Demolition safety and compliance

Before you demolish any building in England or Wales, you must comply with a series of legal requirements designed to protect workers, the public, and neighbouring properties. Demolition is classified as work involving particular risks under CDM 2015 Schedule 3, which means it carries the highest level of regulatory scrutiny in the construction industry.

Getting demolition wrong can be fatal. Uncontrolled structural collapse, asbestos exposure, falling debris, and damage to adjacent buildings are all foreseeable risks that the law requires you to assess and control before any work begins. The penalties for non-compliance are severe: unlimited fines and up to two years' imprisonment for serious breaches.

This guide covers the legal steps you must take before and during demolition work, including notification to the local authority, asbestos surveys, structural assessments, method statements, and the conditions your local authority may impose. It applies to full and partial demolition of buildings in England and Wales.

When this guide applies to you

You need to follow this guide if you are:

• A demolition contractor planning or carrying out demolition work
• A principal contractor managing a project that includes demolition
• A client commissioning demolition as part of a construction or redevelopment project
• A principal designer or designer involved in a project with demolition elements

This guide does not cover the demolition of structures that are exempt from Section 80 notification. It does not cover Scotland or Northern Ireland, where separate legislation applies.

1. Serve a Section 80 demolition notice

Before demolishing any building, you must give at least six weeks' written notice to the local authority under Section 80 of the Building Act 1984. You may not begin demolition until this notice period has expired or the local authority has responded, whichever comes first.

The Section 80 notice is separate from any planning permission requirement. Even if you have planning permission to demolish a building, you must still serve a Section 80 notice. The notice must also be copied to the occupier of any adjacent building and to the gas and electricity statutory undertakers.

Failing to give the required Section 80 notice before starting demolition is a summary-only offence under Section 80(4) of the Building Act 1984, with a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale (currently GBP 2,500).

There are limited exemptions from the Section 80 requirement. The snippet below sets out the exemptions, the notice timeline, and the information you need to include.

2. Respond to Section 81 counter-notice conditions

Once you have served your Section 80 notice, the local authority has six weeks to respond with a counter-notice under Section 81 of the Building Act 1984. The counter-notice can impose conditions that you must satisfy before and during the demolition. You may not proceed with demolition until you have either complied with the counter-notice conditions or the six-week period has expired without a counter-notice being served.

Counter-notice conditions are legally binding. Failure to comply is a criminal offence. If you disagree with any condition, you have 21 days from the date of service to appeal to the appropriate court or tribunal under the Building Act 1984 appeal provisions (Section 102). Do not ignore conditions you consider unreasonable; challenge them through the appeal process instead.

Common counter-notice conditions include requirements for shoring adjacent buildings, weatherproofing exposed surfaces, disconnecting and sealing services, erecting hoardings, and removing materials from site. The full list of conditions the local authority may impose is set out below.

3. Commission an asbestos refurbishment and demolition survey

Before any demolition or structural alteration of a building constructed before 2000, you must commission a refurbishment and demolition (R&D) asbestos survey. This is a legal requirement under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. The purpose of the R&D survey is to locate all asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) in the building so they can be removed safely before demolition begins.

The R&D survey is more intrusive than a standard management survey. The surveyor will access areas behind walls, above ceilings, beneath floors, and within service ducts to identify all ACMs, including those that are hidden or difficult to reach. The building or the area being surveyed must be vacated and, where necessary, services isolated before the survey takes place.

You must not begin demolition until the R&D survey is complete and all identified asbestos has been removed or a plan is in place to manage it during the demolition process. Licensed asbestos work requires 14 days' advance notification to the HSE.

4. Carry out a structural assessment and prepare a method statement

Before demolition begins, a structural survey must be carried out to identify the building's structural form, load-bearing elements, and current condition. This assessment forms the basis of the demolition method statement. CDM 2015 Regulation 20(2) requires the arrangements for demolition or dismantling to be recorded in writing before the work begins - the method statement is how this requirement is met in practice.

The method statement must describe the planned demolition sequence, working from top to bottom and ensuring that the remaining structure is stable at every stage. It must specify the plant and equipment to be used, the exclusion zones around the work area, the temporary support or propping required, and the emergency procedures if unexpected structural instability is detected.

Demolition should follow BS 6187 Code of Practice for Full and Partial Demolition, which sets out the technical approach to safe demolition. BS 6187 is not itself legislation, but following it is the recognised way to demonstrate compliance with the statutory duties - CDM 2015 Regulation 20 (demolition planned and carried out so as to prevent danger, with written arrangements before work starts) and the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. BS 6187 covers pre-demolition surveys, demolition techniques (including deliberate collapse, piecemeal demolition, and use of explosives), and the protection of adjacent structures, underground services, and the public.

The method statement must be prepared or reviewed by a competent person with sufficient training, experience, and knowledge of demolition risks. CDM 2015 Regulation 20(1) requires demolition to be planned and carried out so as to prevent danger so far as practicable, and the contractor's general duties under Regulation 15 include ensuring work is carried out under appropriate supervision.

5. Address CDM Schedule 3 particular risks

Demolition and dismantling work is specifically listed as work involving particular risks under CDM 2015 Schedule 3. This classification has practical consequences for how you plan and manage the work.

When your project involves Schedule 3 work, the construction phase plan must include specific risk control measures for each particular risk identified. These measures must go beyond standard risk assessments. The principal contractor is responsible for ensuring that Schedule 3 risks are identified, that control measures are recorded in the construction phase plan, communicated to all relevant contractors and workers, and monitored throughout the project.

Demolition projects typically trigger multiple Schedule 3 categories beyond demolition itself. These may include work with risk of burial under earthfalls (if excavation is involved), work putting workers at risk from hazardous substances (asbestos, lead paint, contaminated materials), work near high voltage power lines, and assembly or dismantling of heavy prefabricated elements. Each applicable category requires its own specific risk assessment and control measures in the construction phase plan.

6. What to do next

Once you have completed all the steps above, you can proceed with demolition provided that:

• The six-week Section 80 notice period has expired, or the local authority has confirmed it will not serve a counter-notice
• All counter-notice conditions have been satisfied (or successfully appealed)
• The R&D asbestos survey is complete and all identified asbestos has been safely removed or managed
• The structural assessment and method statement are finalised and signed off by a competent person
• The construction phase plan addresses all applicable CDM Schedule 3 risks
• All utility companies have been notified and services disconnected or protected
• Exclusion zones, hoardings, and public protection measures are in place
• All operatives hold appropriate competency cards and have received site-specific induction

During demolition, maintain continuous monitoring for unexpected structural movement, asbestos not identified in the survey, and changes to the planned sequence. If unexpected conditions arise, stop work immediately and reassess before proceeding.

Related guidance

If your demolition project involves excavation work (such as basement removal or foundation demolition), see also the requirements for excavation and foundation safety. If temporary propping or shoring is required, see the guidance on managing temporary works on construction projects.

Reporting incidents

Any dangerous occurrence during demolition, including unplanned collapse or structural instability, must be reported under RIDDOR 2013. Deaths and specified injuries must be reported immediately by telephone to the HSE Incident Contact Centre, followed by an online report within 10 days. Dangerous occurrences must be reported online within 10 days.