Partial Demolition on the Central Coast

What partial demolition on the Central Coast actually involves

Building Commission NSW says demolishing work has not been regulated under the Home Building Act since 2 May 2008. Where part of a house comes out as one stage of a renovation, how that contract treats the demolition is a question for your builder, not this page. The approval route depends on the whole project: a development application or a complying development certificate.

Keeping the rest of the house standing

SafeWork NSW's demolition code says the structure and all its parts should be kept stable so that nothing collapses unexpectedly, with temporary braces, propping or shoring added where needed, and that no part of the job should weaken another building or let water into it. Lateral support for an adjoining structure should be at least what the demolished part gave it, which matters for an attached or semi-detached wall.

The WHS Regulation covers renovation separately: before refurbishing residential premises, the business doing it must identify the asbestos likely to be disturbed and remove it first, the same duty that applies to a full demolition. The NSW Government estimates that one in three NSW houses built or renovated between 1945 and 1990 contains asbestos,. Lead is the other old-house hazard: the NSW EPA says lead-based paint is found on houses built before 1970, and that if you can't test for it, it is best to assume paint is contaminated.

Partial Demolition on the Central Coast — common questions

Does a renovation strip-out need an asbestos check?

Where the building went up before 31 December 2003, yes. The asbestos-before-demolition part of the WHS Regulation applies to demolition or refurbishment of structures built before that date, though not to minor or routine maintenance.

Can I take out asbestos sheeting myself?

The NSW Government says a homeowner may remove less than 10 square metres of non-friable asbestos in their own home, but recommends a licensed asbestos removalist even then, and says more than 10 square metres or any friable asbestos needs a licensed asbestos removalist. It gives a 5 metre by 2 metre wall, or the wall sheeting of one small bathroom, as a guide to 10 square metres.

Does the Home Building Act cover a partial demolition job?

Not a job that is only demolition: the Act excludes demolition work from residential building work. If the demolition is one part of a renovation contract, ask your builder how the contract deals with it.