Demolition in Erie, CO

Demolition in Erie is one of the more procedural trades on this list, because it sits at the intersection of a Town building permit, a state asbestos rule, and, on select properties, a historic-preservation review. Apollo Construction treats demolition as a sequencing problem first: the right approvals have to land in the right order before a single wall comes down.

Erie’s Demolition Permit Covers the Whole Structure

The Town’s permit guide lists demolition of an entire structure as work that requires a building permit. The published fee for that permit is $75.00 per structure. We did not find a separate statement on an Erie page addressing whether a partial demolition — gutting a structure without removing it entirely — is processed as its own demolition permit or folded into a remodel or structural permit; we confirm that classification with the Building Division before scoping a partial teardown.

Erie’s estimated review window for a demolition permit is one to two weeks, which is the same category the Town uses for solar and temporary permits. We schedule around that window rather than assuming a same-day approval, since demolition sits outside the Town’s fastest “quick permit” category.

Asbestos Has to Clear Before the Structure Comes Down

Colorado’s asbestos rule, CDPHE Regulation 8, requires the building or area being demolished to be inspected for asbestos-containing material by a Colorado-certified asbestos inspector before demolition starts. For a single-family residential dwelling, removal under Regulation 8 is triggered once friable or potentially friable asbestos-containing material exceeds 50 linear feet on pipes, 32 square feet on other surfaces, or a volume equal to a 55-gallon drum.

A Demolition Notification Application Form has to go to the state — even when the inspection finds no asbestos — along with a notification fee, and state rule requires a ten-working-day notification period before demolition can begin. We build that ten-day window into the schedule as soon as the inspection report comes back, because it runs on top of, not instead of, the Town’s own permit review time.

We did not find a statement on an Erie page confirming whether the Town’s own demolition permit process independently checks for the CDPHE notification before issuing the Town permit. We treat the state notification as a required step regardless, and we confirm the current sequencing expectation with the Building Division on each project.

Historic Landmarks Follow a Different Path

If the structure is a designated Erie landmark, total demolition requires a Certificate of Appropriateness rather than a standard demolition permit alone. The Town’s Historic Preservation Advisory Board reviews the application within 60 days and makes a recommendation to Town Council, which then has 60 days to decide. Approval requires showing the structure is structurally unsound, cannot reasonably be rehabilitated, and cannot be relocated, with the demolition’s impact on the neighborhood’s visual character and the property’s historic importance minimized.

If Council denies the application, an owner can request an exemption on economic-hardship or safety-hardship grounds, but a denied application cannot be resubmitted in substantially similar form for one year. We flag landmark status early in any scoping conversation, since this review track runs on a much longer calendar than the standard $75 demolition permit.

Utility Disconnects and What We Did Not Find

Responsible demolition practice disconnects water, sewer, gas, and electrical service before work begins, and we coordinate those disconnects with the relevant utility on every teardown. We did not, however, find a Town-published page spelling out Erie’s specific disconnect procedure or documentation requirement for a demolition permit, so we confirm the current expectation with the Building Division rather than rely on general practice alone.

What a Demolition Permit Does Not Cover

A Town demolition permit clears the structure coming down; it does not by itself authorize whatever gets built in its place. Any new construction, addition, or accessory structure that follows a teardown goes through its own building permit, and on properties near a recorded setback line, Erie’s Improvement Survey Plat requirement for submittals on or after September 3, 2025 can apply to the structure that replaces what was demolished. We separate those two permits in the schedule so a client is not surprised that clearing the lot is only the first approval, not the last.

How We Sequence an Erie Demolition

We start with the asbestos inspection, since its result determines whether abatement has to happen before the structure can come down and it sets the ten-working-day state notification clock. In parallel, we confirm landmark status and, if applicable, start the Certificate of Appropriateness process well ahead of any planned start date.

Once the CDPHE notification period has run and the Town demolition permit is issued, we coordinate utility disconnects, secure the site, and complete the teardown. If new construction follows, we open that permit separately and check whether a current-format survey is required for the replacement structure before design work goes too far.

Common Questions

How much does a demolition permit cost in Erie?
The Town’s published fee is $75.00 per structure for the demolition permit itself. Related costs, such as the state asbestos notification fee, are separate and paid to CDPHE, not the Town.

Do I need an asbestos inspection before demolishing a house in Erie?
Yes. Colorado’s Regulation 8 requires a Colorado-certified inspector to check the structure for asbestos before demolition, and a notification form has to go to CDPHE even if none is found, with a required ten-working-day wait before work can start.

Can I demolish a historic home in Erie?
If the property is a designated landmark, total demolition needs a Certificate of Appropriateness reviewed by the Historic Preservation Advisory Board and Town Council, and the applicant has to show the structure is unsound, cannot be rehabilitated, and cannot be relocated.

How long does demolition permitting take in Erie?
The Town estimates one to two weeks for demolition permit review, separate from the state’s ten-working-day asbestos notification period, which can run before or alongside that review.

Talk to Us About Your Project

Tell us what is coming down, whether the property might carry landmark status, and what you plan to build next. We will sequence the asbestos inspection, the state notification window, and the Town demolition permit so the teardown does not stall halfway through.