
Who Max, through an accredited laboratory
Internal work disturbs linings, ceilings and floor coverings, which is exactly where bonded asbestos sits in pre 1990 buildings.
- 02
Structural advice on anything load bearing
Who You, through an engineer
Internal walls are not all partitions. Which ones are carrying load is the question that has to be answered before, not during.
- 03
Approval or exemption
Who You or your certifier
Internal strip out in a tenancy, a heritage property or a strata building each have different requirements.
- 04
Access and protection route
Who Agreed between you and us
How material gets out by hand: the path, the protection of floors and lifts, and the hours it can happen in.
- 05
Service isolation
Who You, with each authority or your trades
Isolating what is in the walls being removed, without cutting what stays live.
- 06
Dust, noise and neighbour management
Who Max
On an occupied building or a shared wall, this is in the contract rather than in the conversation.
Scope
What the quote does and does not cover
Stated side by side so there is nothing to discover later. Anything in the right hand column can be added, it is simply priced separately.
Included as standard
| Item | What that means |
|---|---|
| The nominated structure | Internal walls, linings, ceilings, floors and fixtures within scope |
| Propping where needed | To the extent the engineer’s advice requires |
| Protection of what stays | Floors, lifts, common areas and the adjoining structure |
| Material out by hand | Bagged, barrowed or craned out along the agreed route |
| Separation and cartage | Sorted as it comes out and removed as it is generated |
| Asbestos management | Survey, licensed removal, clearance and licensed disposal |
Quoted separately
| Item | Why it is separate |
|---|---|
| Structural design | Engineering for anything retained is designed by others |
| Permanent make good | Patching, rendering and finishing is trade work |
| Relocating services | Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work by licensed trades |
| Scaffold and hoists beyond the demolition need | Hired separately where the builder requires them |
| Rectifying pre existing defects | Found during the work and not caused by it |
| Out of hours premiums | Where a building manager restricts work to nights or weekends |
The detail
When hand demolition is the right answer
- There is no way in for a machine. A rear courtyard, a terrace with no side access, a basement, or an upper floor. If plant cannot get there, hands can.
- The structure next door matters more. A party wall, a terrace in a row, or a building within a metre of the work. Vibration and reach are both risks a machine brings.
- Only part of it is going. Internal walls out while the shell stays, which needs a cut line rather than a direction.
- The building is occupied. Tenancies trading, or residents upstairs. Hours, noise, dust and the route material takes all become part of the method.
- The material has to be recovered. Where joinery, brick, timber or fixtures are being kept, they come out intact rather than as rubble.
- Heritage fabric is involved. Where what stays has to be protected to a standard, careful removal is the only method that meets it.
What we need to quote it
- The address
- So we can look at access and what is around it
- Photographs
- One from the street and one of the work itself
- Any reports you hold
- Hazardous materials, structural, survey or levels
- Your dates
- What has to be finished by when, and what is waiting on it
We attend the site before quoting anything substantial.
Internal work means asbestos in the linings
Ceilings, wall sheeting, wet area linings and vinyl floor tiles in pre 1990 buildings are all likely bonded asbestos. It is identified and removed under clearance before the hand work starts.
Before you book
What people ask about this one
Is hand demolition more expensive?
Can you work in an occupied building?
Do you do strip outs for fit out?
How do you know which walls are structural?
Can material be salvaged?
Get a quote
Tell us what has to come out, and what has to survive
A photograph of the space, a word about access, and what the finished line has to look like. Hand work is quoted on hours and access rather than on volume.
- Quoted on access and hours, which is what actually drives it
- Propping to engineering advice before anything load bearing moves
- Protection of what stays written into the scope
Special demolition offer
Get your free demolition quote
Demolition and removal services from $15,999*. Tell us about your project and we'll help you understand the costs.
*Starting price applies to eligible demolition and removal projects only. Final pricing depends on structure size, materials, site access, location, waste disposal requirements, hazardous materials and any necessary approvals. A final quote will be provided following project assessment.