SA Demolition & Salvage
The estimator gets consistent praise for fast, thorough site visits and clear council process guidance.
This is a structural pattern in the reviews, not an isolated complaint, and it's worth factoring in if you're working to a builder's timeline or council approval deadline. The salvage yard side of the business tells a different story, with buyers of secondhand materials describing friendly staff and fair prices. If you're considering SA Demolition & Salvage for a demolition contract, ask for a written schedule with milestone dates before signing, and confirm who your specific point of contact will be once the estimator hands the job over — that transition point is where the reviews consistently identify breakdowns.
Their work
What it's like working with them
Based on a sample of Google reviews (20 total)
“Lovely old salvage timbers quite cheap”
“3 start dates have come and gone and still no work”
What they help with
Based on what their customers hired them for
How they stack up
Context from 222 demolitions in Adelaide
Credentials & background
Sourced from 5 public records so you don't have to look them up yourself
About SA Demolition & Salvage
SA Demolition & Salvage operates across two distinct parts of the business: a demolition contracting arm handling residential site clearances and structural knockdowns, and a salvage yard selling secondhand building materials — though at least one reviewer notes the salvage operation may no longer be active under that name. The estimating side draws consistent praise in reviews: the person who handles site inspections and quoting is described as fast, thorough, and genuinely helpful in explaining the council approval process and service abolishment requirements — a level of pre-job guidance that's genuinely useful for homeowners navigating their first demolition. Where the business falls down, based on the review pattern, is in the handoff from quote to execution: multiple customers describe start dates being pushed back by weeks or months with little to no communication from office or site management. The salvage yard side, by contrast, has attracted a cluster of positive notes about affordable secondhand timbers and other reclaimed materials, suggesting the two halves of this business operate with very different customer experiences. With 26 years of operation, the company carries significant industry experience, but reviews from recent years suggest the operational reliability hasn't kept pace with that longevity.
Best for: homeowners seeking a detailed pre-demolition site assessment and council process guidance, buyers of affordable reclaimed salvage timbers, and residential knockdown projects where the timeline has some flexibility built in.
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Claim This Profile — Free →Common questions about SA Demolition & Salvage
What does the quoting process look like with SA Demolition & Salvage?+
Reviews consistently describe the estimating stage as a strong point — the person handling site inspections is noted for arriving promptly, turning quotes around quickly, and walking homeowners through the council approval process and service abolishment requirements. This makes the initial engagement genuinely useful if you're new to demolition projects. However, based on multiple reviews, the experience after accepting a quote can be very different, so it's worth locking in a written start date and key contact details before signing anything.
How reliable are their job start dates?+
This is the most consistent concern across the 18 reviews we analysed. Multiple customers report being given start dates that were then missed — in some cases by weeks, in others by months — with little or no communication from the office during the wait. At least two customers ended up engaging a different demolition company after giving up. If you have a hard deadline tied to a builder or council approval, raise this directly and ask for a written schedule before proceeding.
Do they sell secondhand building materials?+
Yes — the business operates (or has operated) a salvage yard alongside its demolition contracting arm. Several reviewers mention visiting to buy reclaimed materials, with salvage timbers specifically called out as good quality and reasonably priced. At least one reviewer notes the salvage operation may be trading under a different name now, so it's worth calling ahead to confirm current stock and opening hours before making a trip, as one customer found conflicting information about weekend opening times.
What happens if neighbouring fences or property are damaged during a demolition job?+
Four of the 18 reviews we looked at mention damage to neighbouring fences, garages, or footpaths occurring during demolition work. In several of those cases, reviewers describe difficulty getting the company to acknowledge or rectify the damage afterward. If you're booking a demolition, it's worth discussing the company's process for documenting pre-existing boundary conditions and asking specifically how third-party damage claims are handled — ideally getting this in writing before work begins.
Are they suitable for homeowners with tight builder timelines?+
Based on the reviews available, the answer is cautious — at least two customers specifically mention that delayed demolition work caused them to lose their position in a builder's queue or miss council deadlines. The business has the experience and credentials for residential demolition work, but the scheduling and communication issues documented in reviews make tight-turnaround jobs higher risk. If your timeline has no flexibility, it may be worth getting a firm contractual commitment on start and completion dates, or comparing quotes with other SA demolition contractors.