Deconstruction Services in Southern California
We reduce the solid waste stream and change the way the built environment is renewed by salvaging building materials and distributing them for reuse.
The ReUse People is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
Help Safeguard The Environment!
About Us
Since 1993
Since 1993, architects, contractors and building owners have relied on TRP to keep reusable and recyclable building materials out of overburdened landfills. By de-constructing (instead of demolishing) a building, TRP is able to salvage up to 80 percent of the materials and channel them back into the marketplace through donations and sales at its network of retail outlets. These services are among the first steps in the green building process. Furthermore, tax-deductible donations of reusable materials to TRP, a nonprofit 501(c)3 corporation, provide a faster payback and better return-on-investment than any other product or service offered by the green building industry. For more information on the company and its services, visit the TRP website at www.thereusepeople.org

4,000+
Houses Deconstructed for Reusable Materials
TRP has deconstructed over 4,000 houses and other buildings to salvage reusable materials. This has prevented vast amounts of building materials from ending up in landfills.
400,000+
Tons of Waste Diverted From Landfills
TRP has diverted over 400,000 tons of reusable materials from landfills, helping to reduce our footprint on the planet as well as provide repurposed materials for construction.
500+
Workers and Contractors Trained
TRP has trained and certified over 500 unemployed, underemployed, and disadvantaged workers, as well as over 70 contractors who in turn create needed construction jobs.

Our Services
What We Do
TRP offers the following green services and products:
- Building materials donation and deconstruction
- Building materials salvage
- Building materials distribution
- Great deals on reclaimed building materials and lumber
- Project management
- Training
- Consulting services
- Reuse and recycling plans
Blog
The Key Role of House-Moving in Whole-House Donations
A hundred years ago, moving a house to make way for growth and development was a fairly common...
The Evolution of Contemporary Deconstruction
In my distant days as a partner within Creative Business Strategies, I focused on raising money...
Building for Deconstruction: Three Things to Avoid
While preparing to write January’s Velvet Crowbar, I decided to do some internet research. When I...
Michigan Boosts TRP Footprint in the Midwest
Several years ago TRP made an invited foray into Chicago, establishing The ReUse People of...
The Promise of Commercial Deconstruction Revisited
Six months have passed since I wrote about the importance of commercial deconstruction and...
More on Deconstruction Ordinances and Bylaws
Earlier this month I was invited to the historic town of Victoria to give two workshops for a...
A Case for Destructive Testing, or What’s Behind That Wall?
A fascinating Google alert recently landed in my in-box. When I read the title, “235-Year-Old Home...
Oakland’s Community-Sized Adaptive Reuse Project
My journey from finance and investment banking, to deconstruction and building-materials salvage...