Demolition Contractors in Hernando, MS

Hernando is the DeSoto County seat, and demolition contractors in Hernando have to know where the historic districts are before they quote anything near downtown. The city's Historic Preservation Commission oversees five districts: Commerce Street, Courthouse Square, Elm Street, Northside and Southside-Magnolia. Projects inside the historic preservation district go through the commission for a Certificate of Appropriateness.

Working near the square

The DeSoto County Courthouse sits on Hernando's historic square, and the city is a Main Street and Preserve America community. If a garage, addition, outbuilding or house in one of the five districts needs to come down, the commission review comes before the work. We check the address against the district maps, help assemble what the commission needs and plan the demolition only after approval. Removing a non-historic addition from a historic house takes extra care, so the original structure is not damaged.

Growth beyond the districts

Hernando grew from 3,125 residents in 1990 to 17,138 at the 2020 census. Completion of I-269 brought new residential and commercial development, and I-55, US 51 and I-69 also run through the city. Most of Hernando's housing is outside the historic districts and fairly new. There, demolition is more often a pool, a patio, a shed or an interior gut-out than a whole house.

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Mississippi asbestos rules

The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality requires demolition notifications 10 working days before demolition and an inspection by MDEQ-certified individuals to identify asbestos-containing materials. Residential buildings with four or fewer units are generally exempt unless they are part of a larger multi-building project. Older buildings around the square and in the historic neighborhoods are the ones most likely to need testing, whether or not the notification rule applies.

Land clearing for new building

With new development on the edges of town, we are often asked to clear old structures from parcels before construction. That can include farmhouses, barns, sheds, old slabs and gravel drives. We take them down, recycle metal, break out concrete and leave the site graded. Wells and septic tanks are located before we dig.

A city named in 1832

Hernando was named in 1832 for the explorer Hernando de Soto. A city with that much history has older buildings mixed into almost every part of town, not only in the districts. We look at the age and construction of every structure before deciding how to take it down.

Downtown interiors

Buildings around Hernando's square are often renovated rather than torn down. When an older storefront or office is being updated, interior demolition comes first: newer partitions, drop ceilings, worn flooring and outdated fixtures come out, and the original walls and structure stay. That kind of selective work is slower than a full tear-down. We protect the parts of the building that stay, haul debris out through the least visible route and work at hours that suit the neighboring businesses on the square.

Hernando services

• House demolition inside and outside the historic districts
• Removal of additions, garages and outbuildings
• Pool removal and backfill
• Concrete, slab and driveway removal
• Land clearing before new construction

Mississippi 811 needs two to ten working days of notice before excavation. Call (901) 677-1382 to set up a site visit.