Paul Gardner Construction & Whole House Building Supply

     The following information answers many of the questions property owners and contractors have about our salvage and deconstruction services. In order to take the fullest advantage of a very significant income tax deduction, we urge you to consider the deconstruction option. It has saved clients considerable amounts of money and keeps tons of usable material from landfill.

     Whole House Building Supply works in a contractual relationship with The East Palo Alto Council of Tenants Education Fund, a designated 501(c)3 non profit organization. This relationship allows you to receive tax deduction for the building materials you donate or for materials we remove from your building.

Option #1 - Deconstruction: We evaluate the project - from remodel to tear down - and offer a deconstruction bid.
Option #2 - Demolition sale: We assess the building for pre-demolition sale / donation potential.
Option #3 - Simple Pickup of donated items.

Option # 1: Deconstruction The property owner or representative consults a specialized appraiser and gets an approximate value for the donation, then discusses this matter with their accountant to verify they can take advantage of a very large income tax deduction.
     We come evaluate the project and generate a bid.
     Owner donates the structure and/or the materials to EPACTEF, and receives a tax deduction for the entire structure or just the parts affected.
     Our crew dismantles the building by hand, assuring the maximum re-use and recycling of materials.
     Deconstruction can include the removal of concrete, driveway asphalt, brick chimneys and landscaping.
     Deconstruction does not include the removal or disposal of asbestos or other hazardous materials.
     Deconstruction takes a bit longer than conventional demolition.
     Owner has complied with city and county solid waste recycling requirements.
     Your tax deduction may lower total demolition costs to less than a conventional demolition, and often covers the entire cost.
     Unless the building contains very few easily salvageable materials or poses any safety hazards, a pre-demolition sale will precede deconstruction.
     Complete Liability and Worker's Comp. Insurance Coverage provided for both the Deconstruction and the Pre-Demolition Sale.
     There are very few appraisers who specialize in this kind of work but we will help you find one appropriate for the size of your project.

     If you have questions before getting started? Click here "Information on Deconstruction" or call EPACTEF, (650) 562-3417, and leave a message. A representative will return your call or email promptly.

Option # 2: Pre-Demolition Sale Pre-Demolition Sale Alone This option is free of charge, but the donation is also much less than provided by deconstruction.

     We come to the house, take notes and detailed photos, post them on our web site and send out an alert with sale location and date to our customers.
     Sale is conducted at the site on a weekend (weekdays in Atherton) and many of the building's components are sold.
     We keep the proceeds from the sale to cover our costs.
     A demolition sale can be arranged with less than a week's notice but more advanced notice is always appreciated.
     We've hosted over one thousand demolition sales in the Bay Area over the past twelve years.
     We ask for a day or two after the sale to remove items, before the house is demolished (by someone else).
     The majority of our demolition sales have taken place between Palo Alto and Atherton, but we have hosted sales at homes from Mill Valley to Alamo and Santa Cruz.
     A brilliant way to divert tons of material from landfill.
     Your tax deduction can be equivalent to how much we sell and remove from your building, but the IRS imposes an annual cap of $5,000 in non-cash charitable donations unless they are supported by a professional appraisal.
     We provide an itemized list of what is salvaged, including the prices we have assigned to each item, but it is ultimately up to you, the donor, to assign a value to the donation.
     Demolition sales are open to the public. Before entering the property, every customer must sign a release of liability form, then an additional release of liability if they wish to remove items or materials themselves (even pull up a plant!).
     Complete Liability and Worker's Comp. Insurance Coverage provided for a Pre-Demolition Sale.

Questions? Click here "Information on Demolition Sales" or call EPACTEF, (650) 562-3417, and leave a message. A representative will return your call or email promptly.

Option #3: Pickup

     There is no demolition sale or deconstruction. We send a truck to your location to pick up items. There is a charge for pick-ups.
     We can do the removal if the donor is willing to help with labor cost. We only come to pick up items: 1) of considerable value and 2) within a 30 mile radius, because it is not cost effective to transport, store, and sell items in this manner.
     The same IRS limit of $5,000 applies to this option without an appraisal.

Questions? Click here "Information on Pick Ups" or call EPACTEF, (650) 562-3417, and leave a message. A representative will return your call promptly.

Think SALVAGE!