Best of 2003: Best Recycling Demolisher

John Smith Earthworks
619-276-0946

"We have salvagers. They start at the roof, take the tiles, windows, doors, fixtures, and lumber. Most of that goes to Mexico, but Habitat for Humanity gets a lot. We pretty much dismantle by hand," says Smith. Even the concrete piles are smashed up for roadbase. Part of the incentive is landfill costs. "At one time dump fees were $5 a load. Now they can be $1000," he says. Smith relocates trees to new homes instead of bulldozing them. For a standard house on flat land he charges around $5 a square foot. Difficult houses, such as a cliff-side home with massive foundations, could be double that.