What types of demolition does Oakland Demolition Co handle?

Residential teardowns and garage removal, commercial and interior strip-outs, and concrete removal and hauling in Oakland and nearby East Bay areas.

Who handles the permit and air-district paperwork?

We help coordinate the City of Oakland demolition permit, the asbestos survey and BAAQMD notification (J number), the recycling plan and USA North 811 tickets where they apply. Requirements vary by property, so we confirm them for your address with the Permit Center and the air district.

Do you work on both houses and commercial buildings?

Yes. Projects range from house and garage teardowns and kitchen or basement tear-outs to commercial interior strip-outs and structural demolition.

What happens to the debris?

Concrete, metal and other recyclable material is separated for recycling where facilities allow, in line with Oakland's construction and demolition waste plan. Remaining debris goes to permitted disposal sites.

How quickly can a demolition start?

Permits, notices, utility shut-offs and any asbestos abatement often take longer than the demolition itself. Call us and we will outline realistic steps for your property.

Can a project be rushed?

Sometimes. Send the project details and we will try to fit you in, but required permit, notification and safety steps still have to be completed first.

Excavator working beside a site marked for underground utility locates

Call USA North 811 Before Demolishing in Oakland, CA

Oakland Demolition Co Team

September 6, 2026 | 5 min read

Teardowns end with digging: foundations get broken out, footings come up, and sewer laterals get capped. Every one of those tasks can reach buried gas, power, water, telecom or sewer lines. In Northern California, the one-call system for finding them is USA North 811. This article is a general orientation. Confirm the current notice rules at usanorth811.org.

How the ticket works

Who to call: Dial 811 or visit usanorth811.org to open a ticket. The service is free, and it covers Oakland and the rest of the Northern California and Nevada region.
When to call: The rule of thumb is at least two working days before excavation begins. Contact it earlier for larger sites so the member utilities have time to respond.
Mark the dig area: White paint or flags outline where you intend to excavate, which tells locators exactly where to look.
Wait for responses: Utilities mark their lines with color-coded paint or flags, or report that they have nothing in the area. Do not start until every member has answered.
Dig carefully near marks: Marks show approximate positions. Hand-dig or use non-invasive methods when working close to a marked line.

What 811 does not cover

A ticket reaches the member utilities. It generally does not locate private lines on your own parcel, such as a lateral running from the house to a detached garage, a sprinkler feed or an old fuel line. A private locator, or a camera scope of the sewer lateral, fills that gap on older Oakland lots where records are thin.

Shut-offs are a different job

Marking underground lines is not the same as disconnecting service to the building. Gas, electric and water shut-offs and meter removals are arranged with the utility providers, and the City will generally want that confirmed before it issues a demolition permit. Sewer laterals are capped under a separate Public Works process.

We build locate tickets and shut-off coordination into the schedule for every Oakland job. To talk through a site, call (510) 939-7261.

Get an Oakland demolition quote

Share the address, scope and target dates. Oakland Demolition Co will walk through the permit, air-district and utility steps and send a clear written quote.

Request a Free Quote