Demolition Services in Newmarket — Tear-Downs, Garages, Decks

OCM Excavation & Construction runs demolition work across Newmarket — full residential tear-downs in Glenway and Stonehaven, detached garage take-downs near Historic Downtown, deck and sunroom removals in Summerhill, and interior strip-outs for custom rebuilds along Davis Drive. We handle the permit paperwork, pre-1990 asbestos screening, hoarding, dust control, and clean hauling to licensed transfer stations. One crew, one phone number. Call 416-317-3090 for a site visit and a written demolition quote.

What we demolish in Newmarket

Newmarket’s housing stock runs wide. Historic Downtown lots near Main Street and Water Street carry century homes on narrow frontages with mature canopy. Glenway and Woodland Hill are full of 1970s and 1980s bungalows now selling as tear-down land for two-storey custom builds. Stonehaven hits estate scale at the northeast edge. Each one needs a different demolition plan. The work we cover in Newmarket:

• Full house tear-downs — bungalow or two-storey to slab or open dirt, ready for a new foundation excavation.
• Detached garages and sheds — common in Historic Downtown where the original 1940s frame garage no longer passes a home inspection.
• Decks, gazebos, sunrooms — Summerhill and Glenway backyards where the original cedar deck has rotted at the ledger.
• Interior strip-outs — gut to studs for kitchen, bath, or whole-home renovations.
• Driveways, walkways, patios — concrete and asphalt removal with proper haul-off.
• Pool decommissioning — old in-ground pools collapsed, drained, and backfilled to engineered spec.

Our Newmarket demolition process

Demolition in Newmarket is not just swinging a bucket. The Town requires a demolition permit before any structure comes down, and any pre-1990 building needs a designated substances survey — asbestos in floor tile, pipe wrap, vermiculite insulation, plaster, and drywall mud. Lead paint shows up on older trim. We pull the permit, book the survey, line up the abatement contractor when needed, and only then start the physical demo.

Before the machine arrives we disconnect gas with Enbridge, cap water at the curb stop with the Town, and confirm hydro is pulled by Newmarket-Tay Power Distribution. We install hoarding or temporary fencing to protect the sidewalk and any neighbour trees. Dust is controlled with a water cannon on the bucket. On a typical Glenway bungalow we are down to clean grade in two to four days, plus another day for foundation removal if the new build wants open dirt.

Trees, conservation, and the Holland River corridor

Newmarket’s Private Tree Protection By-law requires a permit to remove any private tree larger than 20 cm in diameter measured at 1.4 m above grade. That catches almost every mature maple, oak, or ash on a tear-down lot. We mark, measure, and document trees before submitting the demolition application so the Town review moves cleanly. Dead or hazardous trees still need a permit — usually no fee — but the paperwork still has to land.

Properties near the East Holland River sit inside Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority regulated area under Ontario Regulation 41/24. LSRCA — not TRCA — controls work near the watercourse. If your Newmarket lot is in a regulated zone we coordinate the LSRCA permit before any equipment crosses the property line.

Hauling, sorting, and clean grade

Once the structure is down, the job is really about what leaves the site. Newmarket lots in the Historic Downtown often have no room for a 40-yard bin out front, so we run tandem-axle trucks and load directly. Wood, metal, concrete, drywall, and shingles get separated for recycling where possible. Asbestos and lead-painted material go to licensed disposal under separate manifest. We finish every demolition with the site raked, foundation hole open or backfilled per your builder’s spec, and the driveway broom-swept.

Why Newmarket homeowners and builders call OCM

We are an excavation contractor first, demolition crew second. That means the same team that knocks the house down can keep digging — foundation, footings, weeping tile, septic decommissioning, lot regrading — without a hand-off to a second contractor. Newmarket custom builders use us because the demo and the dig become one schedule, one invoice, one point of contact. If you also need the excavation side, see our Newmarket excavation page or the full list of GTA service areas we cover.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit to demolish a garage or house in Newmarket?

Yes. The Town of Newmarket requires a demolition permit for any structure with a foundation or attached to a service line. That covers houses, detached garages, large sheds, and most accessory buildings. Sheds under a certain footprint and free-standing decks may be exempt. We confirm the requirement before quoting and pull the permit in your name as part of the job.

How long does a full house tear-down take in Newmarket?

From permit-in-hand, a typical Newmarket bungalow or two-storey is two to four days of active demolition, plus one day for foundation removal and grade-out. Pre-demo work — utility disconnects, asbestos abatement, hoarding — usually adds one to three weeks calendar time depending on Enbridge and Newmarket-Tay Power scheduling. We sequence everything so the dig crew can move in the day after demo ends.

Does my Newmarket home have asbestos?

If it was built before 1990, assume yes until tested. Common locations are 9 x 9 floor tile, the black mastic under it, pipe insulation in the basement, vermiculite in the attic, plaster, and drywall joint compound. Ontario law requires a designated substances survey before demolition. We book a third-party surveyor and a licensed abatement crew if the report comes back positive.

What about the mature trees on my Glenway or Stonehaven lot?

Any private tree over 20 cm DBH falls under Newmarket’s Private Tree Protection By-law and needs a permit before removal. Trees you want to keep need protection zones fenced before demolition starts — the Town will inspect. We mark, measure, and document everything during the site visit and submit the tree paperwork alongside the demolition permit so nothing stalls the build schedule.

Can OCM handle the excavation after the demo?

Yes — that is most of our Newmarket demolition work. The same crew continues straight into foundation excavation, footings, drainage, and lot regrading. One contract, one schedule, one warranty. For builders this removes the typical two-week gap between demo and dig, and you only ever call 416-317-3090 for updates.

Do you work near the East Holland River?

Yes, but those Newmarket properties sit inside the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority regulated area under Ontario Regulation 41/24. Demolition, grading, and any soil disturbance near the watercourse needs LSRCA approval in addition to the Town’s demolition permit. We coordinate the LSRCA file as part of our pre-construction work so the timeline stays on track.

Ready to book your Newmarket demolition

If you have a tear-down planned in Newmarket — Glenway, Stonehaven, Summerhill, Historic Downtown, or anywhere in between — call OCM Excavation & Construction at 416-317-3090 or request a free quote online. We will walk the site, scope the demo, flag any asbestos or tree-permit issues, and come back with a written number. No middlemen, no surprises.

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