Frequently Asked Questions

Inside the city, yes. The city requires a demolition permit to take down a whole building or structure, or part of one. That permit comes from the Department of Permits, Licenses and Inspections. A structure accessory to a house, like a detached garage, can be done under a building permit instead. Outside the city, the borough or township code office sets the rule. We check with that office before the job.

Price comes down to the size of the structure and what it is built of. How hard the site is to reach matters, and so does how much debris comes off it. A slab or a basement underneath adds to it. Permits, utility disconnects and any survey work add their own steps. We look at the job and give you a price before any work starts.

We are based in Pittsburgh and work about 40 miles around the city. That covers the city itself, the South Hills, the eastern suburbs, and Washington and Westmoreland counties. Bethel Park, Mt. Lebanon, Whitehall, McMurray, Canonsburg, Washington, Monroeville, Penn Hills, Murrysville and Irwin are all in range.

No. In Allegheny County the Health Department regulates all forms of asbestos. It requires a thorough asbestos survey by a licensed building inspector before most demolitions. Anything found has to be taken out first by an ACHD-licensed asbestos abatement contractor, and we demolish after that. Private owners of residential buildings with four or fewer units are exempt from that county rule. Commercial, institutional and public buildings are not.

They get shut off, capped or otherwise controlled outside the building line before demolition starts. The utility companies are notified. That is the OSHA rule for electric, gas, water, steam and sewer service, and licensed trades do the disconnects. Buried lines get marked too. Pennsylvania's One Call law asks for notice three to ten business days before demolition begins. We go over who handles each step when we price the job.

Yes, and a lot of the work is exactly that. Contractors, investors, landlords and homeowners bring us in to gut a house down to the studs. Others want only part of it taken out. We work to the schedule on site and handle added scope as it comes up. Our interior demolition page covers what comes out and what stays.

Brick, block and stone work on houses and small commercial buildings. Brick pointing and brick repair are the core of it. We also do chimneys, stucco, retaining walls, small concrete work like sidewalks and patios, and foundation repair and waterproofing.

Yes. Davis Demolition and Masonry holds an active City of Pittsburgh general contractor license. That is the license the city requires for demolition permits on commercial structures and residential primary structures. We are also an EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm for renovation work in pre-1978 homes. We are a registered Pennsylvania home improvement contractor, PA HIC registration PA074091.