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Port Arthur Demolition

Tell us what has to come down. Local demolition contractors quote you directly.

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A free quote-request service for Port Arthur, Beaumont, Nederland, Groves and the rest of Jefferson County. We don't do the work; we pass your job to independent local contractors.

10 daysWorking days' notice Texas DSHS needs before any building comes down, asbestos or not.

An excavator pulling down the roof and walls of a one-storey house

What has tocome down?

Pick the job closest to yours. Each page covers the scope, the permits and what to have ready before contractors quote.

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How a quote request works

  1. First, you send the job.

    The address, what is standing on the lot and when it has to be gone. Photos help if you have them.

  2. Then we pass it on.

    Your request goes to independent demolition contractors who work in Port Arthur and Jefferson County.

  3. They quote you directly.

    The price, the schedule and which permits and notices they handle come from the contractor, not from us.

  4. You pick one, or none.

    There is no fee to ask and no obligation to hire. Your contract is with the crew you choose. How the referral works

The machine is the short part

Survey, state notice, disconnects and permits come first. Hauling, fill and grading come after. Knocking the house down is often the shortest part.

Asbestos warning signs taped to the doors and windows of a brick building before demolition
Two people watch an excavator demolish a storm-damaged house
Broken concrete slabs piled under a partly demolished concrete structure

Transite siding

Asbestos-cement siding found on older houses. It is handled as asbestos and may need its own disposal route, so it changes the quote.

A pile of demolition debris with broken concrete slabs in the foreground

Port Arthur's own demolition list

The city tears down dangerous houses every year. Private owners face the same state rules, the same old siding and the same Gulf weather.

A Port Arthur house with its roof and most of its walls torn away by a tornado
A Port Arthur house after an EF2 tornado, April 2024. Photo: National Weather Service.
Two workers in hard hats pull material out through a window of a house wrapped for demolition
Workers strip a Texas house before a buyout demolition. Photo: FEMA.

Ten working days' notice

Texas DSHS must be notified at least 10 working days before any building is demolished, even when no asbestos is present.

The notice goes in through the DSHS online notification system or on the mailed form. Emergency and government-ordered demolitions are exempt from the wait. Details: DSHS asbestos notifications.

Ten working days is two full work weeks: to start on a Monday, the notice has to be in by the Monday two weeks before.

Demolition costs

 City contract, 2020Bulk work the City of Port Arthur paid for One private houseThe usual case for owners and heirs
What was priced13 dangerous houses, in two phasesA single-family teardown
Price$30,800 for 7 houses; $22,800 for 6Roughly $10,000 to $50,000
Per houseAbout $3,800 to $4,400Set by the scope below
Why it differsOne contractor, many houses, a scope the city definesOne mobilization, with survey, abatement and haul priced for one lot
SourcePort Arthur NewsOnline bid-tracker estimate; not checked against local quotes
Next stepPrice my house

These are typical market figures from public sources, not our rates. We don't set prices; each contractor quotes after seeing the job.

  • Square footage and number of storeys
  • Pier-and-beam or slab, and whether the slab comes out
  • What the asbestos survey finds
  • Transite siding and where it can be disposed of
  • Debris volume and haul distance
  • Fill dirt and final grading
  • Access: trees, power lines, tight lots
  • A hard deadline from a city order

Questions owners ask

Do I have to notify the state before tearing down a house?

Yes. Texas DSHS must be notified at least 10 working days before any building is demolished, even when no asbestos is present. The notice goes in through the DSHS online notification system or on the mailed form. Emergency and government-ordered demolitions are exempt from the 10-day wait.

Is it 10 calendar days or 10 working days?

Working days, Monday to Friday. Ten working days is two full work weeks, so a Monday start needs the notice in by the Monday two weeks earlier. Use the date calculator on this page, then confirm the date with DSHS or your contractor.

Do I need an asbestos survey before demolition?

Texas requires a DSHS-licensed inspector to survey public buildings before they are demolished. For a single-family house the rule is less clear-cut, so confirm it with DSHS. Either way, tell contractors the year the house was built and whether it has transite siding, and ask whether they need a survey before they price the job.

What permit do I need from the City of Port Arthur?

Start with the city's Building Inspections division, which handles permits through the city's online permit portal. We could not find a published demolition permit type or fee, so ask the city what it needs for your address before you set a start date.

How much does it cost to demolish a house in Port Arthur?

It depends on size, foundation, asbestos and debris. In 2020 the city paid about $3,800 to $4,400 per house on bulk contracts for 13 dangerous houses. A single private teardown costs more than bulk city work; online bid trackers give a rough range of $10,000 to $50,000. Only a site visit gives a real number.

Is transite siding handled differently?

Yes. Transite is asbestos-cement siding found on older houses, and it is handled as asbestos. Port Arthur bid listings indicate the city landfill may not accept it, so ask each contractor where it will go and whether disposal is in the price.

Do the utilities have to be disconnected first?

Plan on it. Demolition should not start with live gas, power or water lines in the building. Ask the City of Port Arthur and your utility companies how disconnects work for your address, and tell contractors what is already off.

Are you the demolition company?

No. Port Arthur Demolition is a free quote-request service. We pass your request to independent local demolition contractors, who quote you and contract with you directly. We don't own equipment or do demolition work ourselves.

More demolition questions

Jefferson Countyand next door

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Port Arthur

  • Port ArthurPermits go through the city's Building Inspections division.Jefferson County
  • Port AcresInside Port Arthur, so the same city permit office applies.Jefferson County

Mid-County

  • GrovesIts own city, with its own permit rules to check.Jefferson County
  • NederlandIts own city, with its own permit rules to check.Jefferson County
  • Port NechesIts own city, with its own permit rules to check.Jefferson County

Beaumont and west

  • BeaumontThe county's largest city, with its own permit office.Jefferson County
  • ChinaSmall city west of Beaumont.Jefferson County
  • HamshireRural community toward the county line.Jefferson County

Orange County

  • Bridge CityAcross the Neches River from Port Arthur.Orange County
  • OrangeOn the Sabine River at the Louisiana line.Orange County
  • VidorAcross the Neches River from Beaumont.Orange County

All service areas

Tell us what's coming down

Four short steps: the job, the structure, the site and how to reach you.

We pass your request to independent local operators who quote you directly. It's free, and you're under no obligation to hire anyone.

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