Frequently asked
Courtenay Demolition FAQ
Courtenay Demolition answers the 12 questions Comox Valley property owners ask us most about cost, permits, disposal and asbestos. Look through the list below, and if your question isn't here, send us the details and we'll answer it directly.
- How much does demolition cost in Courtenay?
- A shed or outbuilding runs $800 to $2,500, a detached garage runs $2,500 to $8,500, interior strip-out runs $3 to $9 per square foot, and a full house teardown runs $8 to $18 per square foot. We confirm your exact price after seeing the job — see the demolition cost guide for the full breakdown.
- Do I need a permit to demolish a building in Courtenay, Comox or Cumberland?
- Yes. All three require a demolition permit, and each sets its own fee — Courtenay charges $150 plus a $3,000 deposit, Comox charges its standard building permit fee starting at $100, and Cumberland charges $200 plus a $1,500 deposit. We pull the permit with your municipality as part of the job — see the demolition permits guide for the full breakdown.
- What happens to the debris?
- We sort it and take it to the Comox Valley Waste Management Centre. Rubble is billed at $60 per tonne and clean wood at $120 per tonne, well below the $205 per tonne mixed construction and demolition rate, so sorting your load on site keeps your disposal bill down.
- Do you handle asbestos?
- Yes. We hold a WorkSafeBC asbestos abatement licence, required in BC since January 1, 2024. WorkSafeBC's own guidance is that you can't tell whether a material contains asbestos just by looking at it, so we test before a teardown or strip-out where asbestos is a possibility.
- Is a security deposit required before a demolition permit is issued?
- In Courtenay, yes — a single- or two-family home needs a $3,000 security deposit before the permit is issued, held until the site passes its final inspection. Cumberland requires a refundable $1,500 deposit. Comox's building bylaw doesn't publish a demolition deposit.
- Do utilities need to be capped before demolition?
- In Courtenay, yes — municipal services have to be capped and terminated at the property line before the demolition permit is issued, and you give the City a vacancy date. In Comox, water and sewer disconnections are carried out only by the Town of Comox. We coordinate the capping or disconnection with your municipality as part of the job.
- Are you insured?
- Yes. We carry $2M in liability insurance and hold a WorkSafeBC asbestos abatement licence.
- Can sorting my demolition waste actually save me money?
- Yes. Clean rubble and clean wood are billed at $60 and $120 a tonne, against $205 a tonne for mixed construction and demolition waste — and a load with more than 10% recyclables gets a 150% surcharge on top. We sort on site so clean material goes in at the lower rate.
- Does an old house need an asbestos report before I can get a permit?
- None of the three towns' published bylaws require a hazardous materials report before a demolition permit is issued. Cumberland's application does include a Hazardous Materials Declaration form, and we fill that in and file it for you. What tells you what's actually in the building is testing — asbestos was widely used in BC building materials until the early 1990s, and WorkSafeBC says the only way to know for certain is to test, not to guess by the building's age.
- What does a house teardown cost per square foot?
- A full house teardown costs $8 to $18 per square foot. A 2,000 square foot house at that rate lands roughly $16,000 to $36,000, before permit and disposal costs.
- What areas does Courtenay Demolition serve?
- We serve Courtenay, Comox and Cumberland, in the Comox Valley.
- Does Cumberland ask for anything besides the permit fee and deposit?
- Yes. Cumberland's demolition permit application also includes a Hazardous Materials Declaration form, which we complete and file with your permit.
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