# Definition for demolish

**URL:** <https://forum.4specs.com/t/definition-for-demolish/4119>\
**Category:** Specifications Discussions\
**Created:** [July 30, 2025, 12:30pm UTC](https://forum.4specs.com/t/definition-for-demolish/4119 "2025-07-30T12:30:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![danmayer175](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f475e1/32.png) [@danmayer175](https://forum.4specs.com/u/danmayer175)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2025, 12:30pm UTC](https://forum.4specs.com/t/definition-for-demolish/4119/1 "2025-07-30T12:30:15Z")

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Division 02 sections define remove, remove and salvage and other terms, but is there an agreed upon definition for DEMOLISH? Our standards committee is updating drawing notes and asked me for the “official” definition.

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**Author:** ![bunzick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a587f6/32.png) [@bunzick](https://forum.4specs.com/u/bunzick)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2025, 8:52pm UTC](https://forum.4specs.com/t/definition-for-demolish/4119/2 "2025-07-30T20:52:51Z")

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Unless you define Demolition in your specs, then no. I think you are better off using the definitions in the Selective Demolition (or other) section, and working to make sure that the design team uses them correctly. The reason that such definitions came to be is to give more precision as to what is intended with each item.

Having said that, I did work for a firm that included a definition for Demolish in the Selective Demolition section: “Completely remove and legally dispose of off-site.” I think this was the fail safe in case the other terms weren’t used correctly. We also had: “Remove and Reinstall: Detach items from existing construction, prepare them for reuse, and reinstall them where indicated.”

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**Author:** ![redseca2](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/user_avatar/forum.4specs.com/redseca2/32/50_2.png) [@redseca2](https://forum.4specs.com/u/redseca2)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2025, 10:36pm UTC](https://forum.4specs.com/t/definition-for-demolish/4119/3 "2025-07-30T22:36:53Z")

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It is so long ago, 35+ years, that I can barely recall the details, but I remember when the legal folk at a very large architecture firm (the three blind mies) I worked at suddenly announced we had to remove “demolish” from all specs and drawings. this was for a large restoration project and we were by that point wrapping up the construction documents. Several days writing “selective removal” ensued.

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**Author:** ![jpjordan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/67e7ee/32.png) [@jpjordan](https://forum.4specs.com/u/jpjordan)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2025, 3:11pm UTC](https://forum.4specs.com/t/definition-for-demolish/4119/4 "2025-07-31T15:11:30Z")

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There is also “Remove and install new” to distinguish between removing something that you want reinstalled and removing something to be replaced with something new.

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**Author:** ![danmayer175](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f475e1/32.png) [@danmayer175](https://forum.4specs.com/u/danmayer175)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2025, 3:27pm UTC](https://forum.4specs.com/t/definition-for-demolish/4119/5 "2025-08-07T15:27:15Z")

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I ended up adding “demolish” to the Div 02 Sections and giving it the same definition as “remove”.