Demolition of commercial buildings usually needs the permission of the concerned local building department before starting the job, and other state and federal requirements depend on the project. California Contractors State License Board says that a permit is needed for the demolition of any building or structure, but the local requirement depends on the city or county where the project is being done.
Commercial property owners also need to consider Cal/OSHA demolition requirements, structural survey, utility control, hazard material inspection, asbestos requirements of Asbestos NESHAP, and many more.
Demolition Permits for Commercial Properties in California: What Permits Need to be Obtained First?
There is no one-size-fits-all permit for demolition projects across the state of California as per the California building code. According to California building codes, each building or structure requires a permit prior to its demolition, although the application requirements for each project vary depending on the applicable local jurisdiction.
Application of permits may vary depending on each project to include such things as:
- Local building or demolition permit
- Planning permission/review
- Plans/Calculations
- Coordination of utilities
- Hazardous materials documentation
- Asbestos documentation
- Requirements related to specific demolition project
What is being demolished is also a factor as the type of demolition, whether full structural demolition, partial demolition, interior or soft demolition or demolition associated with renovation will also affect what permits will be needed.
Local Permits Can Change From One California City to Another
Local criteria can differ significantly. For example, in Oakland, it states that demolition will require Planning approval and a Building Permit prior to commencing the demolition. In addition, its criteria are differentiating projects that involve demolition of more than half of a structure’s exterior walls and certain interior or soft-demolition projects.
This demonstrates the reason why a demolition project in California cannot be based on the general statewide checklist. In other words, a demolition project in Oakland, Sacramento, Vacaville, or other parts of California may involve various criteria, applications, reviews, etc.
Prior to scheduling the demolition, the project management should verify the following information:
- Which local authority issues the demolition or building permit.
- If Planning approval or some other kind of review is necessary.
- If the scope falls into the category of full, partial, structural or interior demolition.
- The required structural plans, calculations and other documents.
- The utility disconnection procedure.
- Whether there are any local environmental or hazardous material criteria involved.
By doing this early in the process, all parties involved in the project will get an idea about what should be done before mobilization.
Cal/OSHA Requirements Pertinent to Your Demolition Project
The need for local approval for the demolition project is just one component of compliance with commercial demolition rules. There are additional Cal/OSHA requirements that must be followed regarding demolition and worker safety by employers in California.
First, a Cal/OSHA permit is necessary for the demolition or dismantling of any structure or building that exceeds 36 feet in height. The annual permits may also be necessary in circumstances where employers other than the project administrator directly engage in specific permit required operations.
It should be mentioned that safety considerations go further than whether your demolition project requires a Cal/OSHA permit. You have to make sure that the demolition is conducted under the direction of qualified individuals and that you conduct an assessment and control hazards.
Main safety considerations are:
- Structural stability and potential collapse
- Falling materials and objects
- Access and falling hazards for workers
- Operating areas for equipment
- Utility hazards
- Dust and airborne contaminants
- Hazardous materials
- Stability of floors, walls, and adjacent structures
- Demolition debris removal
A site-specific safety plan needs to be developed based on your actual building and its demolition method.
What safety survey needs to be performed prior to commercial demolition?
Before employees undertake any demolition activities, a competent individual should perform the survey on the structure in order to assess the condition of the structure, floors, and walls and also consider whether an unexpected collapse can occur. Any other adjacent structures that would expose the employees must also be considered. The survey required under California Title 8 §1734 must be documented, kept on-site, and retained during the course of demolition.
The survey is essential because the demolition activities may quickly affect the structural conditions. Deficiencies identified must be corrected prior to undertaking any demolition activities.
Under Title 8 §1735, utilities must also be shut off, capped, or otherwise secured prior to demolition, except in some specified instances. Should the electricity and water supply need to remain on, then utilities should be properly relocated or safeguarded.
This requirement also requires the employer to establish whether hazardous chemicals, gases, explosives, flammables, or other hazardous materials were used within pipes, tanks, and equipment. In case the presence of hazards exists, testing, purging, and the removal of hazards is necessary prior to carrying out any demolitions.
Steps for Preparing a Commercial Property for Demolition
A standard demolition preparation process normally includes the following steps:
- Inspect the property.
Inspect the building, the condition of the building structure, neighboring buildings, past usage of the property and the planned demolition project scope.
- Get the needed permits.
Contact the relevant departments that handle building and planning matters and check what kind of permits and necessary documentation you will need.
- Conduct a structural inspection.
An expert needs to inspect the frames, floors, walls, nearby buildings, and any potential dangers of collapsing.
- Determine the location of utilities and hazardous substances.
Utilities disconnections must be arranged and investigation of any chemicals, gases, fuel, asbestos, lead or any other substance done.
- Take care of all notifications and compliance issues.
Where applicable, get Cal/OSHA, asbestos NESHAP, air-quality, environmental and local issues sorted out before mobilizing.
- Prepare the site.
Create safe work zones, make arrangements for equipment and worker safety, dust control, debris management, and other site-specific safety measures.
- Arrange for demolition and waste disposal.
The demolition contractor should be familiar with the approved demolition scope, the demolition sequence and the destination for regulated and non-regulated debris.
Safety Hazards Associated with Commercial Demolition
Commercial demolition may put workers, surrounding buildings, and people at risk for a variety of reasons. One such hazard is structural instability, which arises when walls, floors, machinery, or any other component is stripped away, altering the load paths.
Other safety hazards in this type of work include falling objects, weakened structure, dust, dangerous substances, electrical lines, moving equipment, and unstable adjacent buildings. The state of California’s laws pertaining to commercial demolition require ongoing inspections during the process in order to detect and correct hazards created by weakened or deteriorated floors, walls, and loose materials.
Controlling dust is another significant concern especially when demolition is conducted on contaminated or asbestos-filled buildings. Proper measures should be selected depending on the substance and demolition technique.
What Factors Should You Consider in Selecting a Commercial Demolition Contractor?
California commercial property owners shouldn't only look at price factors when selecting a demolition contractor. Some important factors that you need to consider are the contractor's license in California, any DOSH qualifications, the contractor's experience with the building to be demolished, safety policies, hazardous materials ability, and how they handle the disposal of debris.
Another factor would be determining if the contractor can coordinate demolition with other abatement or remediation services when included in the scope of work.
CAL INC's licenses include California Contractor License No. 657754, which includes the C-21 classification, and DOSH License No. 482.
Role of CAL INC in Coordinating Complex Demolition Projects
CAL INC performs building, interior or soft, industrial and DOSH demolition and says its expertise lies in the completion of full demolition projects. In addition to that, it offers expertise in asbestos, lead, mold and hazardous material abatement and remediation and hazardous hauling and disposal.
CAL INC was established in 1979 and is licensed by the state of California as well as for DOSH and, hence, when coordination is needed between demolition and hazardous materials projects, having all these capabilities in one contractor is beneficial.
Learn more about CAL INC's Demolition Services,Licenses and Certifications, andFire Damage and Debris Cleanup Services.