Knockdown-Rebuild Site Preparation

Where demolition fits in a knockdown-rebuild

The usual order is: builder selected and design finalised, planning and building approvals obtained, finance settled, demolition, then construction. Demolition sits at the point where the project stops being paperwork and starts being physical — and where delays become visible and expensive. Our scope typically begins once your building permit is in hand and runs until your builder can set out on a clear, level site.

Working to a builder's program

Builders schedule trades weeks ahead. If the block is not ready on the agreed date, the consequences ripple through the whole program. We plan backwards from your builder's start date, identify the long-lead items early — service abolishments are almost always the critical path — and keep both you and your builder informed as those confirmations come in. Where a date is genuinely at risk, you hear it from us early rather than discovering it on the day.

Leaving the site genuinely buildable

A cleared block is not automatically a buildable one. Slabs and footings need removing to the depth your new design requires, voids need backfilling and compacting appropriately, and services need to be properly abolished rather than merely disconnected. If old footings are left in the ground where new foundations are going, your builder finds out at excavation and you pay for it twice. We clear to the requirement, not to the minimum.

Heritage-affected rebuilds

Across Boroondara a meaningful share of knockdown-rebuild sites are heritage-affected, which can mean retaining a period facade rather than a clean teardown. Where that applies we sequence the partial demolition and facade propping around your builder's program, and make sure the planning approvals are locked in before machines arrive.

Budgeting the demolition line

Against a total knockdown-rebuild spend commonly running $600,000 to $1.2 million or more in this part of Melbourne, demolition is typically $20,000-$50,000 depending on the house and the site. It is a small share of the project but an easy one to underestimate, particularly where asbestos, pool removal, full-brick construction or heritage requirements are involved. A fixed price after inspection, early in your planning, gives you a reliable figure to build the rest of your budget around.

Coordination we handle

Section 29A consent and building permit paperwork, service abolishment applications and tracking, licensed asbestos removal and disposal documentation, waste separation and recycling, and final site clearing to your builder's requirements. You should not have to project-manage your demolisher.