You have picked a builder, chosen a design and signed the contract. Now the old house has to go. Demolition is the first job on a knockdown rebuild, and it sets the pace for everything after it. Here is what happens before your builder can start, and what you can do to keep it on track.

Step 1: Approvals

In NSW, demolition is either Complying Development or it needs a Development Application.

A CDC, short for complying development certificate, is a fast track approval. Your council or a private registered certifier can issue it, as long as the job fits the state's complying development rules (the Codes SEPP). Many house demolitions in Western Sydney go this way, often together with the new home.

A Development Application goes to council. Heritage items and many heritage conservation areas usually push a job to a DA. Flood and bushfire notations, which are common near the Nepean, the Georges River, the Hawkesbury and the bushland edges, can also affect the path.

Start with your council's planning certificate. It lists the notations on your land. Your builder or certifier will usually handle the paperwork for the new home, but check who is getting the approval for the demolition, and make sure it covers everything that needs to come down: the house, the garage, the pool and any sheds.

Step 2: Hazardous materials survey

If your house was built before 1990, it may contain asbestos. A hazardous materials survey before demolition tells you what is there and where. In Western Sydney's fibro cottages and 1960s to 1980s brick veneer homes, it often finds asbestos in the wall sheeting, eaves, wet areas, vinyl floor backing and flues.

Get this done early. It shapes the demolition quote and the program.

Step 3: Disconnections

Every service has to be disconnected and made safe before demolition starts:

Electricity through Endeavour Energy, which runs the network across Western Sydney
Water and sewer, booked with Sydney Water
Gas, capped by Jemena
Telecommunications, such as the NBN or copper lines

Some of these applications have to come from the owner, and some take a while. This is the step that most often holds up a knockdown rebuild, so start it as soon as you have a demolition date in mind. We coordinate the disconnections with you and confirm each one is done.

Step 4: Asbestos removal

The asbestos comes off before the house comes down. Past 10 square metres of bonded sheeting, NSW law says a licensed removalist has to do it, and the crumbly friable kind is always Class A work. The regulator gets notice before the licensed crew starts.

The removalists seal off the work area, wet the material to limit dust and take it off as whole as they can. It is wrapped up and trucked to a site that is legally allowed to take it, and the EPA logs the load in WasteLocate.

Then the area gets checked. For bonded sheeting, an independent and competent person does the check. For friable jobs, it has to be a licensed asbestos assessor. Once they sign the clearance certificate, the demolition can start. Hang on to that piece of paper. Your builder and your certifier will both ask for it.

Step 5: Demolition

Now the machines come in. Before any digging, Before You Dig Australia (BYDA) checks show where live services run. The neighbours are told what is happening. Trees and fences that are staying are protected.

The house is taken down by excavator, in a planned order, with water used to keep dust down. Materials are sorted as they come out:

Brick and concrete are kept separate so they can be crushed and recycled
Steel, roofing iron and old pipe go to scrap metal recyclers
Timber and green waste are separated where practical

On a typical suburban block with good access, the demolition itself is usually a matter of days. The weeks often go on the steps before it.

Step 6: Slab, footings and site handover

What your builder wants at handover matters as much as the demolition. Ask them in writing:

Do they want the slab, footings and piers removed?
Should old pipework and stormwater lines be taken out?
Do they want the block scraped and levelled, or left as is?
Which trees, fences or structures stay?
Do they need anything for their own site set-up, like a clear area for a site shed or a temporary fence line?

We work to that list, then hand the block over clear and level, with the asbestos clearance certificate and disposal records.

Keeping your build on time

A few simple things keep a knockdown rebuild moving:

Start disconnections early. They are the most common hold-up.
Get the hazardous materials survey done before you sign off on a demolition date.
Share your builder's site requirements with your demolition contractor. That avoids a second visit.
Clear out the house and sheds. Furniture, rubbish and personal items left behind add time.
Tell the neighbours. A quick heads-up goes a long way.

Ready to start?

If you are planning a knockdown rebuild in Western Sydney, send us the address, a few photos of the house and block, and your builder's start date. We will come back with a clear quote and a program that works back from your builder's timeline.

Knockdown Rebuild in Western Sydney: The Demolition Steps Before Your Builder Starts