Tearing down an old house, garage, barn or small commercial building is often step one of a new project. Reach Dirt Works handles residential and light commercial demolition across Snohomish County, from the structure down to the foundation. We leave the site graded and ready for what comes next. We’re a family-owned excavation contractor based in Snohomish.
What’s Included
- Structure demolition. Houses, mobile homes, garages, sheds, barns and small commercial buildings.
- Foundation and slab removal. We break out and remove concrete footings, slabs and old foundations.
- Debris haul-off. We load and remove demolition debris.
- Backfill and compaction. We fill basements and foundation holes and compact them.
- Site restoration and grading. The lot is left graded and ready for site prep or landscaping.
- Old driveways, patios and outbuildings. We remove hardscape and minor structures.
Common Projects
- Teardowns ahead of a replacement home or new build
- Removing a fire- or storm-damaged structure
- Old barns, sheds and outbuildings on acreage
- Mobile home removal
- Small commercial buildings and pads ahead of redevelopment
Local Considerations
Asbestos survey first. For demolition in Snohomish County, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency requires the property owner or their agent to have an AHERA-certified building inspector survey the structure for asbestos. The results go to the contractor, and a copy stays on site.
Clean air notification and waiting period. An Asbestos/Demolition Notification has to be filed with Puget Sound Clean Air Agency before demolition. That applies to any structure with more than 120 square feet of roof area, even if no asbestos is found, including mobile homes. Demolitions carry a 10-day waiting period unless the agency waives it. Plan for this in your schedule.
Demolition permit. Snohomish County PDS issues demolition permits for unincorporated areas. Cities issue their own; Lake Stevens, for example, asks for the asbestos survey, the Clean Air Agency notification and septic abandonment details with its application.
Septic tanks and wells. An abandoned septic tank has to be pumped, have its lid removed, and be filled with approved material or removed completely, under state rules (WAC 246-272A-0300). If you’ll rebuild on a septic system, the Snohomish County Health Department reviews the project for compatibility with the septic system and well.
Utilities. Power, gas and water services have to be disconnected before demolition, and we call 811 before excavating foundations.
Demolition FAQ
How long before demolition can start? Once the asbestos survey is done, the Clean Air Agency notification has a standard 10-day waiting period. Any local demolition permit has to be issued too. We’ll help you sequence it.
Do I need an asbestos survey for an old garage or shed? The Clean Air Agency’s survey and notification rules apply to demolition of structures, and notification is required for anything with more than 120 sq ft of roof area. Check with the agency for your specific building.
Do you remove the foundation and driveway too? Yes. Foundation, slab and old hardscape removal, backfill and grading are part of our demolition work.
Can you prep the lot for the new build right after? Yes. We can go straight from demolition into site prep, grading, retaining walls and a new driveway.
Areas We Serve
We work within about an hour of Snohomish, including Snohomish, Monroe, Lake Stevens, Marysville, Everett, Arlington, Granite Falls, Mill Creek, and unincorporated communities such as Machias, Cathcart, Clearview and Maltby. See all areas we serve.
Get a Free Quote
Reach Dirt Works is family owned and operated in Snohomish, WA. We’re licensed, bonded & insured (WA contractor license #REACHDW771Q7) and rated 5.0 stars on Google.
Call 360-512-2225 or request a free quote. Tell us where the property is and what you’re planning, and we’ll set up a site visit.
