Tear down,
rebuild right.
A tear-down is more than 'demolish the house and start over' — it is a regulated process. California requires asbestos and lead-paint surveys for any structure built before 1981, SCAQMD Rule 1403 notification before any roofing or interior demolition begins, and a separate demolition permit from the local building department. We carry both halves of the work — compliant demo through ground-up build — under one contract so there is no handoff gap.
CA Lic. #1145233
“The demo permit and the survey trail are the legal record of how the building came down. We keep that record clean so the rebuild does not inherit liability from the teardown.”
What we mean by tear-down & rebuild.
T-01 · Single-family teardown + rebuild
- Size
- Replaces 1,200–3,500 sqft existing
- All-in
- $500 – $1,000 / sqft + $25k–$80k demo
- Schedule
- 14 – 22 months total
Most common scope. Demo runs 3–6 weeks (incl. survey + abatement); rebuild follows new-construction timeline.
T-02 · Partial retention (50%+ walls kept)
- Size
- Varies
- All-in
- 10–25% less than full teardown
- Schedule
- Compresses plan check 8–16 weeks
Some jurisdictions allow permit as major remodel if you retain 50%+ exterior walls. Cheaper at plan check; you inherit existing foundation and seismic risk.
T-03 · Hillside teardown
- Size
- Site-dependent
- All-in
- $700 – $1,300 / sqft + $50k–$200k demo
- Schedule
- 20 – 30 months total
Demo on hillside requires haul-route approval, dust control, and erosion-control plan. Rebuild on cleared hillside parcel often requires caissons or pier-and-grade-beam foundation.
T-04 · Duplex teardown + multifamily rebuild
- Size
- Replaces existing footprint
- All-in
- $420 – $750 / sqft + demo
- Schedule
- 16 – 24 months total
Owners replacing aging duplexes with new fourplex or small multifamily under SB 9 / SB 423 frameworks.
Real California cost ranges.
All-in 2026 tear-down + rebuild costs in the LA basin and Bay Area run $500–$1,000/sqft for flat-lot single-family (above original demo cost of $25k–$80k), and $700–$1,300/sqft for hillside or coastal rebuilds. Asbestos and lead abatement on pre-1981 structures adds $5k–$40k depending on contamination scope.
Demolition + abatement
Flat-lot SFR demo: $25k–$80k. Hillside demo: $50k–$200k. Asbestos / lead abatement: $5k–$40k. SCAQMD Rule 1403 notification + monitoring: ~$2k–$8k.
Survey + reporting
Pre-1981 structures require asbestos survey (~$1,500–$3,000) and lead survey (~$1,000–$2,500). Required before demo permit issues in most jurisdictions.
Haul + disposal
Concrete + framing waste hauled to certified C&D recycling facility per CALGreen 5.408 (minimum 65% recycled). $8k–$25k for SFR.
Foundation strategy
If existing foundation is removed, new foundation per geotech — slab $25–$45/sqft, pier + grade-beam $50–$90/sqft, caissons $80–$160/sqft.
Rebuild hard cost
Per ground-up SFR ranges: $400–$700/sqft production, $550–$850/sqft semi-custom, $850–$1,400/sqft hillside/coastal custom.
Soft costs
Architecture + structural + Title 24 + permits: 12–18% of hard-cost subtotal.
The permit path.
Tear-down + rebuild requires a separate demolition permit and a new-construction building permit. The demolition permit requires asbestos and lead surveys (homes built before 1981), SCAQMD Rule 1403 notification (filed 10 days before demo), utility disconnection sign-offs, and a C&D waste plan per CALGreen 5.408. The new-construction permit follows the standard ground-up path.
- Demolition permit + utility disconnect sign-offs
- Asbestos survey + abatement (pre-1981 structures, per CCR Title 8)
- Lead-paint survey + RRP-compliant abatement (pre-1978 structures, per EPA RRP)
- SCAQMD Rule 1403 notification (10 days before demo)
- C&D waste plan (CALGreen 5.408 — 65%+ recycled)
- Haul-route approval where required (hillside, narrow streets)
- New-construction building permit + MEP permits
- Grading permit if cut/fill > 50 cubic yards on rebuild
How California code shapes the work.
California demolition is regulated by SCAQMD (or the regional Air Quality Management District), CCR Title 8 for asbestos, the EPA Renovation, Repair, and Painting rule for lead, and CALGreen for construction waste recycling. The local building department enforces all four at the demo permit and final inspection.
What the schedule actually looks like.
- Step 012 – 4 weeks
Surveys + abatement plan
Asbestos + lead surveys, abatement scope, SCAQMD filing.
- Step 022 – 6 weeks
Demo permit + utility disconnect
Permit issuance + LADWP / utility disconnect sign-offs.
- Step 031 – 3 weeks
Abatement
Licensed abatement contractor, third-party clearance.
- Step 042 – 5 weeks
Demolition + haul
Structural demo, foundation removal (if applicable), C&D recycling.
- Step 051 – 3 weeks
Site clearance + grade
Rough grade, erosion control, ready for rebuild foundation.
- Step 0616 – 32 weeks
Rebuild plan check
New-construction plan check — runs in parallel with demo when possible.
- Step 0710 – 20 months
Rebuild construction
Per ground-up SFR schedule.
How we run this work.
We split the engagement into demo and rebuild so each half is priced and permitted on its own terms. Surveys come first — you do not commit to demo cost until the asbestos and lead reports are back and the abatement scope is firm.
The demo permit and SCAQMD notification run on a 10-day window; we coordinate utility disconnects, neighbor notifications, and haul-route approval inside that window so the abatement contractor and demo crew can sequence cleanly.
Rebuild plan check runs in parallel with demo when the building department allows it. By the time the lot is cleared and graded, the new-construction permit is usually issued — minimizing the empty-lot interval.
Frequently asked.
- Do I need an asbestos survey if my house is from the 1970s?
- Yes. California regulates asbestos under CCR Title 8 §1529 and SCAQMD Rule 1403; any structure built before 1981 must be surveyed for asbestos before demolition. Common asbestos materials include popcorn ceilings, vinyl floor tile, mastic, pipe insulation, HVAC duct wrap, drywall joint compound, and roofing material.
- Can I keep the existing foundation?
- Usually no for a true tear-down + rebuild. Existing foundations rarely meet current seismic provisions and load paths. Some jurisdictions allow you to retain the foundation if you can engineer it to current code; that analysis costs a few thousand in structural engineering and often comes out negative.
- How long does demolition take?
- For a typical 1,500–2,500 sqft SFR on a flat lot: 2–4 weeks of actual demo work, preceded by 4–8 weeks of permit + utility disconnect + abatement scheduling. Hillside demolition runs longer due to haul-route and erosion-control requirements.
- What is SCAQMD Rule 1403?
- South Coast Air Quality Management District Rule 1403 requires advance notification, asbestos survey, and (when asbestos is present) a licensed abatement contractor before any renovation or demolition. Other California air districts have equivalent rules. Filed at least 10 working days before demo starts.
- Will my haul route need separate approval?
- On hillside parcels, narrow streets, or routes that pass schools / hospitals, yes. The traffic and public works department reviews the haul plan and may require off-peak hours, flagger crews, or alternate routing.
- Does CALGreen require I recycle the demo waste?
- Yes. CALGreen §5.408 requires diversion of at least 65% of construction and demolition waste from landfill, documented on a Waste Management Plan submitted with the permit. We use certified C&D recycling facilities and provide the diversion documentation.
- Can I live in the old house while you design the new one?
- Yes. Permit + design typically runs 6–10 months on a flat-lot SFR; you stay in the existing structure until the rebuild permit is issued, then move out, demolish, and rebuild. Some owners also rent during the build window itself.
Start with a feasibility memo.
Tell us about the parcel and the program. We'll come back with a written feasibility memo before any design work starts.
Want a real number for your Tear Down Rebuild job?
- We open the books on similar jobs from the last 24 months
- Hand-built estimate, not a software auto-quote
- Includes permits, finishes, and the boring stuff
3-day turnaround · Free