How do you go about locating the best demolition company? Well that’s easy when you have the professional team of this Los Angeles Demolition COMpany guarding and protecting your back. Demolition is a very touchy subject but once you locate this best Demolition Company then all will be right in the world and your demolition job can be the best ever for your new project to get started!

Verifying a demolition contractor’s insurance is a critical part of pre-screening your demolition contractor. Luckily, making sure your demolition contractor has the correct insurance is simple and easy. 

Ask your demolition contractor for the name of his insurance company. Also ask for the name of your demolition contractor’s insurance agent and that insurance agent’s contact information. Call your demolition contractor’s insurance agent and ask for proof of insurance. This certificate should only be obtained from an insurance agent, not from the demolition contractor. Unscrupulous demolition contractors often fake insurance certificates.

When you call your demolition contractor’s insurance agent also be sure to ask if certain types of demolition work is forbidden by the demolition contractor’s insurance policy. 

1. A Written Estimate

A written estimate, signed by the demolition contractor, that clearly outlines the expected costs of your demolition project.  A written estimate is the first part of hiring a demolition contractor. You should never hire a demolition contractor without receiving a written estimate first.

2. Proof of Insurance

Proof of Insurance can be obtained from your demolition contractor’s insurance agent. This verifies that your demolition contractor is insured for the demolition work he is doing. Also make sure you’ve check his contractor’s license and verified his surety bond as well.

3. Contract

A contract between you and your demolition contractor should clear spell out the work to be performed, the time frame for that work to be done in, and a schedule of payments to be made. A contract should also include any required clauses (various states have various required clauses that must be in any contract) and an outline of how disputes with your contractor will be resolved (mediation, arbitration, etc).

If you have these three things from a demolition contractor you are ahead of the game and headed for a much better experience than those who haven’t secured this information.

Demolition contractors wh are desperate for business often will hire writers (either in the U.S. or overseas, mostly from India) to pump out hundreds of fake reviews to be posted on various review sites. Many demolition contractors will also ask their employees (or retain an employee full time) to write reviews for their company. 

So how do you separate out the fake reviews from the real reviews?

1. Generalities

People who have had a specific experience generally speaking have very specific memories to go along with that experience. Think back to losing your virginity. How would you describe it if your life depended on it. Would all you have to say is, “Well I lost my virginity and it was great. Highly recommend!”? Probably not.

Generalities and brevity are your first clues when it comes to spotting fake demolition contractor reviews. Regardless of whether someone had a great experience or a terrible experience, they’ll probably go into some fairly deep and sharp specifics relating to their experience with that particular demo contractors. A person who just had their pool removed and had a good enough experience to warrant taking the time to write a review will have more to say than just a single sentence.

A lot of unspecific, one or two line reviews is a pretty decent tell that you are dealing with a lot of fake reviews.

2. The combative good review

This scenario generally plays out something like this. A demolition contractor is hired by a homeowner to remove some concrete. He pulls a classic bait and switch, and charges her a lot more than what he estimated. That person, rightfully, goes to the internet to warn others off that particular contractor.

A day or a week later a new review pops up. And its from a guy who also had some concrete removal done and had a completely opposite experience of the last reviewer. Even to the point of calling that reviewer out specifically.

People are often oddly territorial about the companies they love and hate. I’ve seen grown men get into fights about whether Canon or Nikon made a better camera, for instance. But when it comes to demolition contractors this is often a swarmy tactic used to drag down a legitimate review and make their company look better than it probably is, which leads us into …

3. The Five Star bandit

Internet reviews are never perfect. People have outsized expectations of what a business can and can’t do. And when those expectations aren’t fulfilled they often take to the internet and holler about it. So when you are reading reviews of anything, even demolition contractors, its pretty normal to find one person that had a bad experience. However, a lot of bad reviews with similar complaints probably form a pretty accurate portrait of a bad contractor.

But, wait, a minute, there is one guy who really loves this one demolition contractor! Could he be a lone wolf crying in the wilderness? 

No. Mostly likely that single good review was put their by  a demolition contractor who felt like his business was on the ropes from bad (and I would guess accurate) reviews. So he made an account (or his brother or his mother) and posted an accurate review … of himself. 

My rule of thumb is mostly good reviews mixed with some mediocre and one or two bad reviews equals accurate. A lot of bad reviews also equally accurate. One good review isn’t enough to shift the weight of the people’s gestalt.

4. Reviews Live from New Dehli!

One of the darker corners of the internet is the space where demolition contractors who want to quickly build a good reputation or combat a string of lousy reviews buy internet reviews. The going rate for skilled U.S. Based reviewers is around $25 to $50 a review, and these reviews can be hard to spot.

But bad demolition contractors typically didn’t become bad demolition contractors by spending money, so instead of opting for good old American English Majors turned Yelp Fakers, they spend $200 on an Indian content farm that promises them hundreds of internet reviews that read better than the King’s Speech.

And what they get is, “Hello good sirs of the Pages that Yellow. I hired the above nice gentlemen to demolush a pool in my bath room. His work was of a superlative nature. Would highly recommend upon the altars of Vishnu. Praise be to the four stars!”

One immediate tip off of a fake review is misspellings and tortured phrasing. Misspellings aren’t uncommon on the internet (gasp) but look for obvious 8th grade and under misspells. Then look at the phrasing.  Grammar was assassinated a long time ago by that coward known as the internet but people have a distinct way of talking about things in America. And typically this colloquial phrasing is completely lost to the reviewers in New Dehli.

5. The copy paste

The copy paste review has gotten rarer because internet review sites realized that their existence hung upon their credibility. But every so often a proton torpedo slips past and lands in the reactor shaft of life. Every so often copy and paste internet reviews get posted.

These are easy to spot.

For instance, “I love these guys! I would high recommend! Very professional pool demo!” — Gary

Followed by, “I love these guys! I would high recommend! Very professional pool demo!” — Larry 

Yeah, that’s a fake.

In conclusion, there is no real way to verify every review you read. Chances are that some of the best reviews you read may be carefully constructed bits of artifice made in the foundries of a copywriter’s forge. But if you practice a certain amount of discernment and a skeptical eye, you can keep from getting fooled 80% of the time.

There are a lot of demolition contractors in Los Angeles. Large demolition contractors who handle full commercial demolition, small demolition contractors that handle just residential demolition, and plenty of demolition contractors in between that handle both residential and commercial demolition projects. So how do you find the right demolition contractor in Los Angeles? Here are 5 things you need to do before hiring a demolition contractor in Los Angeles.

1. Get Three Estimates

Before you hire a demolition contractor in Los Angeles get three estimates from three separate demolition contractors. Treat the estimation process like a job interview. Use this opportunity to get a feel for how a demolition contractor works and what his level of professionalism and experience is. 

2. Check A Demolition Contractor’s License and Bond

You can verify that a demolition contractor’s license is up to date by check with the California State Contractors Licensing Board. The CSLB can verify that your contractor’s license is up to date. They can also assist you in verifying a demolition contractor’s bond as well.

3.  Verify Your Demolition Contractor’s Insurance

Verifying your demolition contractor’s insurance is easy. Ask your demolition contractor for the name of his insurance agent. Call the insurance agent and ask him or her to fax you a Proof of Insurance certificate. Also make sure that a demolition contractor’s insurance covers the type of demolition work you need performed. Frequently, insurance only covers certain types of demolition work, or limits the type of work that can be performed.

 4. Ask a Demolition Contractor for References

A demolition contrator in Los Angeles should be able to supply two to three recent work references. These should be references for jobs performed in the last couple of months and should include names of those who had the work performed and numbers so you can contact them yourself.

5. Draft a Contract

You and your demolition contractor should sit down and draft up a work agreement. This agreement needs to outline the type of work to be done, the time it needs to be done in, and who pays in the event of an accident. 

If you do these five simple things you will find a better demolition contractor and have a better demolition experience than you would have otherwise.

Before you hire a demolition company in the Los Angeles area there are five questions everyone should ask their demolition company. These questions will help you determine whether you have the right demolition company for your project.

Are You Licensed By the State of California?

The default answer to this question should be “Yes” followed by “Here’s my license number.” If the answer is No. Or It doesn’t matter. Or Yes but I can’t give you my license number for some reason … Then walk away and find a licensed demolition company.

Are You Insured and Can You Provide Proof of Insurance?

Most demolition companies in Los Angeles will claim to have insurance, but you need to verify that they have enough insurance and that their insurance policy covers the type of demolition work you are hiring them to do. All you have to do is ask your demolition company to provide the name and phone number of his or her insurance agent. Call the insurance agent and have him or her fax you a Proof of Insurance Certificate.

Can You Provide Three Recent References?

Any good demolition company in Los Angeles should be able to provide three to four recent (within the last three to six months) references. These should be work references from satisfied client. You should be able to call each client and check on the quality of the contractor’s work. These references should also serve as credit references as well.

How Many of These Demolition Projects Have You Done?

There is no magic number when it comes to how many demolition projects a demolition company does before he is “good”. But you ideally want to hire a demolition company that has a lot of experience in both demolition and in the particular type of demolition service you are asking him to perform.

What Happens If I’m Not Satisfied? 

This could also be called “Write a good contract”. You need to clearly outline what happens if you are not satisfied with a contractor’s work and how any disputes with your demolition company will be resolve.

If you ask your demolition company these questions you’ll be better prepared and better informed.

The first step is to ask your demolition contractor for two to four references. These references should be for similar jobs done in the last three to six months. Asking for references is pretty standard practice in construction and demolition. If your demolition contractor refuses to provide references then find another demolition contractor. If your demolition contractor provides letters of reference be sure to make a follow up call to the person who wrote that letter. Letters of reference can be easily forged, unfortunately.

Another tip is to check your demolition contractor’s references against their online reviews. If the references and the reviews correspond than you’ve probably found a good demolition contractor. If a demolition contractor has good references but generally poor reviews you may want to look around for another demolition contractor.

1. A demolition company in Los Angeles that refuses to give a written estimate. A written estimate is standard fair for almost every demolition job. If a demolition company in Los Angeles says they don’t do estimates, or just gives phone estimates, or charge large amounts of money for demolition estimates move along and find a better company. 

2. A demolition company in Los Angeles that does not have a demolition contractor’s license. A demolition company that operates without a license is an invitation to disaster. Using a unlicensed contractor opens up you and your family to potential legal liabilities, and could cause damage to your house.

3. A demolition company in Los Angeles that doesn’t have insurance. Much like a contractor’s license, demolition companies are supposed to carry adequate insurance. If your demolition company doesn’t carry insurance or refuses to provide proof of insurance time to walk away.3

4. A demolition company in Los Angeles that has poor credit, or has been sued multiple times. A demolition company in Los Angeles that has poor credit can leave you liable for paying workers and subcontractors.

5. A demolition company in Los Angeles that has poor internet reviews. Internet reviews, both positive and negative, should be taken in context and with a certain grain of salt. But if a demolition company has mostly negative reviews than its time to find a different demolition company. 

You need a contract with a demolition contractor that spells out specifically the work to be done. Whether you are doing a swimming pool removal, a bathroom demolition, or a whole house demolition your contract should spell out the exact demolition work to be performed.  

A contract with your demolition contractor should also include specifics about the hauling and disposal of construction debris. Many people have been left with a pile of construction debris because the contract they had with their demolition contractor left them holding the bag. Ideally, your demolition contractor should handle construction debris hauling and removal. Whether they rent out a dumpster or subcontract to a hauling service.

Any contract with your demolition contractor also needs to spell out exactly how your demolition contractor gets paid. A good contract spells out a payment schedule and how payments are made.

You should also have a clause in your contract with a demolition contractor that spells out what happens if you demolition project isn’t done to specified standards. And who is liable if the demolition contractor damages your property.

The key to drafting any contract is specificity. So be specific and be thorough.  

Get Estimates … You should solicit about three estimates for most residential demolition projects. These estimates should be given in writing after an estimator from a demolition contractor physically visits your property. Don’t accept phone estimates. Also try the estimation like a job interview. Ask each estimator a lot of questions and get a feel for how their demolition business works.

Check Your Contractor’s License … Once you’ve settled on a demolition contractor check his license with the State of California. Never use an unlicensed demolition contractor (unfortunately there are a lot of them in Los Angeles). Also take this time to confirm that your demolition contractor has the appropriate insurance. Ask your demolition contractor for the name and number of your demolition contractor’s insurance agent. Ask your demolition contractor’s insurance agent to fax you proof of insurance.

Verify Your Demolition Contractor’s References … Most good demolition contractors in Los Angeles should be able to provide you with two to three recent references for work performed.

Get a Contract Beforehand … Sit down with your demolition contractor and work out a contract. This contract should be extremely specific spelling out the work to be performed, the rate to be paid, how payment is supposed to be made, what happens if the work performed isn’t satisfactory, etc.

If you follow these tips you should be able to find a good demolition contractor in Los Angeles that fits your needs. 

“I recently demolished my driveway. The demolition went smoothly and took about two days. But what do I do with all the remaining concrete? I took it and piled it in a side yard and now I don’t know what to do with it.”

Well, you made the first great mistake of demolition. You failed to have a plan for removing your construction debris before you started your project. Normally we’d recommend renting a dumpster and hauling away the concrete as you went, but since you didn’t do that we recommend calling a hauling service.

A hauling service is a service that specializes in hauling away construction debris. Typically a hauling service will charge by the load (given the fact you demolished an entire driveway I’d estimate you have at least two loads) and bring their own heavy equipment to haul away your concrete. A quick tip to remember when pricing hauling services: ask about labor. Some hauling services will quote you a estimated price minus the labor, so ask your hauling service if their over the phone price estimate includes labor or if labor is additional.

You can use a hauling service at the beginning of a demolition project as well. We recommend booking a hauling service or a renting a dumpster a week in advance of whenever you are scheduled to begin your demolition project.

Experienced demolition contractors subcontract to hauling services all the time. In fact, hauling services are becoming the preferred option for construction debris disposal due to the red tape and regulations that hire dumpster rentals.