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The City of Portland is offering funding to support commercial building deconstruction in Portland. Property owners who choose to deconstruct rather than demolish a commercial property may receive City grant-funded services for their projects.
Funding available for commercial deconstruction projects
The City of Portland is offering grants to support deconstruction instead of demolition for commercial properties.
Property owners apply for funding to cover City-approved deconstruction work performed by City-approved contractors. The City pays contractors directly for eligible work, helping lower overall project costs for property owners while supporting reuse and waste reduction.
Four ways to participate
Choose the option that works best for your project. Grants vary by option, and they can be combined:
- Furniture and Goods Clean Out: Salvage furniture, appliances, storage racks, and other goods for reuse.
- Fixture Skim: Remove reusable, non-structural elements such as lighting fixtures and cabinets.
- Deconstruction: Manually deconstruct a building to salvage structural materials for reuse.
- Structure Move: Relocate small structures in their entirety for reuse at a different site.
Program requirements
Dates
The program will run until January 2027 or until the grant funding is spent. Salvage projects must be completed and all documentation submitted by February 2027.
Funding availability
The grant is noncompetitive. As long as an applicant meets the requirements, the funding is first-come, first-served until spent.
What projects are eligible?
Commercial demolition projects in the City of Portland. Both privately and publicly owned properties are eligible. Materials incentive payments go to contractors who complete waste reduction services on commercial demolition sites and submit documentation of the materials saved.
Property type: At least 800 square feet. Commercial includes everything non-residential, such as retail, office, education, warehouse, industrial, and assembly. Commercial properties also include multifamily buildings with 3+ units. Major renovations may qualify depending on scope and materials.
Timing: Funding cannot be used for completed projects. Work must begin after the grant agreement is signed.
Property owners
- Code Compliance: All projects must comply with local zoning, building, and fire codes; hazardous materials rules (asbestos, lead-based paint, etc.); and any other applicable laws.
- Owners must request a Salvage Survey from a participating deconstruction contractor. The survey identifies which materials can be salvaged and how much grant funding is available. Contractor bids should be adjusted to reflect the reimbursement level they're targeting.
- Share your demo bid: The property owner must share a "business-as-usual" demolition bid to establish a baseline cost.
- Hire an approved contractor: The property owner must hire and coordinate with contractors and verify that the project meets reuse and disposal criteria. The City does not do the deconstruction work.
- Dispose of all leftover, non-reusable materials at a Metro-permitted material recovery facility.
- Submit receipts for total tons disposed. This allows the program to determine a recovery rate.
Salvage and reuse criteria
Contractors must submit documentation to verify that reuse and disposal requirements were met before funds are released.
How to apply
Contact Lauren Zimmermann Onstad at deconstruction@portlandoregon.gov or (503) 823-6041.
Grants
1. Furniture and goods clean out
Applies to building spaces vacated by previous tenants with business items still in place.
Estimated time requirement: 1–2 days.
Expected salvaged materials are furniture, small consumer goods (storage bins, work implements, office gear, and tech), and appliances.
Small cleanout: $1,500 rebate
- 15–20 cubic yards
- 2 labor hours on site
- Up to 2 additional hours for Reuse Logistics Support
Mid-size cleanout: $2,600 rebate
- 21–35 cubic yards
- 4 hours of labor on site
- Up to 3 additional hours Reuse Logistics Support
Large/Volume-based cleanout: $3,000+ rebate
- Reimbursement level will be developed per project .
2. Fixtures skim
Items that can be removed without disturbing the structural core of the building: light fixtures, cabinets, easily retrievable built-ins or plumbing fixtures, larger equipment for reuse, and appliances.
Estimated time requirement: 4 hours to 4 days
$500 rebate
- Minimum 20 fixtures or items.
- For each 20 fixtures, $500 rebate will be paid.
- Eligible fixtures include light fixtures, fans, cabinets, built-ins, large equipment/machinery, or large appliances.
3. Deconstruction
Manual deconstruction of the building to save building materials for reuse. Rebate given to the deconstruction contractor for any project over 1000 square feet that demonstrates salvage of materials from both category A and B. See Commercial Deconstruction Pilot Eligible Salvage Material List.
Estimated time requirement: Project dependent, anywhere from 5 days to several weeks.
Tier 1: $6,000
- A minimum of 10 items from at least 2 material types in category A
- And 3+ tons of materials from category B
Tier 2: $9,000
- A minimum of 15 items across at least 3 material types in category A
- And 5+ tons of materials from category B
Tier 3: $12,000
- A minimum of 20 items across at least 3 material types in category A
- And 7+ tons of materials from category B
4. Structure move
Relocate small structures to other sites for continued use.
$6,000 per structure
- Structure must be minimum 800 sq ft or historic structure.
Approved contractors
The following contractors and vendors are approved for the commercial deconstruction pilot.
| Building clean out vendors | COBID | Services Available |
|---|---|---|
| Frog and Toad Hauling Revel Rapp revel@frogandtoadhauling.com 503-468-6169 | Clean Out, Hauling | |
| JunkIt Junk Removal Michelle Carter service@junkitportland.com 503-256-6276 | ESB, MBE #12924 | Clean Out, Hauling |
| Affordable Junk Removal Tiffany Latham tiffany@ajrpdx.com 503-354-7887 | ESB, WBE #13745 | Clean Out, Hauling, Dumpster Rentals |
| Deconstruction vendors | CCB # | COBID | Services Available |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meticulous Deconstruction Brianna Ivy 831-588-4541 meticulousdeconstruction@gmail.com | 245553 | WBE #15428 | Deconstruction, Demolition, Site Clean Up, Lumber Sales |
| AAC Decon, Demo and Abatement Gilberto Martinez 503-381-7253 gilbert@aacasbestos.com Braulio Ramirez 503-760-7366 braulio@aacasbestos.com | 224807 | ESB #12501 | Abatement, Deconstruction |
| Northwest Deconstruction Specialists Augest Endicott 503-949-2040 augest@nwdeconstruction.com | 212336 | N/A | Deconstruction, Lumber Sales |
| 3 Diamond Construction, LLC Ofelia Lara 503-734-6323 Dionicio Fernandez 503-927-6287 3diamondconstruction@gmail.com | 200520 | DBE, MBE, ESB #9339 | Construction, Deconstruction |
| PMG Abatement Contractor Rosa Martinez 503-761-5924 rosa@pmgasbestos.com | 155390 | WBE, MBE #3516 | Abatement, Deconstruction, Demolition |
Commercial Permitting Requirements
Projects planning to use these grants for partial/full deconstruction of a building must follow all commercial permitting requirements.
If you have questions about commercial permitting requirements, you can schedule a free 15-minute appointment with a Portland Permitting and Development technician. Visit the free 15-minute appointment site and scroll down to Application requirements and permit process questions to submit a request for a virtual or in-person meeting.
For 3 and 4 unit residential structures and mixed-use structures, a commercial demolition permit is required, but projects must follow residential demolition requirements, please read Residential demolition permits (SB 871).
For any projects seeking to delay full excavation of a site, please read Building Official Determination 24-02: Demolition.
Additional information
Project Manager's Guide to Material Reuse in Commercial Buildings
The Project Manager's Guide to Material Reuse in Commercial Buildings (PDF) was developed by the Building Circularity Minnesota project team to help owners, architects, and contractors build with reclaimed materials on a commercial scale.
The guide contains specification language, guidance for procurement, and case studies of successful reuse projects around the country. Template documents are also provided to help address barriers in current construction documents and workflows.
Program background
This pilot is funded by a grant from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The grant supports the expansion of programs that divert construction, renovation, and demolition debris from landfills. Salvaging materials reduces waste and cuts demand for newly manufactured products.