The suburb where subdivision drives the work
Cannington and the surrounding City of Canning suburbs sit in the middle band of the southern suburbs: close to the Canning River, on the rail line, and around ten kilometres from the CBD. The housing went in largely between the 1950s and the 1970s on generous lots, and those lots are now the most useful thing about them.
That combination — old house, large block, good location, favourable zoning — makes this one of the most actively subdivided parts of Perth. Most house demolition here is the opening move in a development, not a rebuild for the same family.
Asbestos is the default assumption
The post-war era that built Cannington was the peak era for asbestos cement in Australian housing, and the area carries a lot of former State Housing stock built exactly then. Fibro wall sheeting, eaves lining, wet area linings, the sheet behind the meter box, corrugated sheeting on carports and garden sheds, and asbestos fencing panels along boundaries are all routine finds.
So the licensed asbestos process is not an exception on a Cannington job, it is the standard first stage. Removing more than ten square metres of non-friable asbestos requires a licensed removalist under WA's work health and safety laws, and on a fibro house that threshold is passed by the first wall.
Budget for it honestly at the start. It is the single biggest reason Cannington demolition quotes vary between contractors — one has priced the asbestos and the other has not.
Ground conditions
Cannington sits on the Swan Coastal Plain on the Bassendean sand system, on the flatter inland side of the metro rather than the limestone coastal strip. That is straightforward ground: deep sand, easy excavation, predictable compaction, and fill that behaves when it is placed in layers.
Closer to the Canning River and the low-lying flats, the ground gets damper and the water table sits higher, which matters for deeper excavation such as a pool removal. Older blocks in the area also commonly have soakwells and, on the oldest properties, disused septic tanks and leach drains from before sewer connection — none of which appear on any plan and all of which turn up during site clearing.
A full block clear, not just a house
Because the end point is usually a surveyed subdivision rather than a rebuild, the scope is wider than a knockdown. The house, the garage or shed, the driveway and paving under concrete removal, retaining, fencing, vegetation and stumps all come off, and the block is graded so a surveyor can peg out clean ground.
Commercial and retail work
Cannington is also a retail and commercial centre. Westfield Carousel, the surrounding showrooms and the light industrial pockets generate steady strip-out and soft demolition work: tenancy make-goods, shop fit-out removals and office refurbishments, mostly run after hours under centre management rules.
Getting started
Asbestos assessment first, then Western Power and Water Corporation disconnections, then the City of Canning demolition permit. Waste and clean-out volumes are covered under rubbish removal.
Other areas are on the service area index, and the ranges are in the cost guide. Call (08) 9516 0951 with the address and the approximate age of the house.
Frequently asked questions
Which council covers Cannington?
The City of Canning, which also takes in Bentley, Queens Park, Wilson, Willetton, Riverton and Ferndale. The City issues the demolition permit under the Building Act 2011 and, like most Perth local governments, holds a bond against damage to the verge, kerb, footpath and crossover during the works, refunded after inspection.
How likely is asbestos in a Cannington house?
High. Much of the housing dates from the 1950s to the 1970s, including a large amount of former State Housing stock, and that era used asbestos cement extensively in wall sheeting, eaves, wet areas, fencing and carport roofing. Anything built before 1990 is treated as containing asbestos until laboratory analysis says otherwise.
What does subdivision mean for demolition here?
It means most knockdowns are the first step in a development rather than a rebuild for the same owner. The block is usually cleared entirely — house, shed, driveway, paving, retaining and vegetation — because a surveyor needs clean ground to set out new lots. That makes site clearing a bigger part of the scope than it is on a simple knockdown rebuild.
Do you work around the Carousel retail precinct?
Yes. Retail and commercial strip-outs around the Westfield Carousel precinct and the surrounding showroom and light industrial areas are regular work. Those jobs run to building management rules, after-hours access, loading dock bookings and lift protection, all of which get built into the program rather than negotiated on the day.