Complete Demolition Service LLC

08/04/2026

In January of 2024 we were approached by the owner of a second home in a southern Vermont ski town to demolish a barn that was in jeopardy of falling into the house. After we sent the proposal communication went silent for over a year. January of 2026 we get a call from the owner asking if we'd be able to remove the barn.

During the preceding 12 months he'd reached out to numerous different contractors, but none of them could handle the unique challenges of the project. Some of the challenges were:

1) The barn was 2 ft from a newly renovated million dollar home.
2) The barn roof timbers were rotten making it challenging to remove the barn without causing damage to the house.
3) Extremely poor site access, the barn was behind the house and newly built garage.
4) Asbestos abatement of the roofing tiles was needed.

We rose to the challenge and finished the demo in 3 days without putting a scratch on the house.

03/31/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1KTFpbGUW9/

Public health officials are stepping in with guidance for neighbors as cleanup is underway at a Swanton house fire site where toxic insulation was discovered. - https://www.wcax.com/2026/03/30/toxic-insulation-found-swanton-house-fire-site/

03/25/2026

Happy to help find a forever home for these priceless documents with the Essex Historical Society!

10/19/2025

Our latest project started out as an asbestos inspection of flooring materials. Soon the project evolved into a partial building separation and demolition. This required careful planning and coordination between the general contractor and us to make sure that the structure that was being saved did not get damaged.

First step in the process was a full asbestos inspection of the part that was being demolished and then removal of the asbestos containing floor tiles.

The contractor shored up the part that was being saved, we needed to shore up a main carrying beam on the part being demolished, protect windows and doors, trench the buildings and then carefully dismantle the section being removed to avoid damage to the main house.

A big thanks to Blue Leaf Construction for trusting us with the project.

10/09/2025

Sadly on May 29, 2025 the owners of this once beautiful log cabin lost their home after a tragic house fire. The property owner was told that we were the company to hire for the job. He reached out to ask for a proposal and shortly thereafter asked us to start the removal. Vermont law requires that all demolition or renovation projects be inspected for asbestos prior to demolition. We performed the asbestos inspection in house and determined that the building was void of asbestos. The mandatory notification was filed with the state prior to starting work.

Before sending the logs to the landfill we consulted with Vermont DEC to see if the logs could be repurposed. Because the logs had been coated with a preservative we were instructed they had to be landfilled.

We had never demolished a log cabin before so we had to ask Casella Waste Management how to process the materials so it would be accepted by the landfill. All of the logs and beams had to be broken down into 4 to 6 foot lengths. This is so the materials can be compacted efficiently at the landfill. This required every log be manipulated by the grapple and broken multiple times. A very time consuming process.

In the end the project was a success and the customer is happy with the results.

09/10/2025

This past winter we were asked to look at a lakefront property on St. Albans Bay that had a devistating fire. The fire totally destroyed one third of the home, that portion needed a Complete Demolition. Due to not knowing where the septic system is located we provided timber matting to disperse the weight of machinery to protect the underground utilities. Lakefront replacement septic systems are expensive to design and build, protecting that asset was a top priority for us.

This project seems simple at first but take a second look! The requirement of preserving the brick wall adjacent to the structure being taken down, leaving the footprint of the foundation intact and the need for asbestos abatement on top of a tight jobsite made thing challenging.

We were able to pull the project off without a hitch with the use of our excavator that is equipt with a 360 degree rotating grapple. The grapple works like a hand and allows us to disassemble the structure piece by piece systematically without damage to the building that was only inches away.

If you have a difficult demolition project, need asbestos testing or anything demolition related give us a call, we're up for a challenge.

09/03/2025

Last month a homeowner called on a Friday with urgency in their voice. I made a trip to look at their burned house on a Sunday. I put a proposal together based on the owner specifications. After a few revisions we finally agreed on the scope and cost.

The challenges were to remove the house without damaging a water line that services another house and also keep the foundation intact. We suceeded at doing both for the property owner. In addition we helped salvage materials from a deck that was newly built.

08/18/2025

Sometime in late July we were approached by a family that recently had a devistating barn fire. The fire completely destroyed the barn and all of the contents inside. The barn was located in the back of the property with very poor site access. In addition to the barn there were other structures on the property that suffered damage from the fire that needed removal so we also agreed to take care of them at the same time.

Both owners, who are in their 70's, helped in any way possible to make the project go smoothly. Everything from, filing the demolition permit with the town, coordinating access with neighbors, trimming trees so equipment and trucks could access the structure, removing items they wanted to salvage and even removing and bagging up close to 40 cubic yards of loose styrofoam insulation!

The owners trusted with the project and had us do the work while they were both on a trip to China. Here are some photos of the project. We used our Caterpillar skid steer to take down some of the smaller structures to avoid damage to the foundation by our Volvo EC210.

Our 50,000 lb Volvo excavator is equipt with a 360 degree rotating grapple, this attachment allowed us to work with precision in the limited space of this jobsite. The grapple gives us greater control and dexterity than a conventional digging bucket. We are able to sort almost 99% of all metal from the debris, for recycling, keeping this valuable resource from being landfilled.

06/13/2025

Today we proudly awarded William Boyd the Dollars For Trades Scholarship. William is pursuing a career in the maritime trades. Congrats to William!

This scholarship was founded in 2023 and is awarded to a BFA Fairfax student who is pursuing a career in the trades. The scholarship is generously funded by past BFA students, community members, and local businesses, including Complete Demolition Service LLC, Jean Schneider Shea, Louise Shea, Stephen Vowles, Tom Feerick, Michael Millette, and Noelle K Federico.