Residential demolition
What should a homeowner check before hiring a demolition or junk removal company in Toronto?
By Anchor Demolition Scarborough · Updated
Ask for a current WSIB clearance certificate, proof of liability insurance, a written scope, and clear responsibility for permits and debris disposal. A company that cannot show the first two is the wrong company for work at your home.
Good documentation does not replace workmanship, but it gives the owner a verifiable starting point and makes responsibilities visible before the property becomes a work site.
Verify WSIB clearance
A WSIB clearance certificate shows that the business is registered and in good standing for the period shown. The homeowner should ask to see a current certificate rather than accept a verbal assurance or an old document.
Clearance matters because it helps establish that the contractor is meeting its workplace insurance obligations. Confirm the legal business named on the document matches the party entering the demolition agreement.
Review the insurance certificate
Ask for proof of current liability insurance and read the named insured, policy period and operations described. The certificate should belong to the contractor doing the work, not an unrelated party whose name merely appears on a truck or referral.
Insurance is not permission to work carelessly. It sits alongside site controls, trained workers and a clear agreement about neighbouring property, retained areas and public access.
Demand a plain written scope
The scope should identify exactly what is removed, what remains and the condition required at handover. It should address contents, fixtures, slabs, footings, services, debris, cleanup and exclusions that could otherwise be assumed.
For junk removal, it should distinguish accepted contents from hazardous or regulated material. For demolition, it should identify structural limits and the documents that must be ready before disturbance begins.
Confirm permits, surveys and disposal
Toronto Building is the authority for demolition permit requirements, and the garage permit guide explains one common case. OHSA section 30 places the duty on the owner to identify designated substances before demolition is tendered or arranged. O. Reg. 278/05 governs asbestos examination and work.
Ask who handles the permit process and where debris and junk will go. A responsible company can explain its receiving plan without giving vague answers about material disappearing after it leaves the driveway.
What Anchor provides
Anchor Demolition Scarborough provides its current WSIB clearance and proof of liability insurance, then records the requested demolition or junk-removal limits in writing. The site review covers access, retained areas, service responsibilities, debris streams and the required handover.
Anchor also shows photographs of its own work so an owner can assess relevant experience without relying on invented project stories. Permit, designated-substance and abatement duties are identified before scheduling, and Anchor does not perform asbestos abatement.
Questions about this topic
- Why should I ask for a WSIB clearance certificate?
- The certificate provides current, verifiable evidence that the contractor is registered and in good standing for the period shown. Check that the legal business on the certificate matches the company signing your agreement. A verbal statement or an unrelated company's document is not an equivalent check.
- What belongs in a demolition scope?
- The scope should name the rooms, structures and materials being removed, identify what stays, assign permit and service responsibilities, explain debris removal and state the handover condition. Slabs, footings, salvage, cleanup and regulated materials should not be left as assumptions between the owner and crew.
- Who is responsible for the designated-substances survey?
- OHSA section 30 places the information duty on the owner before demolition is tendered or arranged. The contractor should ask for the required information and plan around it, while qualified assessment and any asbestos work follow the applicable process under O. Reg. 278/05.
- Should a contractor explain where debris goes?
- Yes. The company should be able to describe how ordinary junk, demolition debris, recyclable streams and prohibited material are separated and directed to appropriate facilities or programs. The answer can remain general, but it should show that disposal is planned rather than hidden from the written scope.
Continue planning
Check requirements for your property
For requirements discussed in this guide, consult the applicable municipality and current primary sources before arranging work.