Demolition in Georgetown, CO

Demolition in Georgetown starts with a question most projects elsewhere skip: what is actually inside the walls or under the slab, and who has to sign off before anything comes down. Between the Town’s own building-permit process, state asbestos rules, and a historic landmark district that watches exterior changes, a demolition scope in Georgetown needs its own sequence before the first wall or foundation section is touched.

This page describes the checkpoints we confirm before pricing or scheduling demolition. It is a planning guide, not a substitute for the issued permit, the CDPHE notification, or a site-specific Design Review Commission determination.

Demolition Runs Through the Same Town of Georgetown Permit Process

The Town’s standard building-permit application includes a dedicated “Demolition” checkbox alongside categories like Addition and Remodel/Finish, which tells us demolition is handled through the same Town Hall submission and SAFEbuilt review used for the rest of Georgetown’s building permits. We confirm with Town Hall whether a given demolition needs its own standalone permit or is folded into a larger remodel or rebuild permit before we schedule a crew.

Because the Town contracts plan review and inspection to SAFEbuilt, we coordinate the demolition timeline with SAFEbuilt’s inspection scheduling, which requires at least 24 hours notice for any required inspection stage.

Colorado Requires an Asbestos Inspection Before Any Demolition, Full Stop

State regulation requires an asbestos inspection by a certified asbestos building inspector before any renovation or demolition work, regardless of the age of the building. The inspector must work for a registered asbestos consulting firm. This applies to every demolition project we take on in Georgetown, including a small interior wall removal, because the state rule is not limited to full teardowns.

We schedule the inspection early in the planning phase, before a demolition date is set, so results are in hand before any notification paperwork or contractor scheduling locks in.

A Demolition Notification Goes to the State, Even With a Clean Inspection

A Demolition Notification Application Form must be submitted to CDPHE’s Air Pollution Control Division before demolition, even when the inspection finds no asbestos, along with a notification fee. State rule requires a 10-working-day notification period before demolition can begin. We build that waiting period into every schedule rather than treating it as a step that can be compressed.

Regulation 8, Part B sets trigger levels for single-family residential structures: 50 linear feet of asbestos-containing material on pipes, 32 square feet on other surfaces, or a volume equal to a 55-gallon drum. Material found above those thresholds that is friable, or will become friable during demolition, must be removed by a Colorado-certified General Abatement Contractor before the demolition itself proceeds.

Historic District Review Can Apply to Demolition, Not Just New Construction

Georgetown’s Design Review Commission guidance lists demolition among the project types it reviews, and states that review applies “regardless of where they are located in Georgetown.” A Certificate of Appropriateness resolved before the demolition permit is issued is a realistic possibility for any structure or portion of a structure visible from the street, and we confirm applicability with the DRC rather than assuming interior-only demolition is automatically clear.

Where DRC review is required, we schedule the Certificate of Appropriateness application at least 14 days ahead of the relevant DRC meeting date, since the commission meets on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month.

Utility Disconnects and Underground Locates Come Before Any Demolition Equipment Moves

Any demolition that disturbs the ground around foundations, slabs, or buried lines requires a Colorado 811 locate request at least three business days ahead, regardless of whether the work is on private property. We request that locate as a standing first step on every demolition project, full teardown or selective interior work that reaches an exterior wall.

NOT FOUND: a Georgetown-specific document describing the exact utility-disconnect procedure for water, sewer, electric, or gas ahead of demolition was not available from an accessible official source. We coordinate directly with the Town and the relevant utility provider on disconnect timing for each project rather than assuming a generic sequence applies.

How We Sequence a Georgetown Demolition Project

We start with the scope: selective interior demolition, a partial teardown, or a full structure removal, and whether any exterior or street-visible element is involved. That determines whether Design Review Commission review applies in addition to the standard Town demolition permit. The certified asbestos inspection is scheduled early, and the CDPHE Demolition Notification Application is filed as soon as inspection results are back, so the 10-working-day notification clock starts as early as possible.

Once the Town permit, any required Certificate of Appropriateness, and the CDPHE notification period are all satisfied, we confirm utility disconnects with the Town and utility providers and request the Colorado 811 locate. Equipment does not mobilize until every one of those approvals is documented, because a demolition project in Georgetown has more upstream checkpoints than the physical teardown itself.

Common Questions

Does every demolition in Georgetown need an asbestos inspection?
Yes. State regulation requires a certified asbestos building inspector to inspect before any renovation or demolition, regardless of the building’s age. This applies to interior wall removals as well as full teardowns, and the inspector must work for a registered asbestos consulting firm.

How long does the state notification take before demolition can start?
A Demolition Notification Application Form goes to CDPHE’s Air Pollution Control Division even if no asbestos is found, and state rule requires a 10-working-day notification period before demolition may begin. We build that window into the schedule from the start.

Can Apollo start demolition as soon as the Town issues a permit?
Not necessarily. The Town permit, a possible Design Review Commission Certificate of Appropriateness for street-visible work, the CDPHE asbestos inspection, and the 10-working-day notification period can all apply, and they do not all clear on the same timeline. We sequence and confirm each one before equipment moves.

Is a small interior demolition exempt from these rules?
The asbestos inspection requirement applies to any renovation or demolition regardless of scope, so we do not treat a small interior job as automatically exempt. We confirm permit and DRC applicability with the Town for interior-only work rather than assuming it is not reviewed.

Talk to Us About Your Project

Tell us the address, what is being removed, and whether the work reaches an exterior wall or a street-visible part of the property. We will identify the asbestos inspection, CDPHE notification, Town permit, and any Design Review Commission steps that apply, and lay out a realistic sequence before we schedule a crew.