Demolition in Washington Township / Sewell, NJ

What we remove

Typical township demolition jobs:

• In-ground pools, coping, decking and equipment pads
• Raised decks, including every concrete pier
• Patios, walks and stoops
• Sheds, playhouse slabs and small outbuildings
• Original driveways and aprons
• Sunrooms and screened porches

Pools from the 1990s

Pools are the most common large demolition we do here. We disconnect the electric and plumbing, remove the decking and equipment pad, break out or remove the shell, and haul debris off rather than burying it. The excavation is then filled in compacted lifts so the lawn doesn't sink for years afterward.

Decks and every pier

A deck is not gone until its piers are. Concrete piers left in the ground get in the way of fences, planting and future footings. We take the framing down, dig out each pier, and fill the holes properly. Where the deck ledger attached to the house, we protect the siding and band board and leave the wall weathertight.

Development driveways

Driveways poured when these neighborhoods were built are cracked, settled or flaking. We saw-cut clean lines at the garage slab and the curb, break out the old concrete and haul it to recycling, then dig out any soft base so the replacement has firm ground to sit on.

Sand on top, clay below

Much of the township is sandy loam over a clay layer. The sand looks like it should drain, but the clay stops water a short way down. A pool hole or footing trench filled with loose material becomes a sump that collects water from the surrounding yard.

That is why our backfill goes in compacted layers and the finished surface is pitched toward a legal outlet. On flat lots over clay, moving water across the surface is often the only approach that works.

Machine-packed fill

Developers often shaved and pushed lots into shape, leaving dense fill under a thin skin of topsoil. After demolition, we loosen or replace that surface layer before seeding so new grass can root and rain soaks in rather than running off.

Disconnects and the WTMUA

Gas, electric and water serving a structure are shut off and disconnected before demolition begins. The Washington Township Municipal Utilities Authority provides both water and sewer, with wastewater treated by the Gloucester County Utilities Authority. If a pool house or outbuilding had its own water line or drain, we coordinate capping it with the WTMUA.

Every job starts with a utility markout. Development yards often have gas, electric, cable and irrigation sharing the same strip, so we hand-expose marked lines close to the work.

Permits

Most demolition requires a permit from the township construction office, usually after utilities are confirmed disconnected. Pool removals typically also need a fill inspection. We file the application, schedule inspections and close the permit out.

Wetter ground near the creeks

Toward the Grenloch and Mantua Creek drainages the land drops and the ground holds more water. A pool hole there may fill after a storm, so we pump it dry before placing fill and schedule deeper removals for drier weeks when we can.

Partial demolition for repairs

When a section of garage slab or basement floor has to come out for a lateral repair, we cut tight, clean edges and protect the finished surfaces that stay.

Hauling and site care

All debris leaves the property. Clean concrete is recycled where possible. We lay down protection along the equipment route, keep debris away from neighboring yards, and sweep the driveway and street at the end of each day.

Emergency service

If a sewer line backs up, our crews respond around the clock.