Demolition and Removal in Terre Haute, IN
Terre Haute had more people in 1960 than it has now, and the houses, garages and slabs built for them are still there. People call about a garage behind a rental that has to go, or a lot where the house is gone and the outbuildings are not. Travis clears it and grades it back.
- Free estimates
- Based in Greencastle, Indiana
- One crew, first cut to final grade
Demolition in Terre Haute
A city with more lots than it needs
Terre Haute peaked at about 71,800 people in 1960 and counted about 58,400 in 2020. The 2020 census found 25,900 housing units and 13.5 percent of them vacant. That is the demolition market in one line: a lot of older property, and a lot of it with something on it that should come down.
It is 40 minutes west of Greencastle down US-40, and On Grade works it regularly. The usual call is a detached garage behind an older house, a shed on a lot that has been emptied, or a slab and footings left after someone else took the building and stopped.
Alley garages in the old neighborhoods
The grid neighborhoods around downtown and Indiana State have alleys, and the garages face them. A mini excavator comes in from the alley and the trailer waits there, so the house and front yard are never involved. The garage comes down, the material is loaded, and the slab goes if you want it gone.
Many of these garages are close to the lot line, with a neighbor's garage or fence right there. Travis works out the sequence so the building folds inward rather than out, and the fence is protected or taken down for the day and reset.
Cleaning up a lot someone else left
A common Terre Haute job is a lot where the house was demolished years ago but the garage, the sidewalk, the porch footings and a shed are still standing in the weeds. Travis clears the lot in one pass: the buildings come down, the concrete is broken out, and the lot is graded flat and seeded.
If the city has condemned a structure on the lot, its Building Inspection Division works with owners on repair or demolition, and it is worth talking to them before a date is fixed so the paperwork matches the work.
The Wabash side and the bluffs
Terre Haute sits on the east bank of the Wabash, and small bluffs on the east side of the city mark the edge of the historic floodplain. Lost Creek drains the north side and Honey Creek the south. Lots nearer the river are low and some are in the mapped floodplain.
On those lots, removing a building is straightforward, but bringing in fill to raise the ground afterward is a question for the city first. Everywhere else, the hole is backfilled, compacted and graded with a fall away from any house that remains. A lot that already holds water is a job for yard drainage in Terre Haute.
Indiana 811, the city and IDEM
Indiana 811 gets at least two full working days' notice before anything is dug or pulled down, as Indiana law requires. Utilities to the building are disconnected by the utility company before the machine goes in, and old garages in this city often still have a live line.
The City of Terre Haute's Building Inspection Division, part of the Engineering Department, inspects structures in the city and enforces the zoning ordinance, so ask there what the city wants before a demolition. Vigo County Area Planning guides development across the county. IDEM exempts a noncommercial house of four or fewer units from asbestos inspection and notification; a commercial building or an apartment building is not exempt, and Travis does not take on houses that need abatement.
What is left when it is done
A graded lot, clean of debris, with no rebar sticking up and no hole where the footings were. From there it can be seeded, turned into a gravel parking pad, or have a base compacted for a new garage slab poured by a concrete crew. Loose slabs and walks on the same lot are concrete removal in Terre Haute, same crew, same trip.
The price is one figure with hauling and grading in it, after a free look. See the demolition page for the whole service and the Terre Haute page for the rest of the work On Grade does in Vigo County.
Demolition & Removal
Sheds, garages, barns, carports, decks, pools, mobile homes and old slabs taken down, hauled off and the ground graded back.
See the serviceTalk to Travis(317) 203-8928
Call or text Travis with the address and what has to come down. Terre Haute is a regular run from Greencastle, and you get one number after he looks.
Call nowWhat that covers
- Alley garages. Taken down from the alley with a mini excavator, slab out, the lot graded flat.
- Emptied lots. Sheds, footings, walks and slabs left after a house came down, cleared in one pass.
- Sheds and carports. Metal or wood outbuildings broken down and hauled off.
- Decks and pools. Above-ground pools and rotten decks removed and the ground graded back.
Terre Haute, IN
The biggest city west of Greencastle, 40 minutes down US-40 on the Wabash, with thousands of older lots carrying garages, slabs and sheds past their time.
Town pageAlso in Terre HauteConcrete Removal in Terre Haute, IN
See the pageAlso in Terre HauteYard Drainage & French Drains in Terre Haute, IN
See the pageAlso in Terre HauteGravel Driveways in Terre Haute, IN
See the pageThe serviceDemolition & Removal
Sheds, garages, barns, carports, decks, pools, mobile homes and old slabs taken down, hauled off and the ground graded back.
Main service pageTerre Haute and the towns nearby
Terre Haute is the west end of On Grade's regular runs, 40 minutes down US-40 from Greencastle. The same demolition crew stops in Brazil on the way and works back home through Putnam County to Greencastle. The Terre Haute excavation page covers everything else On Grade does in Vigo County, and the service-area page shows how far the crew goes.
You get Travis. One crew, first cut to final grade.
You call
You call or send the form. Travis comes out and looks at the job with you, on the ground, rather than pricing it off a photograph.
A number first
You get one figure before anything starts, with the hauling and the finish grading in it.
One crew does it
Then the same crew that quoted it shows up and does the work, first cut to final grade.
Ground left usable
Voids get filled and the ground is graded back so you can pour, build or seed.
Photos of his work.
These are photographs from actual jobs. See more recent work. Or read about the full demolition & removal service.
Questions people ask
Not seeing yours? Call (317) 203-8928 and ask Travis, or read the guides.
Do you tear down garages in Terre Haute?
Yes. Alley garages behind older houses are the main call here. A mini excavator comes in from the alley, the garage is pulled down and loaded, and the slab can come out too. Fences and neighboring garages are protected while the work is done.
Who do I talk to at the city about a demolition?
The City of Terre Haute's Building Inspection Division, under the Engineering Department, inspects structures in the city and handles condemned buildings with their owners. Ask there what is needed before a date is fixed. Indiana 811 must be notified at least two full working days ahead in every case.
Can you clear a whole lot, not just one building?
Yes. A lot with a shed, old footings, a sidewalk and a slab left behind can be cleared in one pass: buildings down, concrete broken out and hauled, and the ground graded flat and seeded. One figure covers all of it.
What about asbestos on an old garage?
Under IDEM's rules a noncommercial residential building with four or fewer units is exempt from asbestos inspection and notification. A commercial building or a larger apartment building is not exempt and needs a licensed inspection and notice first. On Grade does not take on houses that need abatement.
Do you work on lots near the river?
Yes. Taking a building out of a low lot is straightforward. If the lot is in the mapped floodplain, bringing in fill to raise it afterward is a question for the city first, and Travis will say when he looks whether that applies.
Other work he takes on
Most jobs end up being two or three of these at once, and they get quoted together.
Demolition & Removal in other towns
Excavation & Site Prep
Sites stripped, cut and graded, ready for the builder.
Learn moreFoundation & Basement Excavation
Basements, crawl spaces and footings dug to grade and backfilled.
Learn moreDrainage, Culverts & Utilities
Water moved off yards and away from foundations; culverts and service lines set.
Learn moreDriveways & Finish Grading
Gravel drives built and crowned; yards finish graded for seed.
Learn moreLand Clearing & Forestry Mulching
Lots and acreage cleared, brush mulched in place.
Learn moreBuilding & Pole Barn Pads
Pads cut, filled and compacted for barns, shops and houses.
Learn moreFree estimate in Terre Haute.
Call or text Travis. Free estimates, straight answers.
Greencastle, Indiana · Putnam, Hendricks, Boone and Marion counties
Need demolition in Terre Haute?
Call or text Travis with the address and what you are trying to do.