Demolition Contractors in Memphis, TN

Most people calling demolition contractors in Memphis have one of three jobs in mind: a house that is too far gone to save, a garage or carport that has to go before something new can be built, or a slab, pool or driveway that is in the way. The physical work is usually the shortest part of the project. What takes time in Memphis is the review before the first wall comes down: the permit, the utility cut-offs, the asbestos question and, in some neighborhoods, a historic review that has its own rules and its own clock.

Historic districts add a step

Memphis has local historic districts where demolition is reviewed by the Memphis Landmarks Commission, and the owner needs a Certificate of Appropriateness before a permit can be issued. In October 2024, for example, the Commission approved a minor certificate for complete demolition of all structures at a condemned property on Snowden Avenue in the Vollintine-Evergreen Historic District. That certificate expires in one year if the Office of Construction Code Enforcement has not issued a permit, so the work has to be scheduled once the approval is in hand. If your house is in Vollintine-Evergreen, Glenview or another local district, we start by confirming that review is needed and help you put the request together.

Testing older houses for asbestos

A great deal of Memphis housing was built before asbestos was phased out of common building products. A 2026 survey filed with a demolition request for a house on Southern Avenue in the Glenview district found chrysotile asbestos in the floor tile and mastic, and recommended that trained personnel abate it before demolition. That is a typical finding in older homes, not an unusual one. We arrange a survey before we bid the tear-down on an older house, so the abatement step is in the schedule rather than discovered halfway through.

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Utilities, then the machine

Before any structure comes down, gas, electric and water service have to be shut off and the lines made safe. In Memphis that usually means coordinating with MLGW, the city utility, well ahead of the start date. Sewer laterals are capped at the property line or as the permit requires. Once the lot is clear of live lines, we bring in the excavator, separate metal and concrete where it makes sense, and haul the rest to a licensed landfill.

Blight and big tear-downs

Demolition is part of how the city deals with long-vacant property. On May 19, 2025, the city demolished the Somerset Apartments, an 800-unit complex at 3427 Winchester Road in Oakhaven that had been vacant for more than a decade, under Mayor Paul Young's Blight Zero initiative. Most of our work is smaller than that: single houses, fire-damaged homes, detached garages and old commercial buildings. The same steps apply at any size: permit, utilities, testing, then the tear-down.

Ground that holds water

USGS mapping of southeast Memphis shows wind-blown loess covering the uplands at 4.5 to 16 meters thick. Loess is silty and firm when dry but turns slick and soft after rain, which matters when a loaded truck crosses the yard. We plan access routes and backfill so the lot drains and can be built on or seeded after the foundation comes out.

What we take down in Memphis

• Houses: full tear-downs, fire-damaged and condemned homes, foundations and slabs
• Outbuildings: detached garages, carports, sheds and old workshops
• Pools: in-ground pool removal and backfill
• Concrete: driveways, patios, walks and slabs broken out and hauled
• Interiors: kitchen, bath and full-floor gut-outs ahead of a remodel
• Commercial: small commercial buildings and storefront interiors

Call (901) 677-1382 to set up a site visit.