Industrial Demolition Services for Denver Metro Sites

The 57-year-old viaduct removed by the Central 70 Project between Brighton and Colorado boulevards is a useful reminder of what demolition in this metro involves: a structure that had been carrying traffic for decades, surrounded by neighborhoods, rail and utilities, taken down while everything around it stayed in service. Industrial demolition is rarely about a blank field. It is about removing a building without hurting the one next door.

We demolish plants, warehouses, tank farms, process structures, loading docks, rail-served buildings and obsolete industrial improvements across the Denver metro, then clear and grade the site for the next use. Scopes range from interior strip-out to full structure removal, including foundations, slabs, buried utilities, pits and tanks.

Demolition is where redevelopment projects either gain months or lose them. Utilities that were not capped, hazardous materials that were not identified and neighbors who were not informed turn a three-week takedown into a six-month dispute. We plan the work so the next builder inherits a clean, documented, compacted pad.

Permits, Surveys and Notifications

The demolition path starts with paperwork. Owners need a demolition permit from the city or county, utility disconnects with written confirmation from each provider, and asbestos and other hazardous materials surveys before disturbance begins. Where regulated materials are found, licensed abatement contractors remove them and air monitoring documents the work. Local jurisdictions may also require notice to neighbors, historic review for older structures and stormwater controls for the cleared site.

We handle these steps in sequence, tracking approvals so crews are not mobilized before the paperwork is in. Because code and review practices vary from one metro city to the next, we start with the local building department and confirm what it expects, including whether the cleared lot needs fencing, dust control or a landscaped cover until redevelopment begins.

From Strip-Out to Cleared Pad

The usual order is utilities, hazardous materials, interior strip-out, structural demolition and foundation removal. We disconnect and cap water, sewer, gas and electric service, remove equipment, piping and ductwork, and take out roofs and walls by mechanical methods suited to the structure. Steel is cut and sorted for recycling, concrete is crushed or hauled to recyclers, and masonry and other debris are segregated.

Below grade is as important as above. We remove footings, slabs, pits, sumps and old tanks, fill the voids with engineered material compacted in lifts and grade the site to drain. When the owner plans new construction, the site clearing and mass grading partners we coordinate prepare the pad, and where only a floor needs removal, our demolition and slab replacement work is the better fit.

Sequencing a Takedown Beside Operating Neighbors

Time of day, haul routes and crane positions all matter. We schedule noisy and dusty work to avoid shift changes next door, wet the site to control dust, and bring crushers and loading equipment on a timeline that keeps trucks off busy streets at peak hours. If rail or a shared drive crosses the site, we arrange protection and access with the operators.

Winter and spring matter too: frozen ground slows underground removal, and wet spring conditions affect compaction of backfill. Denver averages about 49 to 54 inches of snow per year, so we allow for weather days, protect exposed utilities and avoid leaving open excavations through a thaw. A clear schedule, shared with the owner and the next builder, lets the new project start on a date everyone can plan around.

Planning the Takedown Around What Comes Next

Because we build as well as demolish, we ask what the next use needs. A building that will be replaced by a warehouse needs a different pad than one converted to a yard. We often save usable slabs, utilities or foundations to cut cost, and we test the retained elements so the new design can rely on them. Early involvement from preconstruction keeps these decisions on the table before demolition starts.

Salvage and recycling also reduce cost. Structural steel, copper, aluminum and equipment may have value, and crushed concrete can return to the site as structural fill or base course when the geotechnical engineer approves. We document quantities and haul tickets so owners can see where material went, and we report diversion where a lender or tenant asks for it.

Redevelopment Is Reshaping Old Industrial Ground

The former Stapleton International Airport site covers about 4,700 acres and closed in 1995 when Denver International Airport opened; the mixed-use redevelopment at Stapleton and Central Park is projected to create about 13,000 jobs and 1,100 acres of new parks and open space at build-out. Redevelopment at that scale starts with removing what the previous use left behind.

On a smaller scale, Englewood CityCenter is a 55-acre district bounded by Santa Fe Drive, Elati Street, Hampden Avenue and Floyd Avenue; the property was foreclosed in August 2018, and the city issued a Request for Proposals for a master developer in 2019. Sites like these need a demolition contractor who can work with cities, lenders and master developers on staged clearing. The south-metro industrial areas around Englewood follow the same pattern as older buildings are retired.

Where We Take Buildings Down

We work throughout the metro, from Denver proper and the north industrial areas to Adams County, the west suburbs and the south corridor. Owners in metals and heavy industry and other sectors who are removing outdated plants and warehouses in Denver, for example, often combine the takedown with site cleanup for a new manufacturing plant or distribution building.

Clear the Site on a Schedule You Can Plan Around

Send us the building, the survey and what you plan to build next. We will return a demolition scope, a permit and abatement path, and a clear schedule and price.

Common Questions

What has to happen before demolition can begin?

Utilities must be disconnected and confirmed, hazardous material surveys completed, abatement carried out where required, and a demolition permit issued. Neighbors and agencies may need notice. We track each step so equipment arrives only when the site is ready.

Who handles asbestos and other hazardous materials?

Licensed abatement contractors remove regulated materials, and air monitoring confirms the work. We coordinate their schedule with ours so demolition begins as soon as the building is cleared, and we keep documentation for the owner and lender.

Can concrete from the building be reused on site?

Often. Crushed concrete can serve as base course or structural fill when the geotechnical engineer approves the gradation and quality. Reusing it saves hauling and import costs, and we document quantities for you.

How do you control dust and noise next to operating businesses?

We water the work, use dust screens, schedule heavy breaking away from shift changes and station monitors where needed. Noise limits depend on the local jurisdiction. We talk with neighbors ahead of time so surprises are rare.

What condition will the site be in when you finish?

We leave a graded, drained, compacted pad with utilities capped and documented, perimeter fencing as needed, and stormwater controls in place. If a new building follows, we can prepare the pad to its foundation requirements rather than a generic grade.

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