House Demolition, Dual-Occupancy Prep & Asbestos Removal in Burwood
Get It Away delivers house demolition, dual-occupancy site preparation, and licensed asbestos removal across Burwood, backed by fast dispatch from our local fleet base. Fixed-price quotes and council experience built in.
Burwood’s knockdown rebuild and dual-occupancy market is running at pace. The Burwood North Metro station under construction at Burwood and Parramatta Roads has pushed land values up and accelerated development interest across the suburb’s established R2 streets. A lighter heritage footprint than neighbouring inner-west councils means approvals move more efficiently here, and that means tighter timelines for demolition and site prep.
Why Burwood’s Knockdown Rebuild and Dual-Occupancy Market Is Booming
Burwood doesn’t read like the rest of the inner west. Walk south from Burwood Road and the shopfronts and high-rise around Burwood Station give way to quiet, established streets of 1950s and 60s brick homes, a mix of lighter brick veneer and solid double-brick construction, the kind of streets where MLC School on Rowley Street and Burwood Park anchor the neighbourhood rather than a heritage conservation area.
We operate from our Lidcombe office at 20 Cambridge Street, around 10 to 15 minutes from Burwood via Parramatta Road. We hold a SafeWork NSW Demolition Licence (AD214489).
Burwood’s Post-War Brick Housing and Why Asbestos Removal Comes First
Around three out of four homes in Burwood are brick, built between the 1950s and the 1980s, sitting on medium blocks of roughly 500 to 700 square metres. That figure covers both lighter brick veneer construction and solid, cavity double-brick homes, plenty of which are substantial enough that demolition is genuinely heavy work, not just a quick strip and knock. The rest of the housing stock is post-war weatherboard and fibro cottages, mostly on the quieter streets away from the Burwood Road and Railway Parade shopping strips. Almost anything built before 1987 contains asbestos somewhere, whether that’s eave linings, internal sheeting, original floor tiles, or a fibro laundry or garage tacked onto the back of a brick home.
That’s why every demolition or dual-occupancy project in Burwood starts with an asbestos assessment. It’s a small step that sets the timeline for everything after it.
1950s to 1960s
Early brick veneer with fibro inclusions in garages, laundries, and rear additions. Asbestos commonly found in eave sheeting and wet area linings.
1960s to 1970s
The dominant era across Burwood’s residential streets. Solid brick construction with asbestos in flat sheet linings, eave boards, and original floor tiles. Full inspection required regardless of how solid the home looks.
1970s to 1980s
Brick veneer continues, asbestos use tapering off toward the end of the period but still present in linings and sheeting up to 1987.
Targeted Demolition & Dual-Occupancy Clearing in Burwood
Residential Knockdowns & Block Clearing
Full house demolition for knockdown rebuild projects across Burwood’s established R2 streets, from lighter brick veneer cottages through to substantial double-brick homes. Scope includes asbestos inspection and licensed removal, utility disconnection coordination with Ausgrid, Jemena Gas, and Sydney Water, structural demolition including footings, and a level site ready for handover.
Due to the intense demand for medium-density redevelopment across the suburb’s R2 streets, full block clearing forms the foundation of our daily operations in this postcode.
Dual-Occupancy Site Preparation
Site preparation for dual-occupancy builds, including demolition of the existing dwelling, excavation to engineering specification, and compaction suited to Burwood’s clay soils. We work alongside builders and certifiers to keep the demolition and site prep phase on schedule.
Asbestos Removal and Management
Licensed inspection, removal, EPA-compliant disposal, and a hygienist clearance certificate. Given how much of Burwood’s brick housing stock predates 1987, this is a required first step on most projects we run in the area, not an optional extra.
Excavation and Site Clearance
Building platform preparation, footing excavation, and service trenching. There is no sandstone outcropping in Burwood and groundwater is minimal, but reactive soil shows up often enough that we check for it on every job before finalising compaction and footing methodology.
Pool Removal
Full removal or partial demolition and backfill for in-ground pools, with deregistration from the NSW Swimming Pool Register handled as part of the job. A common request ahead of a knockdown rebuild or before listing a property for sale.
Burwood Council Approvals for Demolition and Dual-Occupancy Builds
Burwood is its own local government area, separate from Inner West Council, bordered by Parramatta Road to the north and Liverpool Road to the east. Demolition and dual-occupancy approvals go through Burwood Council under the Burwood Local Environmental Plan 2012. Heritage listings in Burwood are mostly individual items clustered around the historic Burwood Road and Railway Parade precinct, such as Burwood Post Office and the Burwood railway station group, rather than broad heritage conservation areas across residential streets. That keeps most demolition and dual-occupancy applications on established streets relatively straightforward compared with neighbouring inner-west suburbs.
Burwood Council has also been an early mover on the NSW Government’s Transport Oriented Development program, working with the state on the Burwood North Metro precinct rezoning to support more homes near the new Metro station. While that larger rezoning is centred on the precinct around Burwood and Parramatta Roads, it reflects the same growth pressure that’s driving dual-occupancy demand on standard residential blocks across the rest of the suburb.
Standard residential demolition – CDC pathway
Most standard residential demolitions on non-heritage sites proceed through a Complying Development Certificate via a private certifier. You’ll need a demolition specification, asbestos assessment report, utility disconnection evidence, and adjoining owner notification. CDC determination typically takes 10 to 20 days.
Dual-occupancy and medium-density – DA pathway
Dual-occupancy development on R2 residential land generally requires a Development Application, subject to lot size and frontage controls under the Burwood LEP. Burwood Council’s support for medium density means the assessment process tends to move more efficiently here than in heritage-heavy LGAs nearby. We confirm the exact pathway and site-specific controls during the free site assessment.
Where Burwood Council Ends and the Neighbouring Council Begins
Council boundary roads
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Burwood is a small LGA, and several of its edges sit on roads that change council jurisdiction from one side to the other. Parramatta Road marks the northern boundary with the City of Canada Bay. Queen Street, Dickinson Avenue, Liverpool Road, and Greenhills Street mark the eastern boundary with Inner West Council. Georges River Road, Burwood Road, and the Cooks River mark the southern boundary with Canterbury-Bankstown. Coronation Parade, The Boulevarde, and Mosely Street mark the western boundary with Strathfield Council.
Split pockets: Croydon and Strathfield
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Two pockets are worth calling out specifically. Croydon is split between Burwood Council and Inner West Council, so the side of the street a property sits on can determine which LEP, which DA pathway, and which heritage rules apply. Strathfield suburb is split the same way along The Boulevarde, with the eastern side falling under Burwood Council and the western side under Strathfield Council. Asset protection permits, footpath and verge approvals, and truck or skip bin parking rules are set by the local council, not the suburb name, so a site near one of these boundary streets can mean two different sets of requirements depending on exactly where the property line falls. We confirm which council has jurisdiction before lodging anything, not after.
Three Things Burwood Council Always Requires
Asbestos assessment report confirming presence or absence of ACMs.
SafeWork NSW notification at least 5 business days before any demolition involving asbestos above 10m².
Utility disconnection certificates from Ausgrid, Jemena Gas, and Sydney Water before works begin.
We handle all three for you.
Clay Soil, Parramatta Road Access and Neighbour Considerations in Burwood
Soil and Ground
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Burwood sits on Ashfield Shale, part of the Wianamatta Group that underlies most of Sydney’s inner west. It weathers to a residual clay that’s often classified as reactive under AS2870, which means footing and slab design has to account for ground movement rather than treat the site as stable. Uncontrolled fill turns up on some older blocks, particularly where additions were built without proper records. There’s no sandstone outcropping in Burwood and groundwater is minimal, but we always check for reactive clay before finalising excavation and compaction plans.
Access
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Parramatta Road carries the suburb’s commercial and light industrial strip, giving good arterial access for trucks and machinery. Liverpool Road, part of the Hume Highway, runs along the eastern edge for the same reason. Inside the suburb, streets are wider and less constrained than the narrow terrace rows further into the inner west, and street parking for site vehicles is generally manageable. Because several of these roads also mark the boundary with a neighbouring council, truck routing and parking or skip bin permits can change the moment you cross them, so we confirm the correct authority before finalising the traffic management plan.
Neighbours
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Burwood is a quieter, more family-oriented environment than the inner west proper, and we find neighbour disputes are less common here. The one thing to plan for is pushback on dual-occupancy proposals from longer-term residents concerned about density and change to street character. Early, clear communication with neighbours usually heads off the bigger issues.
Project Insight
Dual-Occupancy Site Preparation Near Burwood Station
A 1965 brick veneer home on a 620m² block within walking distance of Burwood Station was set to be replaced with a dual-occupancy development. The pre-demolition inspection found asbestos in the eave linings, an internal wall sheet, and the original kitchen floor tiles.
We coordinated the asbestos removal first, working with the appointed hygienist to issue a clearance certificate before any structural work began. Utility disconnections with Ausgrid, Jemena Gas, and Sydney Water were arranged ahead of the demolition date, and the DA conditions for the dual-occupancy build were confirmed with the certifier before we started. The block was tight, with a 900mm clearance to the boundary fence on one side, so machine access was planned around a single excavator path rather than the usual two-sided approach.
Demolition, including footings, was completed within two days. Bulk excavation followed straight after, but a rain event midway through softened the exposed Ashfield Shale clay before final compaction. We capped the pad and diverted surface water rather than compacting wet material, then re-tested once the clay had dried out enough to meet the engineer’s moisture specification. That added a day to the program but avoided having to rip up and re-compact a soft pad later, which would have cost the builder far more time. The site was handed over level, with a compaction record reflecting the post-rain re-test, ready for the dual-occupancy build to begin.
Scope: Asbestos removal + full demolition + excavation and site preparation | Location: Burwood, Burwood Council
Project Details
1965 brick veneer, dual-occupancy redevelopment
620m² block near Burwood Station
Asbestos in eave linings, wall sheet, floor tiles
900mm boundary clearance, single excavator path
Ashfield Shale clay managed post-rain
Compaction record provided at handover
Budgeting Your Burwood Project
Get an Instant Cost Estimate
Every Burwood demolition project is different. Costs vary based on construction type, block size, asbestos presence, clay soil conditions, and whether excavation or pool removal is included. Use our free Sydney demolition cost calculator to get a preliminary budget range before requesting a formal quote.
The calculator covers full house demolitions, dual-occupancy site prep, excavation, and pool removal. It takes less than two minutes to complete.
The calculator provides a preliminary budget range only and is not a formal quote. A site inspection is required before fixed pricing is confirmed.
Our Office Near Burwood
Get It Away Demolition and Excavations
20 Cambridge Street, Lidcombe NSW 2141
Lidcombe Office: 0434 566 733
Headquarters: 1300 313 371
Email: info@getitaway.com.au
ABN: 69 145 254 119
SafeWork NSW: DE2 AD214489
Areas We Cover
Burwood Heights
Croydon (part)
Croydon Park (part)
Enfield
Strathfield (part)
Start Your Burwood Demolition or Dual-Occupancy Project Today
From house demolition and asbestos removal to dual-occupancy site preparation, Get It Away delivers Burwood projects from our Lidcombe office with the licences, local knowledge, and fixed pricing property owners rely on.
Get It Away Demolition and Excavations | ABN: 69 145 254 119 | SafeWork NSW Demolition Licence: DE2 AD214489 | 20 Cambridge Street, Lidcombe NSW 2141 | info@getitaway.com.au