Demolition & Soft Strip
Controlled structural demolition, internal soft strip-outs and chimney breast removals — planned, propped and cleared properly.
Brick Rip and Dig carry out controlled demolition and soft strip work across the Wirral, from single-room strip-outs and chimney breast removals to full structural demolition of garages, outbuildings and commercial units. Every job starts with a written method statement and risk assessment, temporary works are propped to a structural engineer's design where load is being removed, and all arisings leave site under waste transfer notes with a licensed carrier.
What demolition work covers
Internal soft strip-outs
Complete strip of walls, ceilings, floors, fixtures, services and finishes back to shell — for domestic refurbishments, shop fits, offices and pre-refurbishment surveys.
Structural demolition
Partial or full demolition of garages, extensions, outbuildings, conservatories, chimney stacks and small commercial structures, sequenced so the remaining structure stays stable.
Chimney breast removal
Removal at one or more floors with proper support to the stack above — gallows brackets or steel beams to an engineer's calculation, never left hanging on hope.
Wall removal & knock-throughs
Load-bearing and non-load-bearing wall removal with needling, propping and steel installation. Read more on our structural openings page.
Temporary works
Acrow props, Strongboys, needles and scaffold-supported propping installed to a temporary works design and checked before any load is taken.
Muck away & waste segregation
Grab lorries, skips and licensed waste carriage. Waste segregated for recycling and every load documented with a waste transfer note.
How the job runs
The sequence matters. Most of what goes wrong on building work goes wrong because somebody skipped a step near the start.
Survey & quote
We visit, measure, look for services and structural risk, and issue a written fixed-price quote with a clear scope and exclusions.
Checks & paperwork
Asbestos refurbishment/demolition survey where the building predates 2000, Building Control or party wall notice where needed, RAMS issued before we start.
Isolate & protect
Services capped and isolated, dust screens and floor protection up, neighbours and access routes considered before the first brick moves.
Controlled removal
Top-down, in sequence, with temporary support in place. No wholesale pulling of walls and hoping the ceiling stays up.
Clear & hand back
Site swept, waste removed under transfer notes, and the area handed back ready for the follow-on trade.
What we do that a cowboy won't
None of this is heroic. It is just the correct way to do the work — which is exactly why the corner-cutters skip it.
- Written method statement and risk assessment on every job — not a verbal 'we'll be fine'
- We will not touch licensed asbestos. If a survey flags it, we stop and bring in a licensed removal contractor first
- Temporary works propped to design, not to guesswork
- Licensed waste carriage with transfer notes you can keep for your records
- Registered limited company, number 16886622 — you can look us up
Demolition projects
Facade strip-back to breather membrane
Cladding and insulation stripped back from scaffold, ready for inspection
Kitchen and dining room knock-through with RSJ
Load-bearing wall removed, steel in and props still taking the load
Steel beam installed over a new opening
Beam in, bearings solid, props in place until sign-off
Demolition & Soft Strip across the Wirral
We deliver demolition work throughout the peninsula. Local ground conditions and property stock change what a job actually involves — pick your area to see what tends to come up.
Demolition & Soft Strip — common questions
Do I need permission to demolish a garage or outbuilding?
Usually not for a detached domestic garage or shed, but you will need a demolition notice to the local authority for larger structures, and Building Control involvement if the structure is attached to the house. We tell you which applies before we quote and handle the notification.
How do you deal with asbestos?
Any building constructed before 2000 needs a refurbishment and demolition survey before strip-out begins. We do not remove licensed asbestos. If asbestos is found we stop, and a licensed removal contractor clears it with a clearance certificate before we return.
Can you remove a chimney breast on the ground floor only?
Yes, but the stack above must be supported. That means gallows brackets or a steel beam designed by a structural engineer and signed off by Building Control. We arrange the engineer's calculation as part of the job.
How much does soft strip cost on the Wirral?
Cost depends on floor area, what is being removed, access for waste and whether asbestos is present. A single-room strip-out is typically a one to two day job; a full house or retail unit runs longer. We give a fixed written price after a site visit, free of charge.
Other things we do
Cladding Removal & Recladding
Facade strip-back, SFS and insulation works, cavity barriers and masonry reinstatement on remediation schemes.
Find out moreGroundworks & Excavation
Foundations, drainage, site clearance, concrete slabs and hard landscaping — dug right, first time.
Find out moreBrickwork & Structural Openings
New build brickwork, extensions, RSJ installations, knock-throughs, repointing and matched brick repairs.
Find out moreGet a straight answer and a written price
Tell us what you need doing. We'll come out, look at the actual job, and give you a fixed written quote with the scope and the exclusions spelled out. No charge, no obligation, no hard sell.