Demolition day is the easy part

By the time an excavator rolls onto a block in Werribee or anywhere across Wyndham, most of the work that decides whether the job runs smoothly has already happened. Services off, asbestos dealt with, the house empty, the neighbours told, the street and trees protected. Miss one of those and demolition day gets pushed back.

This is the checklist we walk clients through. It assumes the approvals are under way — our guide "Do You Need a Permit to Demolish a House in Werribee?" covers the building permit, Report and Consent and heritage overlays, so we won't repeat that here.

1. Start the service abolishments early

Before any demolition, power, gas, water, sewer and telecommunications must be formally disconnected and made safe — and proof of that is part of getting cleared to start. This is the item that most often holds a job up, because each provider has its own process and lead time.

Electricity. Request a permanent disconnection and meter removal through your electricity retailer. This is different from simply closing your account.
Gas. The gas meter needs to be removed and the supply made safe — again arranged through your retailer, not just by cancelling the bill.
Water and sewer. Contact your water corporation about disconnecting the water service and sealing the sewer connection for demolition.
NBN and phone. Cancel the service with your provider and arrange for the connection to the house to be disconnected.

Don't wait for the permit to land before making these calls. Start as soon as the demolition date is roughly known, and keep every confirmation — your building surveyor may ask for them. We coordinate the disconnections with you so nothing slips through.

2. Get the asbestos survey done

If the house was built before around 1990 — which covers a lot of Werribee's and Hoppers Crossing's older brick and weatherboard homes — assume asbestos may be present until a survey says otherwise. It turns up in eave and wall sheeting, wet-area linings, vinyl floor tiles and their backing, and shed and garage cladding.

Where it's found, it must be removed under the correct licensed process, and disposed of at a licensed facility, before the structure comes down. That removal happens before demolition day, not on it. Our Asbestos-Aware Demolition service explains how it's handled.

3. Empty the house completely

Everything you want to keep needs to be out — furniture, belongings, whitegoods, the contents of sheds, the car in the garage. Anything left behind is treated as demolition waste, and extra material to sort and cart adds to disposal.

A few things worth thinking about:

Salvage. If there's something you'd like to keep — a timber mantel, a front door, pavers, plants — tell us before the day so it can be set aside.
Mail and keys. Redirect your mail and hand over keys or access details so the crew can get in.
Rubbish. A big clean-out is easier in the weeks before than the day before.

4. Let the neighbours know

Nobody likes finding an excavator next door without warning. A short note or a knock on the door, giving the planned dates and a contact number, goes a long way on a tight Werribee street. It's also the time to mention anything they should know — a shared fence line, a car usually parked across the frontage, a dog in the yard.

Where the neighbouring property needs protecting during the work, there can be a formal process as well. Your building surveyor will tell you whether any protection work requirements apply to your job.

5. Protect the trees, the crossover and the nature strip

Think about what's staying:

Trees. Mark any tree you're keeping so it can be fenced off and protected from machines. If you plan to remove a significant tree, check with Wyndham City Council first — some trees need approval to remove.
The crossover and footpath. Councils across Melbourne commonly require an asset protection permit or similar before building work, so any damage to the footpath, kerb or crossover can be traced. Check with Wyndham City Council whether one applies to your address.
What the builder wants kept. For a knockdown-rebuild, agree up front whether the existing crossover, a driveway or a tree is being kept, so the demolition hands over exactly what the builder expects. Our Knockdown-Rebuild Site Preparation service is built around that hand-over.

6. What actually happens on the day

With services confirmed off, asbestos cleared and approvals in place, demolition day follows a set order:

Site set-up. Temporary fencing, machine and bin positions, and protection for neighbours' fences and any retained trees.
Soft strip. Any remaining fittings and recyclable materials are removed.
The structure comes down in a controlled order, damped to keep dust off the neighbours.
Materials are sorted as they come out — concrete, brick, timber and metal separated for recycling where practical.
Slab and footings broken out, debris carted, and the block raked clean and level.

On an open estate block in Tarneit or Point Cook this moves quickly. On a tight older block in central Werribee, access for machines and trucks takes more planning, and that's worked out at the site visit rather than on the day.

Before you book

If you're still pricing the job, our guide "How Much Does House Demolition Cost in Werribee?" explains what moves the quote. Otherwise, send us the address, the age of the house and your target date, and we'll come back with a free site quote and a clear list of what needs to happen before demolition day — anywhere across Werribee, Wyndham and Melbourne's west.

Before Demolition Day: A Checklist for Werribee Homeowners