By BTN Members Chris Roberts & Tommy Livesay
If your demolition is sloppy, you risk downstream delays, damage, or cost overruns. Not with Haul Stars!
Demolition & Junk Removal
When people hear “demolition” and “junk removal,” they often picture noise, dust, and dumpsters. But these services—when done right—are about far more than wrecking and hauling. They’re about preparation, precision, and creating a clean slate for what comes next.
At Haul Stars Demolition & Junk Removal, we approach every project through the lens of structure, sequence, and respect—for properties, for clients, and for the broader community we serve in Orange County.
Below, we’ll walk you through:
- What Haul Stars offers
- How to prepare your home or commercial site
- What to look for in a demolition or junk removal contractor
- Real-world mindset lessons from our founders
Haul Stars: Our Services & Philosophy
Core Services
- Demolition — residential and commercial, indoor and outdoor: kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, outdoor structures, etc.
Haul Stars - Junk Removal & Cleanouts — clearing construction debris, garage or storage cleanouts, unwanted furniture or equipment.
Haul Stars - Pressure Washing — driveways, parking garages, exterior walls, windows, etc., to leave the site clean and ready for the next trade.
Haul Stars
They serve both homeowners and commercial clients, working with general contractors, real estate agents, senior-living facilities, and more.
Haul Stars
What distinguishes Haul Stars is not just brute force, but the awareness of what comes next. Each demolition is done with future trades in mind: you don’t want to tear things apart in a way that makes plumbing, electrical, or finish work harder.
Because of the founders’ backgrounds—Tommy’s disciplined, hands-on ethic rooted in his military service, and Chris’s contractor mindset and craftsmanship—the company views every job with care, structure, and an eye toward longevity.
How to Prepare: Steps Before the Crew Arrives
Getting your site ready next to the contractor’s work is just as important as what the contractor does. Here are some proven tips:
1. Get necessary permits and check zoning
Before any demolition or structural removal, ensure your project is permitted. Local jurisdictions often require permits for structural changes, plumbing or electrical disconnections, or removal of certain exterior walls or decks. Confirm compliance first to avoid delays or fines.
2. Disconnect utilities & secure safety
Have any utilities—gas, water, electricity—disconnected safely ahead of time. Make sure your site is accessible, with clear ingress/egress for trucks and equipment. Remove valuables or fragile items near the demolition zone. Safety barriers or fencing should be in place, especially in commercial or public settings.
3. Relocate or protect surrounding finishes
Even minor demolition can create dust, vibration, or debris that affects nearby rooms or structures. Temporary walls, dust barriers, drop cloths, and ventilation can help. If you have garden landscaping, shrubs, or paving near the work area, flag them or protect them.
4. Document and plan for salvaging
If there are fixtures, appliances, doors, hardware, or materials you’d like to salvage, identify and label them in advance. Communicate clearly with your contractor what should stay, what should go, and where you’d like things staged.
5. Communicate site constraints, schedule windows, and adjacency trades
If other contractors (electricians, plumbers, framers) need to overlap, coordinate scheduling so work flows. Make note of load-in paths, height limits, weight restrictions, or noise constraints (e.g. in commercial or multiunit sites).
What to Look for in a Demolition & Junk Removal Company
You want someone who does more than break things. Here are the criteria that separate the good from the great:
✅ Experience + specialization
Demolition is not one size fits all. Someone familiar with kitchen removal, structural walls, or commercial teardown brings more insight than a general junk hauler. Check the firm’s past projects, photos, references, and scope. Haul Stars highlights both residential and commercial examples on their site.
Haul Stars
✅ Transparent quoting & inspection
A trustworthy contractor will request detailed photos or an in-person inspection before giving a firm quote. Watch out for “drive-by” quotes that don’t account for hidden complexities. Haul Stars asks for photos and may inspect before formal quoting.
Haul Stars
✅ Detailed scope & trade awareness
The best demolition crews start by asking: What’s coming next? They think about plumbing, electrical, framing, finishing, load paths, moisture, etc. If a contractor breezes through without clarifying how the next trades will connect, that’s a red flag. (This is something Haul Stars promotes as a distinguishing mindset.)
✅ Insurance, licenses & permits
Ensure your contractor is fully insured (liability, workers’ comp) and holds the appropriate licenses. Ask for proof. Also check whether they will pull required local permits—or assist you in getting them.
✅ Proper equipment & disposal plan
Good demolition doesn’t rely on brute force alone. The right tools (e.g. small excavators, skid steers, jackhammers, cutting saws) mean less collateral damage. Also, a responsible company has a disposal or recycling plan for debris—avoiding illegal dumping and prioritizing salvage or recycling.
✅ Cleanliness, communication & site management
Your site should stay organized, with debris staged in controlled areas or containers (roll-off bins, debris boxes). You want regular updates and a point of contact. You also want a crew that respects your property—walkways, neighboring walls, landscaping, adjacent units.
✅ Reputation & reviews
Check for client testimonials, Google reviews, Instagram or project galleries. Haul Stars, for example, features client feedback praising professionalism, communication, and a smooth process.
Why Haul Stars Is Uniquely Positioned
Because Haul Stars was built by hands-on men with complementary perspectives, we deliver something more than “just demolition.” Here’s why clients often tell us they trust us again and again:
- We lead with a trade mindset. Chris brings deep contracting experience, and we always execute demolition with the next steps in mind.
- We do everything—from fieldwork to sales. Tommy stays involved in all aspects, so communication and accountability don’t slip.
- Veteran values & community focus. Tommy’s service background and our commitment to Orange County’s people shape our approach—honest, respectful, giving back.
- Seamless process. We follow a simple 3-step model: Connect → Quote → Execute—you send photos or details, we prepare a fair quote (sometimes after inspection), and then we show up and handle it.
- Full spectrum services. Whether you need structural demolition, cleanouts, debris removal, or even pressure washing afterward, we can handle it all.
In Closing: Build Better by Clearing Right
Demolition and junk removal are often seen as the messy parts of construction or renovation, but done well, they’re foundational. They set the stage—literally—for what comes next. If your demolition is sloppy, you risk downstream delays, damage, or cost overruns.
By choosing the right partner—someone who inspects and communicates, thinks beyond brute force, and cares about your outcome—you can turn demolition from a headache into an accelerator.
