GREEN DEMOLITION AKA DECONSTRUCTION F.A.Q.'s

• Why choose green demolition aka deconstruction?

• Are there any jobs that are too small or too large for The RE Store?

• What are the costs for your services?

• What are the different types of green demolition?

• What are the benefits of green demolition?

• Do you work on weekends or evenings and adjust your schedule to meet our project?

• How much notice does The RE Store need for scheduling pickup, salvage or green demolition aka deconstruction?

• Are there incentives (permitting, fees, etc) for green demolition aka deconstruction in cities or counties in Western Washington?

• How can contractors and home owners prevent being turned away with donations?

• How do I make use of the tax benefits for donated materials?

• What are the main things that make green demolition aka deconstruction a tougher choice?

• Do you offer advice on do-it-yourself salvage or green demolition?

• Watch videos about green demolition

• Contact our Green Demolition Deconstruction Services

Read about our Green Building "Deconstruction" Services, including photo galleries and case studies.

Watch videos on our Green Demolition Deconstruction Services page.

Why choose green demolition aka deconstruction?

The construction and demolition industries are responsible for one-quarter of the waste stream in the U.S.  As dump fees and hauling costs continue to increase, deconstruction is the best option for reducing disposal. By choosing deconstruction, up to 98% of a building can be diverted from the waste stream for reuse or recycling.

All materials salvaged by The RE Store are considered donations and are tax-deductible. Building permits in Seattle and other areas in Puget Sound are creating incentives for salvage and deconstruction. Stewardship principles of sustainability and green building are also inherent in deconstruction, reusing and keeping valuable materials out of the trash.

Are there any jobs that are too small or too large for The RE Store?

No - our crews have done everything from small fixture salvages and kitchen removals to 250,000-square-foot public school projects. We can take on projects of any scope. Please call us for free previews and estimates.

What are the costs for your services?

Though there may be exceptions, our costs are as follows:

Pickups are free!

Salvage strip out services are free if material meets our standards.

Previews and Bid Services are free!

Green Demolition aka Deconstruction project costs are estimated depending on the scope and needs of the project.

List the breakdown of different types of green demolition aka deconstruction

Full deconstruction: building is dismantled by hand - diverts the highest amount of salvaged materials and yields the highest amount of tax deduction 

Hybrid deconstruction: combination of hand and machine dismantling - diverts a moderate amount of salvaged materials - focused on speed and cost savings 

Crunch and sort: machine operators sort materials into appropriate containers for recycling - yields the lowest amount of salvaged materials and the lowest tax deduction 

Free soft strip salvage: removes reusable materials and provides the client with a tax receipt for those materials - available as an option with any of the methods listed above

Some typical benefits of green demolition aka deconstruction:

Reduced disposal fees and waste

Reduced dust, soil compaction and noise impact for neighbors

Options to gain points for L.E.E.D. and other green building certifications from deconstruction  and salvage

Reduced environmental impact for sensitive sites like shoreline or critical areas properties

Reduced primary production of new materials: timber and forestry products, mining, manufacturing, storage and transportation

Stewardship of precious natural resources

Reusable material retains its primary use, rather than being burned as fuel (the typical end result of most "recycled" wood)

Reduced greenhouse gases that would be created from disposal or the production of hog fuel from recycled wood

Do you work on weekends or evenings and adjust your schedule to match the needs of the project?

If the project warrants it, we adjust our schedule. We pride ourselves on doing all we can to meet your needs.

How much notice does The RE Store need for scheduling pickup, salvage or green demolition projects?

We can make it within 2-5 business days for pickups or previews and within 10 business days for most salvage projects. Green demolition deconstruction projects are dependent on our current workload. The more lead time that we have, the better we can maximize scheduling and cost savings for homeowners and contractors.

Are there incentives (permitting, fees, etc) for green demolition deconstruction in cities or counties in Western Washington?

Seattle has salvage/deconstruction permitting in place as of Spring, 2009. Bellingham adopted similar expedited permitting in Fall of 2010.

How can contractors and home owners prevent being turned away with donations?

Call us first to see whether we want your materials. We might even come pick them up! Refer to the moratorium list on our web site for more information. We do make exceptions for high-quality items.

How do I make use of the tax benefits for donated materials?

Declare the tax receipt in your year-end tax reporting after consulting with your tax professional.

What are the main things that make deconstruction a tougher choice?

The labor cost can be slightly higher than conventional demolition and the timeline can be longer.  We require that asbestos surveys (alongside lead surveys in King county) be performed and hazardous material removed prior to building removal.

Do you offer advice on do-it-yourself salvage or green demolition?

Yes, we offer consulting services for any sized project. Spending three hours with our salvage and green demolition deconstruction experts could save you a lot of grief and time.

Contact us today

To contact our Green Demolition "Deconstruction" Services, please call based on what county your project is in. If you have a project outside of these areas, please call anyways. Our crews are not limited to these areas.

Seattle office serves these counties: King, Pierce, Thurston, Lewis, Mason, Kitsap, Jefferson, Kittitas Counties and beyond

Phone: (206) 832-9818 •  Email Pat Finn Coven

Bellingham office serves these counties: Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, Island, San Juan, Chelan, Okanagan Counties and beyond

Phone: (360) 815-4333 • Email Wade Johnson

Videos

Special thanks to Mike Davidson for filming and
editing the following time-lapse video of his project.

More links

Read about our Green Demolition Deconstruction Services, including photo galleries and case studies

Learn more about our Pick-Up/Preview and Salvage services.