In short
Before hiring a demolition contractor in Spain from abroad, check the business identity, a written scope, the method, who removes asbestos (only a RERA-registered company), how waste is sorted and proven, the health and safety paperwork, how you will be kept informed and what you receive at the end. Each answer should be specific to your property and confirmed in writing.
Contents
How to use this checklist
Copy the questions below into an email and send the same version to every contractor you are considering. The aim is not to catch anyone out but to make the answers comparable. A contractor who replies point by point, about your property, is giving you the information you need; one who replies with a single price and 'no problem' is not.
This checklist complements our list of red flags when hiring a demolition contractor. For the price side of the comparison, our sister site has a dedicated demolition quote comparison checklist.
1. Identity and paperwork of the business
- Full name of the business or sole trader, tax identification and address, in writing.
- Who will be your contact during the job, and in which language.
- Which parts of the job are done by the contractor and which by subcontractors.
- Proof of the insurance the contractor holds for the works, if you want to see it.
The point of the identity check is simple: you need to know who you are contracting, who invoices you and who is responsible if something goes wrong. A clear answer on subcontractors matters as much, because on a demolition several parties may be on site at different stages.
As a reference, Demoliciones Málaga is the demolition service of Bauman Raymond Attila, a sole trader (autónomo) based at Avenida Antonio Belón 3, Marbella, working across the provincia de Málaga.
2. Scope and method
- What exactly is demolished, and what stays: pool, walls, trees, outbuildings, boundary fences.
- Down to which level: does the job include foundations and ground slabs?
- Method: manual, mechanical or combined, and why for your building.
- How neighbouring buildings and party walls are protected.
- How dust and noise are controlled.
- How the plot is left: rubble removed, basic levelling after the demolition or not.
Ask the contractor to say explicitly whether the method changes near the boundaries. On many Costa del Sol plots the centre of the house comes down with a machine while the edges next to a neighbour are taken down by hand, and that should be visible in the description.
A clear scope is what makes two quotes comparable. Our pages on house and villa demolition and partial demolition show how we describe it.
3. Permits and technical documentation
- Does the contractor understand that you and your técnico file the declaración responsable or licence?
- Will it work with your técnico's documentation and coordinate dates with them?
- Who arranges authorisation to occupy the public road if a skip or machine stands in the street?
- If the property is in a community of owners, how will the administrator be kept informed?
A contractor that promises to 'get the licence' for you is describing something it does not do. For the background, see licence or declaración responsable.
4. Asbestos-cement (uralita)
- Has the contractor looked for uralita in the photos: roofs, tanks, flues, pipes?
- Who removes it? The answer must be a company registered in the RERA, working under a plan approved by the provincial labour authority.
- Is the asbestos removal scheduled before the main demolition?
- How is the asbestos waste handled? It must be kept separate and delivered to an authorised manager as hazardous waste.
On our jobs the removal is carried out by a RERA-registered company working as our subcontractor. Our sister site explains the register in the RERA register explained.
5. Waste, safety and documents
- How is the waste sorted on site? Since January 2024 demolition must be selective, with separation into the fractions set by Ley 7/2022.
- Where does each fraction go, and will you receive the delivery receipts?
- Will the contractor prepare its plan de gestión de residuos for approval by the dirección facultativa?
- Will it prepare its plan de seguridad y salud from the safety study in the technical documentation, as Real Decreto 1627/1997 requires?
The receipts are what you need to recover a municipal waste deposit, so their absence is a real cost. Our page on demolition and debris removal describes how that part is organised on our jobs.
6. Communication, payment and handover
- How often will you receive photos, and at which stages?
- What happens if something unexpected is found: who decides, and how quickly can you be reached?
- Does the quote state the VAT rate? Demolition is generally taxed at 21 %, while certain renovation or repair works on private homes may qualify for 10 % under the VAT law's conditions.
- How are payments staged, and what triggers each one?
- What do you receive at the end: final photos, delivery receipts, any other documents agreed?
Communication is where distance shows most. Agree in advance which channel you will use, who answers and what counts as a decision that needs you, so that the works do not stop while a message waits in an inbox.
For how this works with us, see managing a demolition from abroad and our description of what it is like to work with us while you are abroad.
Reading the answers
Once the replies are in, compare them line by line rather than by total. Mark every point a contractor has not answered and ask again; a missing answer on asbestos or waste is more important than a difference in price. Then check the two or three best replies with your técnico, who will supervise the works and has to be comfortable with the contractor's method.
Do not be put off by a contractor that asks you questions back. Questions about the age of the house, the roof material, the access or the plans usually mean it is trying to describe your job accurately rather than quoting a standard figure.
If a price range helps before you send anything, the calculator on presupuestodemolicion.eu gives a rounded band from the main factors.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
Why send the same questions to every contractor?
Because identical questions make the answers comparable. Differences in scope, method and paperwork become visible before you compare prices.
What identity details should a contractor give me?
Its full name, tax identification and address in writing, plus the name of your contact during the job.
Should the quote say what stays standing?
Yes. It should list what is demolished and what stays – pool, walls, trees, outbuildings – and how the plot is left.
Who should remove uralita from my property?
Only a company registered in the RERA, under a work plan approved by the provincial labour authority. On our jobs that company is our subcontractor.
What waste documents should I ask for?
The delivery receipts for each fraction delivered to an authorised facility; they are usually needed to recover the municipal waste deposit.
What safety documents should the contractor prepare?
Its plan de seguridad y salud, based on the safety study in the technical documentation, as Real Decreto 1627/1997 requires.
Does the contractor file my permit?
No. You and your técnico file the declaración responsable or licence; the contractor works with that documentation.
Should the VAT rate be on the quote?
Yes. Demolition is generally taxed at 21 %, and certain renovation or repair works on private homes may qualify for 10 % if the legal conditions are met.
How should I compare the answers?
Line by line, not by total. Unanswered questions on asbestos or waste matter more than a price difference.
Can I send this checklist to you as well?
Yes. Send it with photos, the address and any plans, and we will answer each point for your property in English.