Boise City Hall

Idaho has a libertarian streak. “The hell with government oversight or regulations” come the cries from our legislators.

I for one do not see eye to eye with most of that sentiment. I believe that a little regulation is needed to establish what the community rules are and a shared code to live by. Left to our own devices, most people do the right thing but not everyone. That is where the rub is. Contractors have always thrown everything out, why should they change? It will just cost our clients more money!

Thankfully, in my opinion, Boise is gently instituting a rule that provides guidance and direction on how they want to handle deconstruction at least for larger projects for starters. I feel privileged to have helped draft the new regulation. The ordinance just passed Tuesday evening and is going to effect on 5-10-2021 Here is a link

What is Deconstruction?

Deconstruction is the art of lovingly taking a building apart to spare the bulk of the material of the shame of being sent to the landfill.

Our Decon Crew

How Does Levco Fit In?

We simply want to be the leaders in our industry and show the way. Sustainability is one of the pillars of our company. This means that we have practiced deconstruction for years and are closely tied with The Reuse People of America a company that supports and educates the country in the sustainability of used building materials. Examples of missed opportunities are everywhere, buildings are being crushed all the time. I look the other way and do what I can to take care of my clients.

More Bright Spots On The Horizon

The landfill was taken over by the county and they are no longer allowing dumping by volume. In days past the more, you crushed the load (which is easy for a multi-ton excavator) the less you paid to dump it. Everything is done by weight so the less you throw out the less the fees.

An unimaginable benefit of soaring construction materials is that reclaimed lumber is more valuable than ever.

Recent Examples of Our Handiwork

• We were asked to soft strip 6 homes in preparation for a new multi-story housing unit. 
• We took down two garages in preparation for a new double car garage with Zoom Offices above
• We took down a vintage garage for a new ADU
• We are taking a whole home down in Boise to prepare for a new larger home to be built for multigenerational living.
• We are taking a 3 car garage down to satisfy a stop-work order.

This is another amazing example of service that brings us closer to our clients. We do these things because it is the right thing to do in our opinion, we share our salvaged building materials with the world. We also understand that is not a black or white issue, all or nothing is not the theme here. Not everything can be reused so we are thankful that the landfill will be able to handle the things that must be tossed out.

Your comments are welcome. To ask questions or get more information about remodeling, click here to email me directly, or call 208-947-7261

If you or someone you know is considering remodeling or just wants to speak to a trustworthy remodeling contractor, please contact me. You’ll be glad you did.