Funding available

Residential deconstruction

Up to $5,000 available per project (up to $2 per square foot) based on eligible deconstruction expenses for residential full building removal or renovation/remodeling projects.

Commercial deconstruction

Up to $10,000 available per project (up to $2 per square foot) based on eligible deconstruction expenses for commercial full building removal or renovation/remodeling projects.

Structural move

Up to $15,000 available per project (up to $5 per square foot) based on expenses for full structural move projects.

Used building material installation

Up to $5,000 available per project (up to $2 per square foot) that incorporate used building materials into renovation/remodeling or new construction designs.

Eligibility

Learn more about building reuse grants eligibility.

Contact us

Hennepin County staff are available to determine project specifications and eligibility and answer questions about deconstruction. Contact olivia.cashman@hennepin.us.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that the United States generates more than twice the amount of construction and demolition waste than household trash annually. In the Twin Cities metro area, only about 20% of construction and demolition materials are recycled.

When it’s time to remodel or discontinue using a building, materials have the potential to be reused and recycled. In fact, about 85% of the materials in a typical demolition project could be salvaged for reuse and kept out of the landfills through practices like deconstruction and structural moves.

How deconstruction works

Deconstruction is the process of carefully dismantling or “unbuilding” a structure to preserve building materials intact so they can be used again. In a deconstruction project, a building is taken apart frame by frame, using mostly hand tools, and materials are sorted into categories for efficient recycling and reuse. For example, deconstruction involves removing interior fixtures, such as cabinets, lighting, and wood flooring, and then removing structural components, such as dimensional lumber, for the materials to be reused in another building or project. After building materials are deconstructed and removed, they can be sold or donated to local reuse retail organizations to be made available for the community to use on other projects.

Deconstruction prioritizes reuse

Deconstruction prioritizes salvaging materials for reuse and then recycling what is not reusable. The process minimizes the amount of unusable and non-recyclable materials that end up in a landfill.

Through deconstruction, up to 25% of the materials in a typical home can be reused and up to 70% of the materials can be recycled. Reusing and recycling building materials has many environmental and economic benefits over landfilling construction and demolition waste.

Incorporating used building materials

Incorporating used building materials on projects avoids embodied emissions associated with new products. Buying used building materials also closes the loop on the reuse system and sends a message that salvaged products are valued. Plus, used building materials can provide unique character and one-of-a kind style into your project. Whether you are doing a small DIY project or undertaking a larger remodel or new build, there are many opportunities to incorporate salvaged materials into your work.

Deconstruction grant projects reuse and recycle building materials to reduce waste going to landfills. Below are case studies of deconstruction projects supported by Hennepin County.

Ard Godfrey House, Minneapolis

The historic Ard Godfrey House, built in 1848, is the oldest stick frame home in the Twin Cities. The house, now owned by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, is named after a man who helped build the first dam and sawmills for waterpower at Saint Anthony Falls along the Mississippi River.

The house has undergone several refurbishing projects over the years, including a few structural moves before finding its current home in Chute Square on the corner of University Ave and Central Ave SE in Minneapolis. Recently, Hennepin County helped with replacing sections of damaged exterior siding around the building.

The project provided opportunities for job skills training, relied on unique community partnerships to preserve the home’s historic character, and prioritized the use of salvaged building materials.

Project highlights include:

• The siding replacement is being conducted by carpentry apprentices in Hennepin County’s Community Productive Day program, which provides clients with the skills and training to secure meaningful employment.
• The replacement siding is made from old growth Douglas Fir beams from Bauer Brothers Salvage – a building material reuse warehouse that has been a staple in north Minneapolis since 1960. Not only will the old growth lumber match the current siding, it’s also a valuable building material because of its natural durability and rot resistance.
• MPLS MAKE, a member-based community woodshop in Columbia Heights, used their sawmill to transform the old growth beams into usable siding of specific sizes for the Ard Godfrey House.

Salvage businesses

The following organizations and businesses offer salvage opportunities for building materials. This list does not constitute approval of any of the firms identified nor do we claim the list is complete.

A Plus Appliances

• Location: St. Paul
• Contact: 651-298-1929, aplusappliance.org
• Accepts: appliances

Accent Store Fixtures

• Location: Minneapolis
• Contact: 612-379-2788, asfmn.com
• Accepts: shelving and storage units, gridwall, slatwall

Architectural Antiques

• Location: Minneapolis
• Contact: 612-332-8344, archantiques.com
• Accepts: building materials, unique/historical artifacts

Art & Architecture

• Location: Minneapolis
• Contact: 612-904-1776, artandarc.com
• Accepts: building materials, unique/historical artifacts

Bauer Brothers Salvage, Inc.

• Location: Minneapolis
• Contact: 612-521-9492, bauerbrosinc.com
• Accepts: building materials including: cabinets, commercial items, doors, lighting, plumbing, windows

Better Futures Minnesota

• Location: Minneapolis
• Contact: 612-351-8659, betterfuturesminnesota.com
• Accepts: appliances, cabinets, doors, lighting, lumber, plumbing, tile

The Birch Group (Scrapbox Salvage)

• Location: Minneapolis
• Contact 612-323-9333, thebirchgroup.org andscrapboxsalvageco.com
• Accepts: building materials including: cabinets, commercial items, doors, lighting, plumbing, windows

Bridging

• Location: Bloomington
• Contact: 952-888-1105, bridging.org
• Accepts: Furniture and household items

City Salvage

• Location: Minneapolis
• Contact: 612-627-9107, citysalvage.com
• Accepts: building materials including: cabinets, commercial items, doors, lighting, plumbing, windows

Furnish Office & Home

• Location: Minneapolis
• Contact: 612-789-3322, furnishofficeandhome.org
• Accepts: Office furniture and equipment

Guilded Salvage

• Location: Minneapolis
• Contact: 612-789-1680, guildedsalvage.com
• Accepts: building materials, unique/historical artifacts, hardware, lighting

Habitat for Humanity ReStore

• Location: Minneapolis and New Brighton
• Contact: 612-588-3820, restore.tchabitat.org
• Accepts: building materials including: cabinets, commercial items, doors, lighting, plumbing, windows

Historic Stone Company

• Location: Minneapolis
• Contact: 651-641-1234
• Accepts: various stones

No Boundary Tiny Homes

• Location: Eau Claire, WI (willing to travel to Twin Cities)
• Contact: 715-533-0255, facebook.com/noboundariestinyhomes
• Accepts: Building materials including lumber, plumbing, windows, wood flooring

Northwest Architectural Salvage

• Location: St. Paul
• Contact: 651-644-9270
• Accepts: building materials, unique/historical artifacts

Second Chance Recycling

• Location: Minneapolis
• Contact: 612-332-0664 ext.14
• Accepts: mattresses and box springs

Construction and demolition waste recycling processing facilities

The companies listed below achieve a minimum 60% recycling rate and accept loads of construction and demolition materials from residents and contractors. They can also provide roll-off boxes to keep onsite to collect materials throughout the project at a comparable price of sending these materials to a landfill. Plan ahead to coordinate recycling.

Atomic Recycling

• Location: Minneapolis
• Contact: 612-623-8888, atomicrecycling.com

Dem-Con

• Location: Shakopee
• Contact: 952-445-5755, dem-con.com