Survey for the permit
Portland’s residential demolition permit can’t be issued until the city has the Site Controls Form, the asbestos survey and the close-out letter. The survey has to cover the whole structure, roof to foundation.
Asbestos Abatement Before Demolition in Portland
Typical cost in Portland
- Abatement of a whole house before demolition or deconstruction$8,500 – $25,000+
Before a Portland house comes down, the asbestos comes out, and the city wants proof of it. We arrange the whole-house survey, file the DEQ notices, remove what the survey found and hand over the close-out letter. Your demolition or deconstruction contractor can then start on a clean structure.
Oregon’s owner-occupant survey exemption doesn’t apply to a house that will be demolished, so every teardown of a home built before 2004 starts with an accredited survey. We clear houses for demolition in Portland, Milwaukie and Gladstone.
Demolition paperwork we handle
Close-out letter
When the survey finds asbestos, the licensed abatement firm writes a letter confirming everything identified was abated. It goes to the city with the DEQ notification forms and the asbestos waste shipment form.
Houses that must be deconstructed
Houses and duplexes built in 1940 or earlier have to be taken apart by a certified deconstruction contractor instead of being knocked down. Asbestos does not earn an exemption from that rule, so it still has to be abated first.
Garages and outbuildings
Portland’s deconstruction rule doesn’t cover garages and sheds. Tell us what else stands on the lot, and we will sort out what each structure needs.
Timing a teardown
A demolition has several clocks running at once.
DEQ notice
Friable removal can’t begin until DEQ has held the form and fee for 10 days. Nonfriable work needs five. We file the day the survey report lands.
City waiting period
In certain cases Portland adds a 35-day delay before a one- or two-family house can be demolished. That rule isn’t about asbestos, but it affects when the teardown can start.
Major remodels
Removing half or more of a house’s exterior walls above the foundation follows the same site-control rules, so the survey and close-out letter matter there too.
Survey first, through asbestos testing. Everything else is on the home page.
Request a free asbestos removal quote
We recommend calling, but do feel free to contact us using this form. We'll get back to you with a free, personalized quote or additional questions as soon as possible. We're here to help.
Call (503) 852-9320