Before a kitchen demolition in Collin County, settle what's staying, the permit, the utility disconnects, the appliances and the haul-off. City bulk pickup in McKinney and most nearby cities won't take remodel debris. Plan where it goes before the first cabinet comes off the wall.
1. Decide exactly what's coming out
Walk the kitchen with whoever is doing the remodel and agree on the list. Mark anything being saved with tape, and tell the crew twice.
- Upper cabinets, lower cabinets, or both
- Countertops and backsplash
- Flooring, and whether it runs under the cabinets
- Drywall, soffits and light fixtures
- The pantry and any built-ins
- Anything being saved: the sink, cabinet doors, hardware or appliances
2. Check permits before demo day
Some cities require a permit even for interior tear-out. If plumbing, electrical or walls are changing as part of the remodel, ask about those permits at the same time.
- Sherman requires a demolition permit for residential demolition, including internal demolition, per Sherman's permits-required list.
- Denison requires a permit for complete or interior demolition of a building, per its when-is-a-permit-required document.
- Celina says all building construction and demolition work, including a remodel or alteration, requires a permit, per Celina's permit guidance.
- Plano's building permit application requires a Solid Waste Removal subcontractor to be listed when job valuation is $10,000 or more.
3. Get utilities safely disconnected
Shut the water off at the sink supply valves, or at the main if the valves are old or don't seal. Turn off breakers for circuits in the demo area, and label the panel.
A gas range or cooktop hard-plumbed into gas needs a plumber to disconnect it first. That isn't demo work, and a good demo crew won't touch it.
Leave disconnected lines capped and visible so nobody cuts into them by accident. Mark any wiring that stays live in nearby walls.
4. Check older materials first
Older flooring, adhesives and drywall joint compound can raise asbestos questions. TCEQ's asbestos page says asbestos abatement in buildings falls under the Texas Department of State Health Services.
If you're unsure, get it tested before demo day. Finding it mid-demo stops the job, and asbestos is one thing we don't handle.
5. Plan for the appliances
Decide whether the fridge, range, dishwasher and microwave are being reused, sold or scrapped. If the replacements come from a retailer, ask whether they haul the old ones away.
Fridges need extra care. TCEQ's special waste page lists refrigerators and other CFC items as prohibited from disposal in any municipal landfill.
Our refrigerator disposal guide covers the refrigerant side. Our appliance removal service unhooks standard plug-in and water-line connections and carries them out.
6. Protect the rest of the house
Dust travels farther than you expect, so seal off more than seems necessary.
- Empty the cabinets, drawers and pantry completely.
- Clear out under-sink cleaners and chemicals. Our household hazardous waste guide covers where they can go.
- Lay floor protection along the path from the kitchen to the door.
- Hang plastic sheeting over doorways, and close HVAC vents in the demo area.
- Take down pictures and fragile items on walls that share the kitchen.
- Clear the driveway so debris can go straight onto a trailer.
7. Plan the haul-off
A kitchen tear-out makes more debris than people expect: cabinet boxes, countertop slabs, tile, drywall and packaging. Most city curb programs won't take it.
McKinney's bulky item collection excludes construction and demolition materials, per the city's residential trash services page. Allen's bulk item page excludes construction and remodeling waste, and kitchen sinks too.
Frisco's residential trash page takes cabinets and countertops only in 4-foot, 50-pound sections, and excludes tile. Plano's free resident drop-off doesn't allow remodeling waste of any type, per Plano's do-it-yourself disposal page.
8. Line up the trades in the right order
A kitchen remodel runs smoother when each trade knows its slot. The usual order is disconnects first, then tear-out, then haul-off, then rough-in and install.
Book the plumber and electrician for the disconnects before demo day, not the same morning. If the flooring is coming up too, decide whether it goes before or after the cabinets, and note it in the plan.
Our post on handing off the remodel tear-out walks through that handoff. If floors are part of the job, see our flooring and carpet removal page.
Kitchen demo day checklist
If every line is checked, the tear-out goes fast. If two or three aren't, push demo day back rather than rush.
- Permit posted, if your city requires one
- Water off, breakers off, gas disconnected and capped by a plumber
- Cabinets and pantry empty; saved items marked and moved out
- Floor protection down and doorways sealed
- Appliances unhooked, or a plan for who unhooks them
- Driveway clear and a plan for every piece of debris
When to hand the tear-out to a crew
Our kitchen demolition work does the tear-out and haul-off on the same visit. Cabinets, countertops, backsplash, tile and drywall come out and get loaded, and the driveway is swept before we leave.
Kitchens are quoted per job once we've seen photos, tear-out and haul-off together. Where a city requires a permit, it's usually pulled by the general contractor or the homeowner. If one is needed and nobody else is pulling it, we can usually pull it ourselves for an added fee that varies by city.
Already pulled it yourself? Then it's a remodel debris haul-off, priced by trailer space. A kitchen tear-out hauled off is the typical example for a Full Trailer Load, from $759.