Kitchen demolition in North York
North York's 1950s bungalows on 50 foot lots have been coming down for new two-storeys for two decades, especially around Willowdale and Bayview. That tells us whether we are lifting tile on a mortar bed, pulling plaster, or stripping drywall that comes off in sheets. A kitchen is a day of demolition and a month of finishing, so the day has to leave the room exactly the way the new kitchen needs it.
North York, on the ground.
Full tear-downs for rebuilds lead the work here, followed by basement strip-outs and structural openings in the houses that stay. Water and power are isolated by licensed trades, the room is contained, and cabinets, counters, flooring and soffits leave through a protected route to the bin.
Read more about demolition in North York or the full kitchen demolition service page.
On the ticket.
Dust walls at every opening; return-air grilles sealed
Water and gas isolated by licensed trades; circuits made safe by an electrician
Cabinets, counters, backsplash, appliances and fixtures out
Flooring and underlayment lifted; subfloor left flat or removed to joists, your call
Soffits, bulkheads and drywall down where the design needs it
Rough-ins marked and protected; floors swept; photos at handover
Paper first.
Stripping a kitchen to the studs is non-structural and usually needs no permit; the new kitchen's plumbing and electrical, and any load-bearing wall, do. Toronto Building issues the permit; the builder's replacement building permit usually runs alongside the demolition application.
- Stripping a kitchen to the studs is non-structural and usually needs no permit. The new kitchen's plumbing and electrical work will need one.
- Opening the wall to the next room is structural if it carries load: permit, engineer's drawing and temporary shoring.
- Pre-1990 houses: floor tile, mastic and plaster can contain asbestos. A designated-substances survey comes first (O. Reg. 278/05).
The plates on every truck: WSIB, insurance, demolition permits, asbestos survey, utility locates, crew training.
| Driver | What we look at |
|---|---|
| Floor area | Square footage of the kitchen and any soffits and closets that go with it. |
| Finishes | Tile on a mortar bed and plaster walls take longer than drywall and sheet flooring. |
| Bins and tipping | One 10 or 20 yard bin for most kitchens. |
| Load-bearing wall out | Adds structural work, shoring and an engineer's drawing. |
The number comes from a site walk. Tile on mortar bed, plaster walls and a load-bearing wall removal move it up.
One day for most kitchens, two if the floor comes out to the joists or a wall is opening to the next room.
Yes. If it carries load, it comes out under temporary shoring with an engineer's drawing and a permit from the City of Toronto (Toronto Building). If it does not, it is part of the strip-out.
If the City's tree bylaw protects them, we have to, and we fence them before the machine moves. Tell us at the site walk which trees you want kept.