Demolition contracts with the survey, the shutoffs and the salvage signed first
Demolition is the one trade that can't undo its work. Once the wall is down, nobody can check whether the owner said the mantel stays, whether the gas was really off, or whether the neighbor agreed to the excavator crossing their side yard. SignMaster gets those answers signed before the machine starts, so the record exists even after the building doesn't.
Updated November 9, 2026 · 3 min read
On this page
Signed before the first bite
| Document | Signer | What it settles |
|---|---|---|
| Demolition contract | Owner or GC | Scope, what stays, debris and hauling, backfill and grading, and who pulls the permit |
| Survey acknowledgment | Owner | That they've received the asbestos inspection report and any other hazardous material survey |
| Utility shutoff confirmation | Owner | Gas, electric, water and sewer are disconnected or capped, with the utility letters attached |
| Protect-in-place list | Owner or GC | Fixtures, trees, walls and finishes that must survive the job |
| Salvage terms | Owner | Who keeps reclaimed brick, beams, metals and fixtures, and whether salvage is credited |
| Access agreement | Neighbor | Permission to cross or stage on the next property, and how it's restored |
Asbestos: inspect first, notify when the rule applies
EPA's asbestos NESHAP requires the owner or operator to thoroughly inspect the affected part of a facility for asbestos before demolition begins. For a facility being demolished, a written notice goes to the agency running the program at least 10 working days ahead: before demolition begins, or before removal work starts when there's enough regulated asbestos to strip. The notice is required even when there's little or no asbestos.
The federal definition of a facility covers commercial, institutional, public and industrial buildings and larger residential ones, but it leaves out residential buildings with four or fewer dwelling units. State and local agencies often run the program and can add their own rules, so check what yours asks for on a house.
SignMaster doesn't file the notice or test anything. What it does well is get the owner's signature on the survey acknowledgment: upload the report, add an initials field on its summary page and a signature at the end, and the sealed PDF shows exactly which report they received and when.
Interior and selective demolition
Gutting a kitchen or opening a floor plan is mostly about what must not come down. Turn the protect-in-place list into a form with a checkbox for each item and a photo page, and have the owner or GC initial it before your crew starts. Anything they add later becomes a signed change order, not a hallway conversation.
Painted surfaces in pre-1978 homes
EPA's lead renovation rule counts removing walls, ceilings and other building components as renovation, and its minor repair exception doesn't cover demolition of painted surface areas. In homes built before 1978, give the owner the Renovate Right pamphlet within 60 days before work and keep their signed acknowledgment.
On site: the go-ahead in five minutes
- 1
Scan the utility letters
Disconnect confirmations, the permit and the survey: the iPhone and iPad app scans them into searchable PDFs, so you can find a letter later by the street name.
- 2
Send the shutoff confirmation
Attach the letters to the confirmation form and send it with the protect-in-place list in the same envelope.
- 3
Owner signs in person
Hand over the phone with Sign in person. The certificate notes that they signed in person and that you hosted.
- 4
Neighbor signs by link
Send the access agreement to the neighbor's email. They sign from any phone, no account, and get their own sealed copy.
What it costs
Estimators, project managers and superintendents can share Crew at $49 a month for 5 people, plus $8 a month for each extra seat. Larger outfits can use Company, $99 a month for 15 people; both include webhooks and the API. Solo is $15 a month. New workspaces get 14 days of Crew free. Compare plans.
What SignMaster doesn't do
- It doesn't file asbestos notifications or demolition permits.
- It doesn't inspect or test for asbestos or lead.
- It doesn't take deposits or payments, or credit salvage.
- It sends signing requests by email; copy a link to text it.
Questions? Answers.
Does the federal asbestos notice rule apply to a single-family house?
The federal definition of a facility excludes residential buildings with four or fewer dwelling units, but state and local rules can go further. Check with the agency that runs the asbestos program where you work.
Can I get a neighbor to sign an access agreement without meeting them?
Yes. Send it to their email. They open the link on any phone or computer, sign without an account, and both of you get the sealed PDF.
Who owns salvaged materials?
Whoever your contract says. Spell it out in the salvage terms, item by item if the materials are valuable, and get it signed before anything comes down.
Can the owner confirm the utilities are off on my phone?
Yes. Attach the disconnect letters to a confirmation form and have the owner sign in person. The letters and the signature are sealed in one PDF.