The order it happens in
Each step unlocks the next. The city won't issue the demolition permit without the air district notice, and the notice needs the survey's results. Getting the order wrong is how a job loses two weeks.
- Asbestos survey by a certified consultant, covering everything the work will disturb.
- South Coast AQMD notification under Rule 1403, no later than 10 working days before work starts.
- City demolition permit, with a copy of the notification attached.
- Utilities shut off and meters removed.
- Demolition, by a licensed contractor.
- Debris and recycling documentation: weight tickets and, where the permit requires it, proof of 65% diversion.
The notice isn't optional for houses
South Coast AQMD's FAQ: "All demolitions require Notification to allow inspection and confirmation that there is no asbestos present in the building prior to demolition." A clean survey doesn't remove the 10-working-day wait. Check your own job with the demolition notice checker.
Step 1: the asbestos survey
South Coast AQMD is the air pollution control agency for all of Orange County, and its Rule 1403 says the building "shall be thoroughly surveyed for the presence of asbestos prior to any demolition or renovation activity." The survey has to cover every material the work will touch, including every layer of flooring down to the joists.
SCAQMD accepts a survey by a Certified Asbestos Consultant (CAC), or by a Certified Site Surveillance Technician with the report signed by a CAC. Surveys don't expire, but a survey has to reflect the material's current condition. If something has been damaged or removed since, it needs an update.
The house exemptions are narrow and cover renovation only: a single-family remodel removing less than 100 sq ft of asbestos-containing material, or an owner who lives there doing their own remodel with no one helping. There's no house exemption for demolition.
Why people think houses are exempt
The federal asbestos rule leaves out "residential buildings having four or fewer dwelling units" (40 CFR 61.141). Rule 1403 doesn't. Its definition of a facility includes any residential structure, so in Orange County a house or fourplex is covered.
Step 2: the South Coast AQMD notice
Rule 1403 requires notice of "any demolition or renovation activity" no later than 10 working days before it begins. Working days are Monday to Friday, and holidays that fall on those days still count. From a weekday that's 14 calendar days, which is how SCAQMD's FAQ puts it.
What counts as demolition is broader than most people expect: "the wrecking or taking out of any load-supporting structural member." The FAQ names the foundation, roof support structures and exterior walls, and says removing "as little as one (1) two-by-four from a load-bearing wall" is a demolition. SCAQMD's form instructions carve out one case: "installation of windows and doors through load-supporting walls without asbestos is exempt from Notification." The two documents don't read the same, so ask SCAQMD's asbestos line at (909) 396-2336 before relying on the carve-out.
Who files. Contractors file through SCAQMD's Rule 1403 Notification Web Application. A homeowner doing their own house demolition, with no contractor involved, may mail the form. "Whenever a contractor participates in the demolition work, the contractor must submit." If a government agency has ordered the demolition in writing, an Ordered Demolition Notification with the survey and proof the asbestos is out skips the wait.
| Size (demolition: footprint; renovation: asbestos removed) | Fee |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,000 sq ft | $81.61 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 sq ft | $249.59 |
| 5,001 to 10,000 sq ft | $584.26 |
| 10,001 to 50,000 sq ft | $916.15 |
| 50,001 to 100,000 sq ft | $1327.75 |
| Over 100,000 sq ft | $2212.92 |
Fees are per notification and not refundable. Rule 301, which sets them, was amended May 1, 2026, effective July 1, 2026. Confirm the current amount in the Web App.
Step 3: the city demolition permit
California Health and Safety Code §19827.5 bars a city or county from issuing a demolition permit without a copy of each required asbestos notification, or the applicant's declaration that none applies. That's why the building counter sends people to the air district first. Unincorporated areas go through the County of Orange instead of a city.
Cities build the same step into their checklists. San Juan Capistrano's plan check list (revised June 2026), for example, says "Asbestos Survey & Rule 1403 Notification required prior to permit issuance" for residential remodels and additions. Your city may also want a construction and demolition recycling plan before the permit, covered in the last step below.
Step 4: utilities
Gas, electric, water and sewer all have to be dealt with before anything comes down. SoCalGas asks builders to "contact SoCalGas as early as possible when plans call for abandonment, relocation or alteration of existing service or meter set assemblies." It doesn't publish a lead time, so call early. Ask your building department what proof of disconnection it wants to see, and whether the sewer lateral has to be capped.
Step 5: who can do the demolition
The CSLB's C-21 classification is the California contractor license for demolition. In the regulation's words, a C-21 contractor "raises, lowers, cribs, underpins, demolishes and moves or removes structures, including their foundations." It doesn't cover rebuilding the parts that stay (16 CCR §832.21).
| Who | When | Source |
|---|---|---|
| C-21 licensed contractor | Demolition and removal of structures, including foundations | 16 CCR §832.21 |
| Unlicensed person (minor work) | Only if the whole job, labor and materials, is under $1,000, needs no permit, and they employ no one | B&P §7048, as raised by AB 2622 from Jan 1, 2025 |
| Owner-builder | The owner doing the work themselves or with their own wage employees, not for sale, among other conditions | B&P §7044 (CSLB Building Official Guide) |
| Asbestos removal | Separate from demolition. The SCAQMD notice asks for the contractor's CSLB and Cal/OSHA asbestos numbers where the law requires them | Rule 1403 (d)(1)(B), (j)(5), (j)(6) |
Sources disagree on one number: CSLB's Building Official Information Guide still says "less than $500" for minor work. CSLB's own December 2024 bulletin on AB 2622 raised it to $1,000 starting January 1, 2025, and CSLB's list of 2026 law changes doesn't touch it again.
Eco Waste Inc. holds CSLB license #947447, classification C-21 (Building Moving / Demolition), issued in 2010. Check the record on the CSLB site. Our published labor is $65 an hour basic and $95 an hour for a foreman, with a 4-hour minimum; the saw, jack hammer and demo hammer are $375, $475, $150. We quote each demolition case by case. The demolition labor estimator adds it up.
Step 6: debris and the recycling paperwork
California's CALGreen code asks permitted new construction and qualifying additions and alterations to recycle or salvage 65% of nonhazardous construction and demolition waste, and Orange County cities can apply their own C&D rules to demolition permits too. Laguna Niguel's covers demolition projects and asks for weight tickets and a refundable deposit. Dana Point's plan form wants weight receipts showing the material came from Dana Point.
Keep every weight ticket from the first load. Separate the heavy, clean materials, concrete, dirt and brick, from mixed debris, because the rate is counted in tons. Work out where you stand with the diversion calculator, and read the C&D recycling guide for the plan itself. For the rules in your city, see the service area pages.