Interior Demolition

Interior Demolition Contractor in Toronto and the GTA

Commercial strip-outs, selective demolition and partition and ceiling removal for general contractors, landlords and property managers. Taken back to the shell, debris cleared and the floor left ready for layout.

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  • ScopeInterior, non-structural
  • Self-performedOur own crews, no sub-tiers
  • WSIBClearance certificate on request
  • Insurance$5M general liability
Strip-Outs

Taken back to the shell, so the build starts clean.

Commercial floor stripped back to the concrete shell, with scaffolding and exposed sprinkler pipe

Every fit-out starts with something coming out. Old partitions, ceilings and millwork have to go before the new layout can be marked, and the way that work is done sets the tone for the rest of the job. True Drywall Contracting carries out interior demolition for general contractors, landlords and property managers across Toronto and the GTA.

We are a drywall and steel stud contractor, so we know what sits inside the walls we take down and what the next crew needs left standing. Rated walls, deflection track, base building services and anything the drawings keep are marked before the first board comes off.

Most clients give us the demolition and the new interior as one scope. The same crew strips the space, then frames, boards and finishes it, with no hand-off between trades and no argument over what was left behind.

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Demolition Scope

Interior demolition services in Toronto.

  • Full interior strip-outs Retail units, offices and restaurants taken back to the shell. Partitions, ceilings, millwork and fixtures out; structure and base building services left in place.
  • Drywall and steel stud partitions Walls removed down to the slab, with board, studs, track and fasteners cleared out.
  • Ceilings T-bar grid and acoustic tile, drywall ceilings and bulkheads taken down, with hangers and wire cleared back to the deck where the new layout needs it.
  • Non-structural masonry Concrete block partitions knocked down and removed once the drawings or the engineer confirm they carry no load.
  • Doors, frames and millwork Doors, hollow metal frames, counters, cabinets and shelving removed and cleared out.
  • Hoarding walls Steel stud and drywall hoarding put up to close the work area off from an occupied mall or building.
  • Selective demolition Single walls, rooms or openings removed to a marked line, with the finishes around them protected.
  • Debris removal Debris cleared from the floor and taken out through the loading door or the route the building approves.
  • Services made safe Electrical, plumbing and sprinkler disconnects coordinated with the licensed trades before demolition starts. We do not cut live services.
  • Dust control and protection Poly hoarding, floor protection and covered returns to keep dust out of occupied areas and the building's air handling.
  • After-hours work Noisy and dusty work scheduled for evenings or weekends when the building requires it.
  • Clean handover The debris out, the slab swept and the space ready for layout, with everything marked to stay still standing.
How We Demolish

Demolition run with the same care as the build that follows.

Surveyed before we price

In Ontario the owner has to identify designated substances such as asbestos, lead and silica before the work is tendered. We ask for that survey up front and price around it. If it finds asbestos, a licensed abatement contractor removes it before we start.

Contained and protected

Hoarding, floor protection and covered returns go in before anything comes down. In occupied buildings the loud work is booked with the property manager, and debris moves through the route the building approves.

Cleared for the next trade

Whatever the drawings keep is marked and protected. When we hand over, the debris is out, the slab is swept and the space is ready for the layout crew.

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On Site

A full strip-out on a large commercial floor.

Partitions, ceilings and block walls coming out of a gutted commercial unit. Play the clip, or open a photo to view it full size.

Skid steer and waste bins on a dusty slab during a commercial interior strip-out
Strip-outPartitions down, debris cleared
 Crew removing drywall partitions, door frames and block walls inside a gutted commercial unit
PartitionsDrywall, frames and block coming out
Before You Tender

What we need to price a demolition.

Retail unit partway through a strip-out, with the ceiling tiles out and broken drywall and block on the floor

The demolition drawings

A demolition plan, or the existing and proposed plans, showing what comes out and what stays. For a smaller space a walkthrough and a marked-up floor plan will do.

The designated substance survey

Under section 30 of Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act, the owner has to list any designated substances on site before the work is tendered. The survey tells us whether asbestos, lead or other designated substances are in the walls, ceilings and floors, and where. Without it, a demolition price is a guess.

Access and hours

The size of the loading door, elevator bookings, where the bins can sit and the hours the building allows noisy work. These set the crew size and the schedule more than the square footage does.

What stays

Base building services, rated walls, demising walls and anything the landlord is keeping. We mark these with you on the walkthrough, so nothing comes down by mistake.

After the Strip-Out
Finished corridor wall with door frame in a Woodbridge office, ready for paint
Office, Woodbridge, Ontario

Then the same crew builds it back.

Once the space is clear we frame, board, tape and finish the new layout. On this Woodbridge office we framed private offices and meeting rooms in steel stud inside an occupied floor. See how we run office and tenant fit-outs.

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FAQ

Interior demolition, answered.

Questions general contractors and property managers ask before awarding a strip-out.

No. Asbestos removal is licensed abatement work and is not part of our scope. If the designated substance survey finds asbestos in the areas being demolished, a qualified abatement contractor removes it first, and we start once the area has been cleared.
Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act requires the owner to identify designated substances such as asbestos, lead and silica before a project is tendered, and to include that list in the tender. It tells us what is inside the walls, ceilings and floors before anyone opens them, and it is the difference between a firm price and a guess.
Yes. We hoard and protect the work area, cover the air returns, move debris through the route the building approves and book the loudest work with the property manager. In a busy building that can mean evenings or weekends.
No. Our demolition work is interior and non-structural: partitions, ceilings, fixtures and masonry that carries no load. Structural removals need an engineer's design and a permit, and belong with a structural demolition contractor. If a wall's role is unclear, we stop and ask before it comes down.
Yes, and most clients prefer it. The crew that strips the space frames, boards and finishes it afterwards, so there is no gap in the schedule between demolition and layout and no argument over what was left behind.

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A space to clear in Toronto or the GTA?

Send the demolition plan or a marked-up floor plan, the designated substance survey and the building address. We will walk the space and return a scoped price, with the rebuild priced alongside if you want it.

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Broken gypsum board torn out of a wall and piled for removal