Reuse and recycle building materials from remodeling and construction projects
To help divert waste from landfills, Hennepin County has grants available for property owners and developers to deconstruct residential buildings to salvage building materials rather than demolish them. The deconstruction grant program launched as a pilot in February 2020 and 17 projects were awarded in the first year of the program. During the 2020 pilot, grant eligibility was limited to properties in cities with a pre-demolition inspection program established, and this year the program is open to all cities.
 Grants help offset added time and labor costs
In a deconstruction project, a building is taken apart, mostly by hand, and materials are sorted for efficient recycling and reuse. Commonly salvaged building materials include old growth lumber, doors, flooring, cabinets and fixtures. Deconstruction provides numerous environmental and social benefits compared to mechanical demolition. Deconstruction prevents usable materials from going to the landfill, makes building materials available to the community, provides jobs, and supports local reuse retailers.
Additional time and labor costs involved with deconstruction can be deterrents to utilizing this technique. The county’s grants strive to make deconstruction a more affordable option by offering up to $5,000 per deconstruction project to offset the additional costs. Projects must meet grant eligibility requirements listed below.
Eligibility requirements
Applicant must be a homeowner or developer of a property located within Hennepin County. Publicly owned properties are not eligible for funding.
- The deconstruction work must be on residential properties, including houses and apartment buildings up to four units.
- Accessory structures (such as garages and sheds) or commercial structures are not eligible for funding.
- The structure being demolished or renovated must have been built prior to 1970.
- The size of structure or total area of renovation must be 500 square feet or larger. For example, a renovation project involving 300 square foot kitchen and 200 square foot living room would meet project requirements because the total area of the renovation equals 500 square feet.
- Full house moves/relocations are eligible for funding. Projects must meet all eligibility and reuse and disposal criteria.
- A minimum of five material types from category A must be deconstructed for reuse. Category A includes: brick or stone blocks, kitchen cabinets, casing around doors and windows, light fixtures, mantels, molding, plumbing fixtures, bathroom cabinets, solid wood doors, stair treads and railings, stone details, radiators, wood-framed windows, shutter or siding.
- At least 1,000 pounds of wood from category B must be deconstructed for reuse. Category B includes: wood flooring, dimensional lumber, and ceiling or floor joists.
- All non-reusable building material generated from the project must be sent to a Hennepin County approved construction and demolition waste recycling processing facility.
- Hennepin County does not conduct deconstruction work. Grantee must coordinate deconstruction work with contractors and/or salvage outlets and verify project meets reuse and disposal criteria.
- Deconstruction must take place after the agreement to issue grant funds is established. Grant funding cannot be used for deconstruction work that has already been completed.
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Hennepin County staff are available to determine project specifications and eligibility and answer questions about deconstruction. Learn more and apply online at hennepin.us/deconstruction.
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