Demolition in Federal Heights, CO

Demolition in Federal Heights runs through two separate reviewers before a wall or a structure comes down: the city’s Building Department, which issues the demolition permit itself, and the state’s asbestos-inspection and notification process, which applies regardless of the building’s age or the scope’s size. Apollo Construction treats those as two linked steps rather than one line item, because the second step has its own notification clock that has to start before removal.

The City’s Demolition Permit

Federal Heights’ current fee schedule lists a Demolition Permit fee of $55.00 to $110.00, filed through the Building Department at 2380 W. 90th Ave. We treat that filing as the anchor for scheduling: it is what confirms the city has the project on record before a crew opens a wall or clears a structure, and it is the point where the Building Department can flag any additional review, such as a structural or utility question, specific to the address.

The Building Department’s own asbestos and demolition resource page links directly to the state asbestos program and hosts the state’s demolition-notification form, which tells us the city treats the two processes as connected rather than separate errands the homeowner has to discover independently.

Asbestos Inspection Comes Before the Notification Clock Starts

The state demolition-notification form used for Federal Heights requires the applicant to certify that a Certified Asbestos Building Inspector has informed them about any remaining asbestos-containing material in the facility being demolished. That inspector must hold current AHERA accreditation and Colorado certification as an Asbestos Building Inspector, and must have thoroughly inspected the facility, sampled all suspect material, and had those samples analyzed by a NVLAP-accredited laboratory. We schedule that inspection early in preconstruction, because the result determines whether abatement has to happen before ordinary demolition can proceed at all.

The same form sets a 10 working-day advance notification requirement for the permit application, with a fee structured as $50 plus $5 per 1,000 square feet of area to be demolished. That notification period runs on its own schedule, separate from the city’s own permit turnaround, so we build both into the project timeline rather than assuming they can be compressed into the same week.

Rules That Apply Once Suspect Material Is Confirmed

The state form is explicit on a few points we plan around directly: burning a building with any asbestos-containing material is prohibited, and asbestos-containing sheet vinyl and linoleum must be properly abated or removed before demolition. Where the inspection confirms regulated material, the sequence pauses for certified abatement before ordinary demolition resumes; we do not treat an unconfirmed material as safe to disturb while waiting on lab results.

The same certification also covers utility-adjacent hazards outside of asbestos: refrigerants from any air conditioning or refrigeration equipment on site must be properly recovered before demolition, and any luminous exit signs containing radioactive material must be disposed of under the applicable regulation. We treat those as checklist items for a whole-structure teardown even when the headline concern is asbestos.

Utility Disconnects and What We Could Not Confirm Locally

A distinct, published Federal Heights checklist for water, gas, or electric utility disconnection specific to demolition was not available on an official city page in this research pass. Instead, we coordinate service disconnection directly with the applicable utility and confirm the sequence with the Building Department as part of permit preparation, rather than representing a formal city checklist that we could not verify.

We also could not verify a Federal Heights historic-preservation or landmark-review process tied to demolition on an official page; we do not tell clients that review does or does not apply until the Building Department confirms it for the specific address, since neither outcome is documented well enough to state as fact.

Selective Demolition Inside an Occupied Home

Most residential demolition in Federal Heights is selective: a kitchen, bathroom, or basement opened up ahead of a remodel rather than a full teardown. We trace the assembly from finish to framing before removing anything, identifying bearing walls, plumbing, wiring, ductwork, and any surface that has to survive the work. A wall is not treated as nonstructural because it looks like a partition, and a ceiling cavity is not assumed empty until it has been opened.

Protection and containment are planned around the home’s layout and occupancy: barriers, protected floors, controlled openings, and a defined debris route keep dust and material separated from the parts of the house that remain in use. Material streams — framing, gypsum, metal, flooring, fixtures — are kept separate where practical so the crew can see what is actually coming out of the structure.

How We Sequence Demolition in Federal Heights

We start with the demolition permit application at the Building Department and the asbestos inspection in parallel, since the inspection result and the 10 working-day notification period both have to clear before removal starts. Utility disconnections are coordinated with the applicable service provider during that same window rather than left until the crew arrives on site.

Once the notification period has run and any required abatement is complete, demolition proceeds in a controlled sequence: contents and loose finishes first, then layered removal of cabinetry, flooring, wallboard, and framing, with a pause any time a structural or system question needs a design or authority decision before it is resolved. Closeout documents the stop line, debris removal, and any discovered condition so the next trade starts from a known baseline rather than a guess.

Common Questions

Does demolition in Federal Heights need a city permit?
Yes. The city’s fee schedule lists a Demolition Permit fee of $55.00 to $110.00 through the Building Department, and that filing is tracked alongside the separate state asbestos-inspection and notification process.

Do I need an asbestos inspection even for a small demolition project?
The state demolition-notification form used for Federal Heights requires a Certified Asbestos Building Inspector’s findings on the form regardless of project size, and it carries a 10 working-day advance notification requirement before demolition can proceed.

Can suspect material just be covered up or left in place?
No. The state form requires that asbestos-containing sheet vinyl and linoleum be properly abated or removed before demolition, and it explicitly prohibits burning a building that contains any asbestos-containing material.

Who handles utility disconnection before demolition?
We could not confirm a published Federal Heights demolition-specific utility disconnect checklist, so we coordinate disconnection directly with the applicable utility provider and confirm the sequence with the Building Department during permit preparation.

Talk to Us About Your Project

Tell us what you want removed, what has to remain, and whether the home will stay occupied during the work. We will identify the city demolition permit and state asbestos-inspection steps for your address, build the 10 working-day notification period into the schedule, and outline the next decision needed before demolition begins.