Residential Demolition in Central New York

Backwell self performs every residential demolition trade in house, including asbestos abatement (NYS DOL licensed). One phone call, one contract, one crew from permit pull through site restoration. Service area covers Onondaga, Oswego, Madison, Oneida, Cayuga, Cortland, Wayne, and Jefferson counties.

Pick Your Project

Companion Services

Why Backwell for Residential Demolition

Asbestos abatement is in house

Most residential demolition contractors in CNY subcontract asbestos to a separate firm. Backwell holds NYS Department of Labor asbestos handler and contractor licenses and performs abatement in house. For a typical pre 1980 home with asbestos floor tile, pipe insulation, and possibly siding, this saves the homeowner the cost of two separate contractors and weeks of coordination.

Owner operated

Ron owns and runs Backwell. Phone calls answered directly at (315) 400-2654. Same week site visits, free written estimates.

Heavy equipment fleet

Cat 320, 336, 374 excavators with thumbs and demo shears. Cat D6 and D8 dozers. Articulated dump trucks. Skid steers for tight access. Dust suppression. We do not rent the gear, we own it, which is why we hit schedule.

Fully bonded and insured

$2M general liability, workers compensation, NYS DOL asbestos abatement license, NYSDEC SWPPP compliant, ISNetworld member, OSHA 30 certified.

Permits and Pre Demolition Requirements

Every residential demolition in NY requires the same baseline approvals. Backwell handles all of these as part of standard scope, the homeowner does not chase paperwork:

• Municipal demolition permit from the town or city building department
• Utility disconnect signoffs from gas (National Grid or NYSEG), electric, water, and sewer
• NYSDEC asbestos notification if any asbestos containing material is present (required for nearly every pre 1980 home)
• Septic system abandonment per NYSDOH on rural properties (pump, crush or fill the tank, mark the location)
• Underground tank removal documentation for any buried petroleum or heating oil tanks

Service Area

Free site visits across the eight county Central NY region:

• Onondaga County: Syracuse, North Syracuse, Liverpool, Cicero, Camillus, Manlius, Baldwinsville, DeWitt, Salina, Skaneateles, Marcellus
• Oswego County: Oswego, Fulton, Pulaski, Phoenix, Mexico, Constantia
• Madison County: Oneida, Canastota, Hamilton, Cazenovia, Chittenango
• Oneida County: Utica, Rome, New Hartford, Whitestown, Marcy
• Cayuga County: Auburn, Weedsport, Moravia
• Cortland, Wayne, Jefferson counties: outer service area

Common Questions

Which page should I read for my project?

Use the cards above. House Demolition covers whole structure teardowns. The other cards drill into specific structure types (garage, barn, pool, mobile home, fire damaged). All cost ranges, timelines, and FAQs live on the subtype pages.

Do I need to test for asbestos before demolishing my house?

Yes. NYS DOL requires testing of suspect materials before any demolition disturbance for buildings constructed before 1980. Backwell performs both the testing and the abatement in house if asbestos is confirmed.

How fast can you start?

Site visit within 5 business days of your call. Written estimate within 2 business days of the site visit. Demo work usually starts 2 to 6 weeks out depending on permit turnaround and abatement scope. Faster on emergency or insurance billed jobs.

Do you work outside the eight county region?

Sometimes. Larger projects (multi structure, commercial scale) we will travel for. For a single residential demo outside CNY, call us first and we will tell you honestly whether we are the right fit.

Ready for a free estimate? Call (315) 400-2654. Ron answers.