Kitchen demolition in Toronto

What happens on the day

We start from the photos you sent, so the price is settled before the day. On site, the order of work is fixed, because a kitchen has more things attached to it than any other room.

• We walk the kitchen with you and confirm what stays: appliances you are keeping, a window, an island, a pantry.
• Upper cabinets come down first, then the countertops, then the base cabinets.
• Backsplash tile comes off the wall, with the board behind it if it is in the scope.
• Sink, faucet and any dishwasher or range hood that are coming out are removed once the water is off and your plumber has capped the lines.
• Debris is broken down so it packs tight, carried out and loaded as we go.
• We haul everything away in the same visit and leave bare walls and a clear floor for your trades.

What we take and what we do not

We take cabinets, countertops, the backsplash, the sink and old fixtures, shelving and the debris from all of it. The posted price covers hauling up to a full load, which carries a 1,000 kg weight allowance. Stone and solid-surface countertops are the heaviest part of most kitchens, so they decide whether a job stays inside the allowance. Past it, weight is billed at $250 per tonne from the scale ticket.

A fridge or freezer we haul away adds plus $30 per unit for the refrigerant it holds. A stove or dishwasher goes in the load like any other item.

We do not take paint, propane, chemicals or asbestos, and we do not touch gas lines, wiring or water supply lines. Those belong to your trades.

What changes the price

Kitchens vary more than bathrooms, so the posted price, from $1,500, is a starting point and the photos set the number. The main drivers:

• Size and how much cabinetry there is. A galley kitchen with a few runs is a much smaller job than an L-shaped kitchen with an island and a pantry wall.
• Countertop material. Granite, quartz and concrete weigh far more than laminate and are awkward to carry.
• Flooring. If the kitchen floor is coming up too, tile removal is posted at $3 per sq ft, $400 minimum. Disposal billed by weight.
• Cabinets fixed to plaster or to a block wall instead of drywall, and cabinets built in place instead of bought as units.
• Floors and stairs. A kitchen on a second floor, or a condo kitchen with a long hall to the elevator, costs more labour than a ground-floor one by the back door.
• Appliances leaving with the load, which add to volume and weight.

What you can do before we arrive

Most of the prep is about utilities and clearing the space.

• Empty every cupboard and drawer. Dishes and pantry food are the most common reason a start slips.
• Turn the water off at the shut-off valves under the sink, or at the main, and run the taps to drain the lines.
• If you have a gas range, have the gas line capped by a qualified tradesperson before the day. We do not touch gas lines.
• Switch off the breakers for the kitchen circuits, and tell us which outlets or lights must stay live for other rooms.
• Move the fridge out of the work area or tell us it is leaving.
• Clear a route to the door and tell us about parking. In a condo, book the elevator in advance.
• Same-day service is plus $50 when the schedule has room.

Toronto rules for a kitchen tear-out

Permits. The City of Toronto lists "demolish or remove all, or a portion of a building", adding or removing walls, and installing or modifying heating and plumbing systems as work that needs a building permit. It lists "installation of cabinetry and millwork" and "repairing and replacing plumbing fixtures" as work that does not. A new kitchen layout that moves the sink, adds a gas line or opens a wall to the dining room is the kind of change that needs a permit. The page does not address stripping a kitchen out as such, so ask Toronto Building about your exact scope.

Asbestos. A house built before about 1990 can have asbestos in plaster, vinyl floor tile, popcorn ceilings and drywall joint compound. Health Canada recommends testing by a professional before you renovate. If we find suspect material we stop, the testing is your cost, and we never remove asbestos.

Electrical and gas. Only an electrical contractor with an Electrical Safety Authority licence, or an electrician that contractor employs, can be hired to do electrical work in your home, and the notification to the ESA is theirs to file. Disconnecting a range circuit or a hood fan, or capping gas, is not part of our work.