Demolition is no longer the wrecking-ball trade it was fifty years ago. Modern buildings are too tightly packed, too full of live services, and too close to neighbours for blunt approaches. Controlled, cut-based demolition is now the standard — and it is what CDS has specialized in since 1967. Interior strip-outs, structural modifications, selective concrete demolition, and full-site teardowns all follow the same principle: scan first, cut cleanly, lift safely, leave the site ready for what comes next.
Types of Demolition We Perform
Interior and selective demolition
Taking out walls, slabs, mechanical pads, and structures inside an occupied or soon-to-be-renovated building. Low vibration, dust-controlled, noise-limited — because the neighbours are still there.
Structural demolition
Cutting out load-bearing elements — beams, columns, shear walls, slab sections. Shoring and temporary bracing are designed before any cut starts.
Concrete demolition
Our specialty. See our concrete demolition page for the full scope — slabs, walls, bridge decks, foundations, and more.
Exterior and site demolition
Pavement removal, curb and sidewalk demo, retaining wall removal, and pad demolition. Material goes to crushing or landfill depending on project direction.
Our Demolition Workflow
Scope and pre-demolition survey
We walk the site, review drawings, and flag hazards: asbestos, lead paint, PCB ballasts, hidden services. A pre-demolition survey with a qualified assessor is coordinated where needed.
Scanning
GPR scanning and utility locating map what is inside or under the structure. Nothing gets cut blind.
Isolation and shoring
Services are isolated and capped. Temporary shoring supports loads that the final structure will carry after demolition.
Cut and lift
Diamond sawing, wire sawing, and core drilling break the target structure into manageable sections. Rigging and mechanical handling lift sections out without collateral damage.
Load out and site clean-up
Materials go to recycling, crushing, or disposal. Slurry is vacuumed, debris is contained, and documentation — waste manifests, diversion percentages — is delivered with the final invoice.
Safety and Compliance
Ontario demolition work is governed by the Occupational Health and Safety Act construction regulation (O. Reg. 213/91). CDS operates with full WSIB clearance, $5M liability insurance, and a documented health and safety program. Our supervisors hold current competent-person qualifications under the regulation.
Why CDS for Demolition
Most demolition contractors either swing hammers or swing wrecking balls. CDS cuts. That matters when the demolition has to happen inside, beside, or under something that must stay intact. Our team handles scanning, cutting, lifting, hauling, and removal under one roof — and has for nearly six decades.
Serving Hamilton and All of Ontario
From our Hamilton shop at 276 Ferrie St E, crews reach Burlington, Oakville, Mississauga, Toronto, Brampton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph, Cambridge, St. Catharines, Niagara, London, and every point between. For projects in Northern Ontario, Eastern Ontario, or remote sites, we mobilize with self-contained power and water so work does not stall on access.
Demolition FAQ
Can you demo while the rest of the building stays open?
Yes. Interior demolition in live facilities is our regular work — hospitals, schools, food plants, retail centres, office towers.
Do you handle hazardous materials?
We coordinate with licensed abatement contractors for asbestos, lead, and PCB removal. Demolition follows abatement completion and clearance.
How quickly can you start?
Mobilization can begin within days for most scopes. Emergency demolition after structural damage or fire is available 24/7 across the GTA and Golden Horseshoe.
Do you recycle demolition waste?
Yes. Concrete routes to crushing; steel to scrap recyclers; wood and drywall to diversion streams where available. Diversion percentages are reported for LEED and corporate sustainability tracking.
Is controlled demolition more expensive than traditional demolition?
Per cubic yard, yes. Per project, usually no — the cost of damage to neighbouring structures, lost tenant revenue, and schedule overruns from blunt demolition almost always exceeds the premium for cutting-based work.
Emergency Demolition
Fire, flood, vehicle impact, and structural failure do not wait for a tender process. CDS runs a 24/7 emergency demolition response for the GTA and Golden Horseshoe — engineering liaison, immediate shoring, and controlled removal of failed structure to make the rest of the building safe. Call (905) 529-6029 at any hour.
Sustainability Reporting
LEED v4, CAGBC’s Zero Carbon Building Standard, and corporate sustainability programs all want demolition data: waste diverted from landfill, percent recycled, embodied carbon of materials retained. CDS tracks tonnage in and tonnage out by stream — concrete, steel, wood, drywall — and delivers the data in the format the project’s sustainability consultant asks for. That visibility is a real differentiator on green-building tenders.
What is the typical lead time to start?
Most straightforward demolition scopes start within one to two weeks from award. Projects requiring abatement, permits, or engineer’s approval of shoring plans add to that timeline.
Plan controlled demolition with a single contractor
Concrete Drilling & Sawing Ltd. (CDS) has served Hamilton and all of Ontario since 1967. Licensed, insured, and ready to mobilize on short notice — residential, commercial, and industrial.
Phone: (905) 529-6029 | Toll-Free: 1-800-241-5708
Shop: 276 Ferrie St E, Hamilton, ON L8L 3T7 · View on Google Maps
This service falls under our scanning services. Below are the most directly related services from the same team — and a couple from our other practice area when the work overlaps.
Related Services
Other CDS specialties that often pair with this work:
- the demolition-contractor page
- scan before demolition
- buried-services locating
- X-ray-equivalent scanning
From our other practice area:
Quotes by phone: (905) 529-6029 (Hamilton) or 1-800-241-5708 (toll-free across Ontario).
Based in Hamilton, CDS serves projects across Ontario — see our where we work across Ontario, including concrete contractor service in Ottawa, London and Windsor.