How it works
We take buildings apart to minimize waste. We are proud to hold the City of Vancouver’s record, with a 99% salvage and recycle rate on a single-family home.
Our skilled carpenters disassemble homes, layer-by-layer, upcycling them into the supply chain.
How we do things
Deconstruct. Salvage. Reuse.
Unbuilders deconstructs and salvages most of the building’s components yielding less than 5% waste on average. On each project, Unbuilders diverts 50 tonnes of waste and salvages 10 tonnes of lumber.
How they do things
Smash. Destroy.
Dispose.
The demolition industry generates millions of tonnes of waste annually in Canada, 37% of which is valuable lumber. Companies are throwing away usable, renewable resources and charging their customers to do so.
We cost less.
We offer lucrative tax credits that make us more affordable than traditional demolition.
Environmental Impact
The industry shift to deconstruction has massively positive environmental & social impacts. Currently, 4 million tonnes of waste are diverted annually.
Social Impact
Deconstruction generates 6 jobs to every 1 demolition job – creating the potential for 75,000 new jobs nationally. The jobs Unbuilders provides allow young workers to contribute meaningfully to lessening waste in our society.
Community Driven
Having a building torn down can be an emotional event for a community. We ensure that we respect the stories and neighbours to whom these structures play an important role. We save these histories by giving materials a new life, typically turning negative experiences into positive ones.
Inspect and plan
First, we visit each site to inspect the building and determine how it was built. We provide a free estimate and a “salvage audit” to determine the value of each building’s materials.
Deconstruction
Our skilled crew of carpenters deconstruct buildings layer by layer. We maximize the salvage potential and minimize the waste through on-site material separation.
De-nail & Process
Finally, the team dismantles building components, de-nails the lumber and processes it for transport. Reclaimed wood and salvaged goods are shipped off-site for reuse and remanufacturing.