Planning worksheet · Reviewed 25 October 2026
A demolition quote is difficult to compare when each contractor is pricing a different job. This guide helps an owner prepare a consistent information pack before asking for prices. It is an editorial organizing tool, not a demolition method, an engineering survey or permission to begin work.
Start with what must stay
Write the intended result in one sentence: for example, “Remove the identified nonstructural fit-out in the vacant office while retaining the corridor, building services and neighboring units.” This is a fictional briefing example, not a determination that any wall is nonstructural. Mark every uncertain element as unknown until the responsible professional has assessed it. A photograph or old floor plan cannot establish that a wall is safe to remove.
Then list retained finishes, doors, equipment, access routes and areas outside the scope. Make a second list of removals. Give each item a room reference and a photograph number. The two lists should meet without leaving an unassigned boundary. “All demolition” is not a useful scope description when an occupied building contains shared systems.
Copy this brief into your project folder
| Field | What to record | Who confirms it |
|---|---|---|
| Property | Address, unit and building identifiers; drawing revision | Owner / design professional |
| Removal boundary | Room references and marked-up plan | Design professional |
| Retained items | Keep, protect, salvage or relocate | Owner and designer |
| Occupancy | Occupied areas and access restrictions | Building manager |
| Unknowns | Structural condition, hazardous materials and hidden services | Appropriate qualified professionals |
| Approvals | Application references, required agency approvals and current status | Applicant / project team |
| Commercial terms | Inclusions, exclusions, allowances and change process | Each bidder |
Use a question log instead of assumptions
Give every unanswered question a number, an owner and a due date. If two bidders ask the same question, issue the same written answer to both. Keep a dated revision log so a price based on the first brief is not accidentally compared with a price based on a later design. Ask bidders to identify the brief revision in their response.
For example, a bidder may include debris removal but exclude elevator protection. That does not automatically make the quote unreasonable; it makes the boundary explicit. Decide who will provide the protection and include that cost when comparing the offers. Do not fill an uncertain allowance with a guessed “market rate.” Request an itemized explanation.
Separate planning from authorization
NYC identifies DOB, DEP and FDNY as agencies involved in construction, demolition and abatement oversight. Which approvals apply depends on the actual work. Use the city’s guidance with the responsible professionals rather than treating a checklist or contractor’s sales page as a complete statement of requirements.
Useful output: one scope brief, one marked-up drawing set, one unknowns log and a shared list of written clarifications. Reissue the pack whenever the scope changes.
Primary reference: NYC: Construction, Demolition & Abatement. The worksheet and example above are UpdateJungle editorial tools; they are not agency forms.