Santa Ana-based contractor · CSLB #980451 · License, insurance and bonding

Santa Ana Demolition, Abatement & Site Preparation

SoCal Removal is based in Santa Ana, at 1640 E. Edinger Avenue. We have done more documented work here than in any other city, for the City of Santa Ana, local businesses and homeowners: demolition, abatement, concrete removal and building repairs, including work in occupied public buildings.

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Our work in Santa Ana

Santa Ana projects we have completed:

Demolition in Santa Ana

Santa Ana is home base, and our work here runs from city facilities and industrial yards to older houses, garages and block walls. We do interior work in occupied public buildings, take down offices and sheds on working industrial sites, and clear residential lots for rebuilds.

Our crews work daylight hours, inside Santa Ana’s allowed construction hours. When a store, office, campus or care facility needs to stay open, we offer after-hours and phased work where the city allows it.

What a demolition permit in Santa Ana requires

Demolition permits are issued by the Building Safety Division of the Planning and Building Agency (Building Safety Division). As everywhere in California, the city cannot issue a demolition permit without proof of the South Coast AQMD notification. Ask Building Safety for the current demolition checklist; we assemble it for you.

Santa Ana’s franchise hauler, Republic Services, lists a 65% recycling requirement for construction and demolition debris, with a recycling plan filed through Green Halo before the permit is issued.

Downtown (listed in 1984) and French Park (1999) are also National Register historic districts.

Permit rules on this page were checked against city sources in October 2026 and are re-checked every six months.

Historic districts in Santa Ana

Santa Ana keeps a Register of Historical Properties. Demolishing a property on the register requires review by the Historic Resources Commission, and changes to contributing properties in a historic district need a Certificate of Appropriateness. The districts include Downtown, French Park and Heninger Park (city historic preservation page). We check the register before we schedule any demolition.

The City of Santa Ana provides water, Southern California Edison provides power and SoCalGas provides gas.

Site preparation in Santa Ana

After demolition we remove slabs, pavement and footings, clear the lot and rough grade it, and recycle concrete and asphalt.

  • Grading. The city’s grading plan guidelines call for fill compacted to 90% with soils and compaction reports, haul routes shown on the plans when net import or export exceeds 100 cubic yards and submitted for approval above 500, and active sites watered at least twice a day. Grading is not allowed from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. or on Sundays and holidays within half a mile of occupied buildings (grading plan guidelines).
  • Street work. Work in the street or right-of-way needs a Public Works Agency encroachment permit, a city business license and insurance, plus OCTA approval along the OC Streetcar route (encroachment permits).
  • Pool removal. We confirm Santa Ana’s current method and compaction requirements with Building Safety before pricing.
  • Sewer cap and bins. The city inspects the sewer cap on every demolition project (city permit FAQ). Temporary construction bins come through Republic Services, the city’s hauler, at (657) 467-6220, and 65% of debris must be diverted (city C&D services).
  • Hours. Construction is allowed 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with none on Sundays or federal holidays (SAMC 18-314).
  • Cal/OSHA on pool removals. When the pool shell comes out and the hole is 5 feet or deeper, it is an excavation under Cal/OSHA, and the contractor needs a Cal/OSHA Trench/Excavation permit, permit type T1 on the Cal/OSHA application, before anyone goes in (8 CCR 341, Cal/OSHA form 41-1). We pull a T1 project permit for the job and designate a competent person for each project, as the permit requires. Excavations 5 feet or deeper must be sloped, benched or shored unless they are entirely in stable rock (8 CCR 1541.1), and a competent person inspects the excavation daily and after every rain. We keep broken concrete and spoil at least 2 feet from the edge, provide a ladder or ramp within 25 feet of travel, barricade the open pit and keep crews out of standing water (8 CCR 1541), and we call DigAlert at least two working days before digging (CSLB). Breaking the shell with jackhammers falls under Cal/OSHA’s silica standard, so we use water at the point of impact or shrouded dust collection under a written exposure control plan (8 CCR 1532.3).

On every Santa Ana site we control dust under South Coast AQMD Rule 403: water on the work, no visible dust past the property line and track-out cleaned up daily. More on site preparation, concrete removal, grading and utility locating.

Abatement in Santa Ana

Abatement means removing what makes a property unsafe, unpermitted or unusable. Owners usually call us after a city notice of violation, before a sale, or before a rebuild.

  • Unpermitted additions and structures: enclosed patios, garage conversions, sheds and rooms built without permits, removed under a demolition permit so the property matches its approved plans again.
  • Damaged and unsafe buildings: fire-, storm- or impact-damaged structures secured with board-up and fencing, then taken down.
  • Rubbish and abandoned items: junk, debris piles, old appliances and leftover building materials loaded, hauled and recycled.
  • Hazardous substances: under our CSLB HAZ certification we remove contaminated soil and abandoned fuel and holding tanks.
  • Brush and old pools: weeds and brush cut for fire clearance, and unused pools removed by the method the city requires.

See hauling and disposal, land clearing and hazardous materials prices.

Asbestos abatement before demolition in Santa Ana

Much of Santa Ana was built before 1980, and we regularly find asbestos in floor tile mastic, sheet flooring, acoustic ceilings and basement duct wrap. Our Santa Ana asbestos work includes floor tile and mastic, sheet flooring and basement duct wrap removal, and abatement within the City Hall sixth-floor renovation.

In older Santa Ana homes and commercial buildings the abatement work most often covers floor tile and black mastic, sheet flooring, acoustic ceilings, duct wrap and pipe insulation.

Every job starts with a survey by an independent Certified Asbestos Consultant and accredited-lab results. You can hire the consultant directly, or we bring one in and include the fee in our estimate. When the survey finds asbestos, a separately licensed asbestos abatement contractor registered with Cal/OSHA (DOSH) removes it under subcontract to SoCal Removal, following Cal/OSHA’s asbestos standard (8 CCR 1529) and South Coast AQMD Rule 1403: the work area contained, the material kept wet, and the waste bagged, labeled and hauled under a manifest. An independent consultant can run clearance air samples before the area is reopened, and we schedule the demolition around that work.

Illustration of Cal/OSHA Class II asbestos work: wet removal of non-friable floor tile with amended water and a HEPA vacuum
Illustration. Cal/OSHA Class II work: non-friable material such as floor tile, mastic, roofing and siding, kept wet and removed in pieces. On our projects, asbestos abatement is performed by a Cal/OSHA-registered subcontractor.

Every demolition in the South Coast air district, including Santa Ana, needs the asbestos survey and an AQMD notification 10 working days before work starts, even when no asbestos is found (Rule 1403). For lead, SoCal Removal is an EPA RRP lead-certified firm and removes lead-based paint, lead-glazed tile and coated components as part of renovation and demolition, using lead-safe work practices. When a project calls for lead abatement under California rules, that work is done by certified lead workers with the required controls, notifications and medical monitoring; our pollution coverage is listed on our qualifications page. See asbestos abatement, lead removal and testing prices.

Disaster recovery in Santa Ana

Santa Ana’s historic disaster is flooding: the 1938 Santa Ana River flood hit Santa Ana, Anaheim and Garden Grove and killed more than 50 people. Prado Dam has since substantially reduced flood damage (OC Public Works). In November 2023, ash from the Tustin hangar fire blew west, and the city warned residents not to touch debris and set up a reporting hotline (city update).

After a fire, flood, landslide or vehicle impact, we secure the property first with board-up and temporary fencing. Then we remove damaged materials and debris and, once the owner, insurer and city agree on the scope, demolish what can’t be saved and clear the site for the rebuild. Our recovery work includes fire-debris cleanup after the Tustin hangar fire, fire-damaged property cleanup and pool removal in Anaheim, vehicle-impact storefront repair in Westminster and property cleanup with perimeter fencing in Orange County.

Vacant and damaged buildings have firm rules in Santa Ana: the owner registers a vacant building within 30 days, secures it to HUD standards and rehabilitates a boarded building within 90 days of boarding, and a building vacant 90 days or more needs a 6-foot chain-link fence, a bond and a posted sign with a 24-hour contact (SAMC 8-1986 and 8-1987). After a disaster, inspectors may post a green Inspected, yellow Restricted Use or red Unsafe placard; only the building department can remove one, and a red placard is not a demolition order (Cal OES). Asbestos rules still apply after a disaster: South Coast AQMD requires an approved Procedure 5 plan before fire- or storm-damaged asbestos material is cleaned up, and when a government agency orders a dangerous building demolished, the notice is filed as an ordered demolition without the usual 10-working-day wait (AQMD Rule 1403 FAQ). State guidance treats ash and burned debris as potentially hazardous, so we keep loads damp or covered and haul them to permitted landfills (DTSC wildfire guidance). Homeowner policies often include debris-removal coverage on top of the dwelling limit, commonly an extra 5% of Coverage A, so ask your adjuster (California Department of Insurance).

What it costs in Santa Ana

Our published 2026 prices are the same in Santa Ana as everywhere else we work. City permit fees, the AQMD notification fee and any recycling deposit are extra; see demolition permit and AQMD fees by city.

  • House, garage or ADU demolition, collapse and remove with the slab left: $26.50–$31.50 per square foot
  • Full demolition to dirt, foundation and slab out: $42–$51 per square foot
  • Fire-damaged structure demolition, slab left: $29–$35 per square foot
  • Interior demolition and gut-outs: $22.50–$26.50 per square foot
  • In-ground pool removal, by the method the city requires: $15,750–$31,500
  • Concrete slab removal, 4 inches: $8.75–$10.50 per square foot ($6–$7.25 at 5,000 SF and up)
  • Lot clearing and grubbing: $22,000–$26,250 per acre
  • Rough grading: $1.35–$1.85 per square foot of pad
  • Asbestos popcorn ceiling abatement, by our registered subcontractor: $9.50–$12.75 per square foot
  • Asbestos floor tile and mastic abatement, by our registered subcontractor: $17–$23.50 per square foot
  • Asbestos sample, standard turnaround: $120–$145 per sample
  • Temporary 6-foot construction fence: $21–$25 per linear foot

Minimums are $3,750 for demolition and site preparation and $1,950 for asbestos or lead work. See the demolition, fire-damaged demolition, interior demolition, asbestos removal, popcorn ceiling, pool removal, land clearing and grading cost guides, or all 2026 prices.

Santa Ana demolition and abatement questions

Do historic districts affect demolition in Santa Ana?

Yes. Demolishing a property on the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties requires Historic Resources Commission review, and contributing properties in districts such as French Park, Heninger Park and Downtown need a Certificate of Appropriateness for changes.

How far is SoCal Removal from my Santa Ana property?

Our yard is at 1640 E. Edinger Avenue in Santa Ana, so most Santa Ana sites are a short drive, which keeps mobilization simple.

Do you work for the City of Santa Ana?

Yes. Our Santa Ana public work includes the City Hall sixth-floor renovation, the Council Chambers projection wall and neighborhood entry monuments.

Do you need an encroachment permit for work in a Santa Ana street?

Yes. Street and right-of-way work needs a Public Works Agency encroachment permit, a city business license and insurance, and OCTA approval along the OC Streetcar route.

Can you secure a vacant or damaged building in Santa Ana?

Yes. We board up openings, put up temporary fencing, remove dumped or fire debris and plan demolition or repair. Temporary 6-foot construction fence runs $21–$25 per linear foot.

What hours can demolition run in Santa Ana?

Construction is allowed from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with no work on Sundays or federal holidays. Our crews work daylight hours and offer after-hours work where the city allows it.

Can asbestos flooring be removed in Santa Ana homes?

Yes. Our Santa Ana work includes asbestos floor tile, mastic and sheet flooring removal by our Cal/OSHA-registered abatement subcontractor. Floor tile and mastic abatement runs $17–$23.50 per square foot, with a $1,950 minimum.

Start with the address and a few photos

Send the property address, photos, any asbestos survey and your target schedule. We walk the site, check the permit path for that parcel and send a written, itemized price. Call (949) 446-0000 or request a project review.

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