Hiring a demolition contractor is a risk-management decision. The wrong choice costs more than the quote — structural damage, tenant complaints, schedule slippage, and WSIB claims show up weeks after the last truck leaves. CDS has been the Ontario demolition contractor that general contractors, property managers, and civil engineers come back to since 1967. Fifty-eight years of one family, one specialty, one province.
What Makes a Demolition Contractor Worth Hiring
- Specialization. General contractors who occasionally demo do not have the rigs, operators, or instincts of a full-time crew. We demo for a living.
- Insurance and compliance. $5M commercial general liability, WSIB clearance, competent-person supervisors, and a documented safety program that passes prime contractor audits.
- Equipment depth. Wall saws, floor saws, wire saws, core drills, GPR scanners, rigging, and haul capacity — all owned and maintained.
- Waste accountability. Manifests, diversion percentages, and documentation that satisfies LEED, CAGBC, and corporate sustainability tracking.
- Phone answered by a scheduler. Not a voicemail tree, not an overseas call centre — a Hamilton-based dispatcher who can answer the question in front of you.
Project Types We Demolish
- Commercial interior demolition for tenant fit-ups and renovations
- Industrial plant modifications, equipment pad removal, and process line changes
- Structural concrete demolition — walls, slabs, columns, beams
- Bridge and overpass rehabilitation — deck, parapet, and abutment removal
- Parking garage rehabilitation — deck sections, ramps, and barrier walls
- Sitework demolition — pavement, curbs, foundations, and pads
- Selective residential demolition for major renovations
Our Demolition Approach — Cut, Not Crush
Wrecking balls and hydraulic hammers work on greenfield teardowns with no neighbours. They do not work beside live tenants, adjacent owners, or load-bearing structures that must stay up. CDS uses diamond cutting and controlled rigging for virtually every Ontario demolition we touch — fast, quiet, low-vibration, and easier to predict. For the full approach see our demolition services and concrete cutting services pages.
Credentials and Safety
- Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) clearance certificate available on request
- $5,000,000 commercial general liability insurance
- Compliance with Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulation 213/91 for construction projects
- Competent-person supervision on every demolition project
- COR-aligned internal safety program (documented, audited, continuously improved)
- Drug and alcohol testing program for operators on request
Why General Contractors Choose CDS
The construction managers we work with repeatedly say three things: CDS mobilizes fast, CDS closes out clean, CDS does not leave surprises. That reputation took decades to build and it is what we protect on every project, no matter how small.
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 Contractor FAQ
Do you handle small residential demolition?
Yes — foundation cuts, basement underpinning, pool pad removal, and selective interior demolition. We also do large commercial and industrial work, but we have not outgrown small jobs.
Can you bid lump-sum or unit-rate?
Both. Most commercial tenders are lump-sum with allowances for unforeseen conditions; civil and municipal work is often unit-rate.
How do you handle change orders?
Written change orders before work proceeds — pricing, schedule impact, and scope in one document. No surprises at invoicing.
Do you pull demolition permits?
We coordinate with the general contractor. On projects where CDS is the prime, we pull the permits directly.
What is your typical payment structure?
Progress billing per Ontario Construction Act, with holdback released per statutory timelines. References from long-term clients are available on request.
Long-Term Client Relationships
Fifty-eight years in one market builds a client list that tells a story. Municipalities, hospitals, universities, automotive plants, food and beverage producers, property managers, and general contractors who have worked with CDS across multiple projects and decades. Those relationships are built on the same basics every time: a quote we honour, a schedule we hit, a site we leave clean, and an invoice that matches the change orders. References across any of those sectors are available on request.
Transparent Change Management
Demolition uncovers surprises — a slab thicker than drawings said, a conduit no record showed, asbestos in a wall that was supposed to be clean. How the contractor handles surprises decides whether the project stays on schedule and on budget. CDS writes change orders on the day the condition is discovered, priced to the cost of the actual impact, with no padding and no games. That transparency has been our policy since 1967 and it is why general contractors come back.
Can you coordinate with our sustainability consultant?
Yes. Waste tracking, material manifests, and diversion reporting are standard deliverables on LEED and CAGBC projects.
Hire a proven Ontario demolition 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 GPR concrete scanning. 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
If the scope of your project also touches the areas below, this is where to start:
Cross-discipline services we run alongside this one:
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 service areas across Ontario, including concrete contractor service in Kitchener, Brantford and Niagara Region.