Demolition Contractor: Rules and Permits in SA

Demolition work in South Africa is regulated under the Construction Regulations 2014, made under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 (the OHS Act). Before any demolition starts you must appoint a competent person in writing, have a structural engineering survey done, and notify the Department of Employment and Labour (the DEL) for the larger jobs. The single biggest trap is asbestos: under the Asbestos Abatement Regulations 2020 you may not demolish asbestos-containing material, so it must be safely removed first by a registered asbestos contractor.‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍

How to register and get licensed

There is no standalone demolition licence, but you must work inside several requirements.

The competent person and the survey. Under the Construction Regulations 2014 you must:

Appoint a competent person in writing to supervise and control all demolition work on site.
Have a structural engineering survey done by a competent person before any demolition begins, to assess the building's integrity, identify hazards and decide the demolition method. A method statement must be developed from it.
Have the competent person carry out structural integrity checks at the intervals set in the method statement during the demolition.
Identify and make safe all utility services, meaning electricity, gas and water, before demolition begins.
Protect adjacent structures, roads and infrastructure.
Manage debris properly, with chutes correctly constructed, material not dropped outside the exterior walls unless the area is protected, and waste removed as soon as practicable.

Notifying the DEL. Under the Construction Regulations 2014 the principal contractor must notify the provincial director at the DEL in writing before starting demolition work that involves demolishing a structure over 3 metres high, or using explosives, or work over 30 days or 300 person-days that also includes excavation or work at height over 3 metres. The notification is made on the prescribed form. Confirm the current advance-notice period and form with your DEL provincial office before you start, because the categories and timings can vary. Local-authority written permission is also required to demolish under SANS 10400 and the National Building Regulations.

CIDB registration. The CIDB is the Construction Industry Development Board. Demolition contractors must register with the CIDB in the appropriate class. The CIDB grades contractors by the value of work they can tender for, with Grade 1 the entry point at around R500,000. Confirm the current grading bands and fees at cidb.org.za, because the bands change. Major demolition works need a higher grade.

The asbestos rule you cannot ignore

This is the critical compliance area. The Asbestos Abatement Regulations 2020 (published 10 November 2020), which replaced the 2001 regulations, prohibit the demolition of asbestos-containing material.

Demolishing asbestos-containing material is absolutely prohibited. It must all be safely removed before any demolition begins.
Asbestos removal is tiered. Type 1 (painting asbestos cement, or removing under 10 square metres) needs no registration. Type 2 (repairing asbestos cement products, or removing asbestos insulating board) needs a Type 2 registered asbestos contractor. Type 3 (removing, repairing or encapsulating any asbestos-containing material) needs a Type 3 registered asbestos contractor, registered with the Chief Inspector at the DEL.
Written notification to the Chief Director, Provincial Operations at the DEL is required before asbestos work.
After Type 2 or Type 3 work, an asbestos clearance certificate must be obtained from an approved inspection authority through visual inspection and air sampling.
Asbestos waste is hazardous waste and must be disposed of at designated facilities under the Environmental Conservation Act 1989 and the National Environmental Management Waste Act 2008.

In practice, asbestos is very common in buildings built before 1994. If any is present, engage a DEL-registered asbestos contractor to remove it before your demolition starts. Do not touch it yourself unless you hold a Type 2 or Type 3 registration.

Standards and the explosives interface

SANS 10400 Part E covers demolition. SANS stands for South African National Standard. Part E is brief and cross-references local-authority written permission, and the local authority may add further conditions.

Where demolition uses explosives, a method statement must be developed by a person competent in their use, in line with the Explosives Act 15 of 2003 and the OHS Act Explosives Regulations. A blasting permit is required and only a licensed blaster may use explosives. If you do not hold blasting competency, subcontract that work to a licensed blasting company. For most residential and commercial demolitions you will use mechanical demolition with excavators, and explosives are rare outside mining-adjacent or major civil work.

Kit and start-up costs (estimates)

All figures below are estimates, so verify with suppliers.

CIDB Grade 1 registration: around R1,500 to R3,000 in admin fees.
Personal protective equipment per worker (hard hat, safety boots, hi-vis, P3 dust mask, gloves, safety glasses): around R3,000 to R5,000.
Sledgehammers, crowbars and bolt cutters: around R3,000 to R6,000.
An angle grinder with cutting discs: around R2,500 to R5,000.
Mini-excavator hire, day rate: around R3,000 to R7,000.
Skip-bin hire, per delivery: around R1,500 to R4,000.
A structural engineer's survey fee: around R5,000 to R15,000 per project.
Site safety equipment (barriers, warning tape, signage): around R2,000 to R5,000.
An asbestos survey, subcontracted: around R2,000 to R8,000.

What you can charge (estimates)

These are indicative ranges only, not published rates, and they vary enormously with access, asbestos, waste removal and structure type.

A residential demolition of a single-storey building of around 120 square metres: around R40,000 to R120,000.
A commercial partial demolition or internal strip-out: around R15,000 to R60,000.

If your turnover grows past R2.3 million in any 12-month period, VAT registration becomes compulsory. That threshold took effect on 1 April 2026.

Common mistakes

Touching asbestos. Demolishing asbestos-containing material is absolutely prohibited. It must be removed first by a registered Type 2 or Type 3 contractor.
Starting without the survey and competent person. Both are required in writing before any demolition begins.
Skipping the DEL notification. Larger demolitions must be notified to the DEL provincial director before work starts.
Forgetting local-authority permission. You also need written permission from the local authority under SANS 10400 and the National Building Regulations.
Using explosives without a licensed blaster. Only a licensed blaster with a blasting permit may use explosives. Subcontract it if you do not hold the competency.

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