Moving, Deconstruction or Demolition of Buildings Code

Link: https://www.cityofboise.org/departments/planning-and-development-services/building/demolitiondeconstruction/

Boise, ID

"This chapter of City Code provides minimum standards and requirements for contractors, developers and owners when moving, deconstructing, or demolishing buildings and structures.

This code includes provisions such as required permits, bonds, insurance, notifications, any barriers needed, debris removal, and recycle or reuse provisions.

The city has implemented a Deconstruction and Demolition Material and Waste Management Plan to provide contractors with a guide to identify materials diverted from the landfill as waste to be recycled or reused.

Executive Order to a Unified, City-led Deconstruction Policy (April 2021)

Link: https://pittsburghpa.gov/mayor/deconstruction

Pittsburgh, PA

Blight reduction, waste reduction, climate action, social equity, job training opportunities, human health (safe disposal of hazardous materials, air quality), historical preservation, monetary cost of demolition

Summary of commitments:

• The following City Departments must contribute to a unified City-led deconstruction policy (specifics provided in Executive Order document):
  • Department of Permits, Licenses, & Inspections
  • Office of Management & Budget
  • Department of Public Works
  • Department of City Planning
  • Department of Finance
• Pilot deconstruction on City-owned condemned properties
• Develop a neighborhood engagement and plain language marketing strategy
• Develop a Deconstruction Action Council
• Commitment to focus on structures in historically Black business districts and low-income communities.

Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections / City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development Guidelines - How to Qualify for a Residential Deconstruction Permit (2009)

Link: https://www.seattle.gov/sdci/permits/permits-we-issue-(a-z)/residential-deconstruction

Seattle, WA

Waste reduction, preservation of natural resources.

To qualify for a residential deconstruction permit, you must:

• Reuse a minimum of 20 percent of the building materials, by weight and excluding asphalt, brick, and concrete
• Recycle or reuse a minimum of 50 percent of the building materials, by weight and excluding asphalt, brick, and concrete
• Recycle or reuse 100 percent of asphalt, brick, and concrete
• Submit a Waste Diversion Plan with your permit application and plans
• Submit a Waste Diversion Report that identifies the actual rates of salvaged and recycled materials when deconstruction is complete
• Complete a salvage assessment through an online portal
  • See pdf version here: SalvageAssessmentForm.pdf (205.78 KB)

Requires payment of base fee, per the Fee Subtitle, plus any additional review fees.

Related policy/commitments/targets:

• REUSE SEATTLE is a public-private partnership aiming to help Seattle's businesses and residents move from single-use to reuse. 
  • Link: https://www.reuseseattle.org/
• 2022 Solid Waste Plan Update
  • Link: https://www.seattle.gov/utilities/about/plans/solid-waste/2022-plan-update

Potentially shortened timeline to receive deconstruction permit compared to the new building permit sometimes required for demolition 

https://www.seattle.gov/sdci/permits/green-building/priority-green-expedited-overview

Washington Residential Building Code

Links:

• https://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=51-51-0602
• https://sbcc.wa.gov/state-codes-regulations-guidelines/state-building-code/residential-code-amendments

Washington State

Oregon Residential Code

Link: See section R104.9 of the following: https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/ORRSC2017/chapter-1-scope-and-administration

Oregon State

Allows reclaimed wood reuse without regrading (see Code language above for more detail). 

Zero Waste Boston Deconstruction

Boston, MA

Link: https://www.boston.gov/environment-and-energy/zero-waste-boston

Sustainability goals, preserve historical and architectural character, growth of secondary material markets (alongside Massachusetts waste bans)

Boston has a growing secondary materials market, including reuse stores such as Boston Building Resources. The city is facing increasingly limited landfill and recycling process capacity.

The City of Boston, driven largely through the efforts of Zero Waste Boston, is currently in the process of developing a deconstruction ordinance (along with the City of Cambridge, MA). 

In addition, Boston's Zoning code was amended in 1995 to include Article 85, a demolition delay policy to encourage other end-of-life options and public comment. Buildings subject to review include:

• All buildings located in either Downtown or Harborpark
• All buildings at least 50 years of age
• All buildings located in a Neighbourhood Design Overlay District
• Note that designated (landmarked) buildings are evaluated through a different process.

Boston, Cambridge, Newton, and other cities are rapidly developing whole building life-cycle assessment and embodied carbon regulations (such as Cambridge's recent Green New Deal).

Potentially shorter timeline to receive deconstruction permit.

Baltimore, MD

Link to ordinance draft:

• https://rebuildbmore.org/about/
• https://onedrive.live.com/view.aspx?resid=F2688A3565DBD1AE!1314&ithint=file%2cdocx&authkey=!APv5BVqxQReEPcU

• Motives for developing ordinance: Job opportunities, waste reduction, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, reducing blight, social equity, economic growth, human health (ex. lead poisoning), reduction in crime and recidivism
• Entity drafting/proposing ordinance: Energy Justice Network, Clean Air Baltimore Coalition
• As of January 2023, the bill is waiting to be heard by City Council
• Looking to set minimum requirement of recovered materials for new buildings

• Building type: Ordinance applies to homes and government buildings
• Building age: Applies to buildings built 1970 or prior
• Applicability to renovation: [Please post additional information.]
• Exceptions/exemptions: 
  • Structures slated to be relocated
  • Structures that have been determined by the Department of Housing and community Development to be dangerous and requiring abatement by demolition
  • Any primary dwelling or business structure that the Director has determined is unsuitable for deconstruction because: a. The structure is structurally unsafe and not capable of stabilization, or is otherwise hazardous to human life; or b. At least 61% of the material in the structure is not suitable for reuse, as determined

Link to assessment: [Please post additional information.]

Looking to develop a salvage-to-ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) program

• Looking to establish a temporary deconstruction fund
• Looking to establish small business fund for salvaged materials

• Baltimore has a 30 year history in deconstruction, thanks to several deconstruction/reuse organizations.
• The city has already invested in several deconstruction projects
  • Refer to the Baltimore City Deconstruction Project under the Deconstruction Projects page of the Wiki

• Looking to develop a deconstruction certification program
• Looking to create an app that maps out decon contractors, abatement companies, businesses that accept reclaimed materials, and where deconstruction is happening
• U.S. Forest Service: Urban Wood Disposition Pay-for-Success Feasibility Report (2018)
  • http://baltimorewoodproject.org/pdf/FeasibilityReport_Dconstruct_BaltimoreUrbanWood_042618.pdf

[Please post additional information.]

Ithaca, NY

Link to ordinance draft: [Please post additional information.]

• Motives for developing ordinance: Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, social equity, waste reduction, conservation of natural resources, worker health and safety, public health and safety (air quality, heavy metal soil leaching), job creation, lowering cost of waste management, historical preservation, sense of community
• Entity drafting/proposing ordinance: CR0WD (Circularity, Reuse, Zero Waste Development) network

• Building type: [Please post additional information.]
• Building age: [Please post additional information.]
• Applicability to renovation: [Please post additional information.]
• Exceptions/exemptions: [Please post additional information.]

Link to assessment: [Please post additional information.]

• Related policy/commitments/targets: Ithaca Green New Deal
  • The Ithaca Green New Deal aims for community-wide carbon neutraility by 2030, reduction in historical social and economic inequinitis, green building code for both new and existing buildings
• Links: [Please post additional information.]

[Additional information to be posted]

San Francisco construction and demolition debris recovery law

Link: https://www.sfenvironment.org/construction-demolition-requirements

San Francisco, CA

"San Francisco Ordinance No. 144-21 and Public Works Code Section 725 add new construction and demolition (C&D) debris recovery requirements for C&D transporters, processing facilities, and projects. Under the ordinance, C&D debris material removed from a project in San Francisco must be recycled or reused. No C&D debris can be transported to or disposed of in a landfill or incinerator or put in a designated trash bin."

San Francisco Surplus Building Products Reduction and Redistribution Study (2021): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MnASDfOUaemAdG2EBUQNSF1cZeWvZaWt/view

[Additional information to be posted]

Hennepin County, MN

[Additional information to be posted]

 Athena Institute - Minnesota Demolition Survey (2004):

https://www.athenasmi.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Demolition_Survey.pdf