Interior Demolition

Our Service

Every renovation starts with demolition — and doing it right is just as important as the finishing work that follows. Our interior demolition crews combine precision with speed, safely removing walls, flooring, fixtures, and finishes while protecting the structure and adjacent areas you want to keep. We understand Toronto building codes, hazardous material requirements, and what it takes to deliver a clean, ready-to-rebuild space.

Whether you need a single bathroom stripped to the studs or an entire home gutted down to bare framing, we bring the right equipment, proper safety protocols, and experienced hands. Our scope covers everything from careful selective demolition — where surgical precision matters — to large-scale interior gutting where efficiency and debris management are key.

Pricing

Starting from $5/sq ft for selective demolition. Full gut pricing available. Price includes labour, debris removal, dumpster, and disposal.

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Interior demolition by SQFT Contracting in Toronto

Types of Demolition

The Right Approach for Every Scope

Not all demolition is the same. The method, tools, and precautions change depending on what you're removing and what needs to stay. We tailor every project to its specific requirements.

Selective Demolition

Selective demolition is like surgery — carefully removing specific elements while preserving everything around them. This is the most common type of demolition for residential renovations in Toronto, and it requires the most skill and patience.

We remove non-load-bearing walls to open floor plans, strip bathrooms down to studs, pull out old cabinets and countertops, tear up flooring layer by layer, and take down ceilings — all without damaging adjacent finishes, plumbing, or electrical that needs to stay. Every cut is deliberate, every swing is controlled.

Most common Precision work

Full Interior Gut

A full interior gut means complete removal of all finishes down to bare framing — or in some cases, down to the structure itself. Everything comes out: drywall, flooring, cabinets, fixtures, insulation, trim, doors, and sometimes even the mechanical systems.

This approach is used for whole-home renovations, properties with extensive water or fire damage, or older Toronto homes where the entire interior needs to be brought up to modern standards. Full guts are faster per square foot than selective work because there is nothing to protect — but they generate significantly more debris, requiring careful dumpster planning and hauling logistics.

Down to studs High volume

Bathroom & Kitchen Demolition

Kitchen demo involves removing cabinets (upper and lower), countertops, backsplash tile, flooring, and disconnecting appliances. Gas ranges and dishwashers require disconnection by licensed trades — we coordinate this as part of the project so you don't have to manage multiple contractors.

Bathroom demo includes vanity removal, toilet disconnection, tub or shower surround tear-out, wall and floor tile removal, and often drywall stripping when moisture damage is present behind the tile. Supply lines and drain lines must be properly capped before any fixtures come out.

Plumbing shutoff Licensed trades

Structural Demolition (with Engineering)

Removing load-bearing walls or modifying structural openings is not a DIY task — and it is not something any contractor should attempt without a licensed structural engineer's assessment. In Ontario, this work requires a building permit and engineered drawings before any cutting begins.

The process starts with an engineer determining the loads above the wall. Temporary shoring is installed to support the structure while the wall is removed. Then a steel beam (typically a W-shape or HSS section) or engineered LVL header is installed to permanently carry the load. Posts transfer the beam's load down to the foundation. Every connection is inspected before the shoring comes out.

Permit required Engineer required

Our Process

How We Handle Demolition

Every demolition project follows a structured 5-step process designed to keep your property safe, your neighbours undisturbed, and your renovation on schedule.

1

Assess & Plan

We inspect the space, identify load-bearing elements, locate mechanical systems (electrical, plumbing, HVAC), check for hazardous materials, and create a demolition plan with a clear scope of work.

2

Permits & Safety Prep

If structural work or asbestos removal is involved, we pull the necessary permits. We arrange dumpster delivery, confirm utility disconnections, and ensure all PPE and containment materials are on site.

3

Protect Adjacent Areas

Zip-wall barriers, floor protection, and plastic sheeting isolate the demo zone from the rest of your home. HVAC vents are sealed to prevent dust migration. Furniture and fixtures in adjacent rooms are covered.

4

Demolition

Controlled, methodical teardown — starting from the top and working down. We remove finishes first, then fixtures, then framing as needed. Salvageable materials are set aside. Debris is loaded continuously.

5

Cleanup & Disposal

All debris is removed from the property — bagged, hauled to the dumpster, and disposed of at licensed facilities. The space is swept, vacuumed, and inspected so the next trade can start immediately.

Safety & Hazards

What You Need to Know Before Demo Day

Interior demolition in older Toronto homes can expose hidden hazards. We identify and manage these risks before the first hammer swings — keeping your family, our crew, and your property safe.

ACM

Asbestos

Homes built before 1990 may contain asbestos in insulation, ceiling tiles, vinyl flooring, joint compound, and pipe wrap. Ontario law requires testing before demolition — disturbing asbestos without proper abatement is illegal. We arrange third-party testing and licensed abatement if needed.

Pb

Lead Paint

Any home built before 1978 likely has lead-based paint on walls, trim, and doors. Sanding or demolishing these surfaces releases toxic dust. EPA RRP Rule requires certified renovation practices when disturbing lead paint. We use wet methods and HEPA vacuums to control lead dust.

HV

Electrical Safety

Before any wall or ceiling comes down, circuits serving the demo area are identified and locked out at the panel. We verify with a non-contact voltage tester before cutting. Live wires behind drywall are one of the most common — and dangerous — surprises in demolition. Circuit lockout is mandatory on every project.

H2O

Plumbing

Supply lines and drain lines inside walls must be identified and properly capped before demolition. A missed water line turns a controlled demo into an emergency. We verify shutoffs, drain lines, and gas connections before any wall is opened. All supply and drain lines are capped before teardown begins.

LB

Structural Awareness

Not every wall can come down. Load-bearing walls support the structure above — removing them without proper engineering causes sagging floors, cracked ceilings, and potentially catastrophic failure. We identify load-bearing vs. partition walls during our assessment. When in doubt, we bring in a structural engineer.

HEPA

Dust Control

Demolition generates massive amounts of dust — drywall dust, concrete dust, wood particles, and potentially contaminated material. We use zip-wall barriers, negative air pressure machines, and HEPA filtration to contain dust within the work area. Your living spaces stay clean and breathable throughout the project.

What We Offer

Our Interior Demolition Services

Kitchen Demolition

Complete kitchen strip-out including upper and lower cabinets, countertops, backsplash, flooring, and appliance disconnection. We coordinate with licensed plumbers and gas fitters for safe utility disconnection.

Bathroom Demolition

Vanity, toilet, tub or shower surround, wall tile, floor tile, and drywall removal. Supply lines are capped and drains are plugged. We check for mold and moisture damage behind walls during teardown.

Wall Removal

Non-load-bearing wall removal to open up your floor plan, plus load-bearing wall removal with engineered steel beam installation. Drywall, framing, and debris are fully removed, leaving a clean space ready for finishing.

Floor Removal

Tear-out of carpet, hardwood, laminate, vinyl, and ceramic tile flooring. We also remove underlayment, adhesive residue, and levelling compound to deliver a clean subfloor ready for new installation.

Drywall & Ceiling Removal

Stripping drywall from walls and ceilings to expose framing for inspection, insulation upgrades, or rewiring. Includes popcorn ceiling removal, plaster tear-down in older homes, and lath removal when converting to modern drywall.

Full Interior Gutting

Complete interior strip-down to bare framing — all finishes, fixtures, cabinets, insulation, and trim removed. Ideal for whole-home renovations, fire or flood restoration, and converting older properties to modern standards.

Our Work

Demolition Projects Gallery

Why Choose Us

The SQFT Demolition Difference

Safety First

Certified hazmat awareness, proper PPE on every crew member, dust containment barriers, and strict lockout procedures for electrical and plumbing. We don't take shortcuts with safety — ever.

Clean Removal

We plan dumpster sizing and placement before demo day, sort debris for recycling where possible, and leave your property clean. Disposal is included in our pricing — no surprise hauling fees.

Precision Work

Selective demolition without damaging adjacent areas — that is our specialty. We protect floors, walls, trim, and fixtures that need to stay, so your renovation starts from a clean slate, not a disaster zone.

FAQ

Common Demolition Questions

In Toronto, a building permit is generally not required for non-structural interior demolition — removing drywall, flooring, cabinets, and fixtures. However, a permit is required whenever you modify or remove a load-bearing wall, change the building's structure, or relocate plumbing or electrical. If your project involves asbestos abatement, additional regulatory requirements apply. We assess permit needs during our initial consultation and handle the application process for you when permits are necessary.

A single bathroom can typically be gutted in one day. A kitchen takes 1-2 days depending on the scope. A full interior gut of a standard Toronto home (1,200-1,800 sq ft) usually takes 3-5 days including debris removal. Structural work adds time for engineering, permit approval, and beam installation. We provide a clear timeline during your estimate so you can coordinate the trades that follow.

We use a multi-layer containment strategy. Zip-wall barriers with poly sheeting seal off the demo area from the rest of your home. HVAC registers in the work zone are covered to prevent dust from entering the duct system. For projects involving hazardous materials or heavy dust, we deploy negative air machines with HEPA filters that create a pressure differential — pulling air into the work area rather than letting dust escape. Floor protection and door seals complete the containment.

Load-bearing walls support the weight of the structure above — the roof, upper floors, or ceiling joists. Common indicators include walls that run perpendicular to floor joists, walls located in the centre of the house, walls that are directly above a beam or foundation wall in the basement, and walls that continue through multiple stories. However, there is no reliable way to determine this without proper assessment. We inspect the structure from the basement up and, for any wall that may be load-bearing, we bring in a licensed structural engineer to confirm before any demolition begins.

If your Toronto home was built before 1990, there is a real possibility that asbestos-containing materials are present — in vermiculite insulation, vinyl floor tiles, ceiling tiles, pipe insulation, and even drywall joint compound. Ontario regulations require that suspect materials be tested by a certified lab before any demolition disturbs them. If asbestos is confirmed, licensed abatement contractors must remove it following strict containment and disposal protocols. We arrange testing as part of our pre-demolition assessment and coordinate abatement when required. This is not optional — it is a legal and health requirement.

Interior Demolition