Demolition in Black Forest, CO

Demolition in Black Forest is rarely just knocking a wall down. Because the area is unincorporated El Paso County, any teardown runs through the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department for the permit and licensing side, and through a separate state rule for asbestos before a single stud comes out. Apollo Construction treats those as two different checklists, not one, because missing either one can stop a project after demolition has already started.

Who Can Pull a Black Forest Demolition Permit

PPRBD’s published demolition-permit guidance states that a demolition permit may be issued to the homeowner, to an RBD-licensed contractor holding a classification of “C” or above, or to a licensed wrecking contractor. A structure with a significant amount of remaining construction — not a clean, complete teardown — requires a wrecking permit instead, which the department describes as a higher-hazard category that specifically requires a licensed wrecking contractor.

That licensing structure lines up with PPRBD’s general contractor classes: a Building Contractor C license covers construction, alteration, and repair including structural work, while the narrower Contractor E class is limited to nonstructural interior repair. A full or partial teardown almost always needs the broader C classification or a wrecking license, not the narrower one.

Agency Sign-Off Before the Final Inspection

PPRBD’s demolition guidance also describes coordination with outside agencies — the El Paso County Health Department, Colorado Springs Storm Water, and Colorado Springs Utilities are notified once a demolition permit is issued, and the permit holder is responsible for getting acceptance from the Health Department and the stormwater reviewer before calling for a final inspection. That guidance was published for a specific wildfire debris-removal program, so we confirm with PPRBD directly whether the same stormwater authority applies to a non-Colorado-Springs Black Forest address before assuming the process is identical for a standard remodel-related teardown.

We treat that confirmation as a scheduling item, not an afterthought — a demolition that can’t close out because a sign-off was never requested leaves a site in limbo, which matters more on a rural lot without a neighbor next door to notice.

The State Asbestos Rule Applies Before Any Permit Closes It Out

Separately from the PPRBD permit, Colorado Regulation No. 8, Part B requires an inspection by a Colorado-certified asbestos building inspector before demolition or renovation work begins. For a single-family home, the reported trigger levels are 32 square feet, 50 linear feet, or the volume equivalent of a 55-gallon drum of suspect material — above that amount, friable material, or material that will become friable during the work, has to be removed by a Colorado-certified General Abatement Contractor before demolition proceeds.

A Demolition Notification Application has to go to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment even when the inspection finds no asbestos, along with a notification fee, and state rule requires a ten-working-day notice period before demolition can start. We build that window into the schedule up front rather than treating it as a delay that shows up mid-project — a Black Forest home built decades ago, with additions from different eras, is exactly the kind of structure where this inspection turns up something.

Utility Locates and What Isn’t Covered by the Demo Permit

Any demolition that disturbs the ground — foundation removal, a septic disconnect, clearing for a slab — needs a Colorado 811 utility locate request at least two full business days ahead. On a rural lot, that call is what keeps a demolition crew from cutting into a well line, a buried propane tank feed, or a septic line that isn’t on any public map.

Historic or landmark review is not a separate hurdle here: we did not find an unincorporated El Paso County historic-landmark review program that would apply to a Black Forest teardown on an official county page in this research pass. That doesn’t remove the asbestos, permit, or utility-locate requirements above — it just means a landmark review isn’t an additional item to plan around for most residential demolition scopes in this area.

How We Sequence a Black Forest Demolition Project

We start with the asbestos inspection, since its ten-working-day notice period is the longest lead time in the process and it has to happen before demolition, not during it. In parallel, we confirm the PPRBD permit classification — homeowner, Contractor C, or wrecking contractor — based on how much of the structure is coming down.

Once the notice period clears and the permit is issued, we request the Colorado 811 locate, confirm which outside agencies need to sign off before final inspection, and then sequence the actual teardown: utility disconnects first, then structure, with debris handling and site stabilization built into the plan rather than left for after the fact.

Common Questions

Do I need a permit to demolish part of my Black Forest home?
Yes. PPRBD issues demolition permits to the homeowner, to a licensed contractor with a Contractor C classification or higher, or to a licensed wrecking contractor for structures with significant remaining material. The right classification depends on how much of the structure is coming down.

Does my house need an asbestos inspection before demolition?
Colorado Regulation 8, Part B requires a certified asbestos building inspector to inspect before demolition or renovation, regardless of the home’s age. If suspect material is found above the state’s trigger levels, it must be abated by a certified contractor before demolition, and a notification with a ten-working-day wait goes to the state even if nothing is found.

How long does the asbestos notification add to the schedule?
State rule requires a ten-working-day notice period after the Demolition Notification Application is submitted to the state, before demolition can begin. We schedule the inspection and notification as the first step precisely because this window is usually the longest lead time in the project.

Do I need to call 811 before demolition?
Yes, whenever the work disturbs the ground — foundation removal, utility disconnects, or site clearing. Colorado law requires a locate request through Colorado 811 at least two full business days ahead, which is especially important on a rural lot with a well, septic system, or buried propane line.

Talk to Us About Your Project

Tell us what’s coming down — a single wall, an addition, or a full structure — and roughly how old the building is. We’ll map out the PPRBD permit path, the asbestos inspection timeline, and the utility-locate step before any demolition starts.