NYS and NYC M/WBE Certified Contractor
Here’s what most Commack homeowners don’t find out until it’s too late: their demolition contractor isn’t licensed to handle asbestos. Work stops. A separate abatement company gets called in. The timeline stretches by weeks. The bill climbs. That scenario is completely avoidable but only if you hire a contractor who handles both from the start.
The median construction year for homes in Commack is 1964. That means the majority of houses here were built when asbestos-containing joint compound, vinyl floor tiles, and pipe insulation were standard materials. Under New York State Industrial Code Rule 56, any renovation or demolition that may disturb those materials requires a certified survey before work begins no exceptions. When we do your demo in Commack, the survey, abatement, and demolition all happen through one team on one timeline.
There’s also something specific to Commack that most contractors won’t mention upfront: your property may fall under the Town of Huntington or the Town of Smithtown depending on where exactly you live. Those are two different building departments, two different permit processes. We know which one applies to your Commack address, and we handle the paperwork from start to finish so you’re not spending your afternoons on hold trying to figure out which town office to call.
We’re based in Bohemia, NY about 15 miles from Commack along the LIE. We’re a Suffolk County company, not a national franchise with a local area code. Over the past 12 years, we’ve completed more than 5,000 projects across Long Island, including residential demolition in Commack and surrounding communities, commercial interior demo, asbestos abatement, lead paint removal, and mold remediation often on the same job.
What makes us different isn’t a tagline. It’s that when asbestos turns up in the joint compound of a split-level off Vanderbilt Parkway in Commack, we don’t have to call anyone. We handle it ourselves, the same day, with the same crew. That’s the difference between a project that keeps moving and one that sits idle for three weeks.
We hold active NYS DOL asbestos contractor certification, carry over $2,000,000 in general liability insurance, and are MWBE-certified which means we’re also qualified for public and institutional work, including projects tied to the Commack School District or municipal properties in the Town of Smithtown.
It starts with a conversation, not a sales pitch. You tell us what you’re working with a full teardown, a gut renovation, a garage demo, a commercial interior and we come out to assess the site. For most Commack homes built before 1980, that assessment includes evaluating the likelihood of asbestos-containing materials so we can scope the full project honestly before you sign anything.
From there, we handle permitting. If your Commack property is on the Huntington side, that means coordinating with the Town of Huntington Building Department. If you’re on the Smithtown side, it’s the Town of Smithtown. Either way, we know the process, we prepare the application, and we manage the review including utility disconnection coordination, which is required before any structural demolition can legally begin in New York.
Once permits are cleared and utilities are signed off, the physical work begins. If abatement is needed, it happens first and is fully documented before demolition proceeds. Debris is removed and disposed of properly. The site is left clean. You get a clear record of everything that was done the survey results, the abatement documentation, the permit sign-offs because if you’re rebuilding or selling, you’ll need that paper trail.
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We handle the full range of demolition work that Commack residents and business owners actually need. For homeowners, that means everything from selective interior demolition gutting a kitchen or basement in a 1960s colonial before a full renovation to complete structural teardowns for the teardown-rebuild projects that Commack’s school district reputation and $797,000 median sale price are driving right now. We prepare the lot clean and ready for your builder, with all abatement documentation in hand.
For businesses along Jericho Turnpike or Veterans Memorial Highway in Commack, we handle commercial interior demolition on a timeline that respects your operations. Retail renovations, restaurant remodels, office gut-outs we’ve done all of it across Long Island, and we know how to work efficiently inside occupied commercial corridors without turning a two-week job into a two-month disruption.
We also respond to emergencies. Long Island winters bring frozen pipes, and nor’easters bring structural damage that can’t wait until Monday morning. We operate 24/7, and our customers have specifically noted in reviews that we showed up within an hour and helped them navigate the insurance claim alongside the physical work. If you’re dealing with water damage, storm damage, or any situation that needs immediate demolition response in Commack, we’re reachable around the clock.
Yes and in Commack specifically, the permit process is a little more involved than most people expect. Because Commack straddles two separate towns, your permit goes through either the Town of Huntington Building Department or the Town of Smithtown Building Department depending on where your property sits. Many homeowners don’t know which town they fall under until they try to pull a permit and get redirected.
Both towns require demolition permits for any structural work. Both also require that a certified asbestos survey be completed and any abatement documented before the permit is finalized. Utility disconnections electric, gas, water need to be certified before demolition begins. For a full teardown, both towns may also require site restoration and engineering documentation. We handle all of this for Commack homeowners. You don’t have to figure out which building department applies to your address or what each one needs we already know.
The honest answer is: you don’t know until a certified inspector tests it. But if your Commack home was built before 1980 which covers the vast majority of homes in this area, given the median construction year of 1964 there’s a very real chance it contains asbestos-bearing materials somewhere. The most common places in a typical Commack split-level or colonial are the joint compound used on drywall seams, the 9×9 vinyl floor tiles in basements and kitchens, pipe insulation around older mechanical systems, and textured ceiling finishes applied before the mid-1970s.
Under New York State Industrial Code Rule 56, a mandatory asbestos survey is required before any renovation or demolition that may disturb these materials. This isn’t optional it’s a legal requirement. We perform certified pre-demolition surveys in-house. If asbestos is found, we handle the abatement ourselves without stopping your project or handing you off to a separate contractor. That continuity matters more than most people realize until they’re in the middle of a job that’s suddenly on hold.
Selective demolition sometimes called interior demolition is the targeted removal of specific elements inside a structure while the building itself stays standing. Think gut renovations: removing walls, flooring, ceilings, cabinetry, or mechanical systems in preparation for a full interior rebuild. This is common in Commack for homeowners who are modernizing a 1960s kitchen, finishing a basement, or opening up a floor plan without replacing the whole house.
A full teardown is exactly what it sounds like the entire structure comes down to the foundation or slab. This is increasingly common in Commack’s current market, where buyers are purchasing older homes specifically to demolish them and build new construction, drawn by the school district and the location. Both types of work require permits, both require an asbestos survey beforehand if the home predates 1980, and both require proper debris disposal. The scope of the project determines the timeline and cost which is why a proper site assessment before quoting matters so much.
The timeline depends on the scope, but the biggest variable most people don’t account for is the permitting phase. In Commack, that means coordinating with either the Town of Huntington or the Town of Smithtown and each has its own review timeline. Permit approval can take anywhere from a few weeks to longer depending on the complexity of the project and the department’s current workload. Utility disconnections also need to be scheduled and certified before physical work begins, which adds time if not coordinated early.
Once permits are in hand and utilities are cleared, the physical demolition itself is often faster than people expect. A full residential teardown on a standard Commack lot can be completed in a matter of days with the right crew and equipment. Interior selective demolition timelines vary based on scope. The key is starting the permitting and survey process as early as possible which is why we recommend reaching out before you’ve finalized your renovation or rebuild timeline, not after.
Most can’t or at least, not legally and not in-house. Many demolition contractors in the Commack area are primarily carting or junk removal companies that offer demo as a secondary service. They’re not licensed asbestos abatement contractors, which means if asbestos turns up during your project, work stops and you’re on your own to find someone who can handle it.
We’re different in that asbestos abatement, lead paint removal, and mold remediation are core services not add-ons. We hold active NYS DOL asbestos contractor certification and are equipped to handle the full scope of what a pre-1980 Commack home typically requires before demolition can legally proceed. For homeowners in this area, that integration isn’t a luxury it’s the thing that keeps a renovation from turning into a months-long ordeal. When you hire one contractor who handles everything, the project stays on one timeline, under one point of contact, without gaps.
Start with licensing and insurance and be specific about what you’re verifying. In New York, demolition contractors should carry a minimum of $2,000,000 in general liability coverage. If your home was built before 1980, which is almost certain in Commack, your contractor also needs active NYS DOL asbestos contractor certification. These aren’t optional credentials they’re the baseline for legal, safe demolition work in this state.
Beyond credentials, look for a contractor who actually knows Commack. That means understanding the dual-municipality permit situation whether your property falls under Huntington or Smithtown and having a clear process for handling it. Ask whether we manage permits ourselves or leave that to you. Ask whether we perform asbestos surveys in-house or refer out. Ask how we handle debris disposal and what’s included in the quote. A contractor who gives you straight answers to those questions without hesitation is a contractor who’s done this before. One who gets vague is telling you something too.
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