diff --git a/dev/config-2.js b/dev/config-2.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..37d60e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dev/config-2.js
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+'use strict';
+/* eslint-disable quotes */
+
+module.exports = [
+  {
+    "type": "heading",
+    "id": "main-heading",
+    "defaultValue": "Clay Test Page",
+    "size": 1
+  },
+  {
+    "type": "text",
+    "defaultValue": "This is config 2"
+  },
+  {
+    "type": "section",
+    "items": [
+      {
+        "type": "heading",
+        "defaultValue": "This is a section"
+      },
+      {
+        "type": "input",
+        "appKey": "email",
+        "defaultValue": "",
+        "label": "Input Field",
+        "description": "This is a new field",
+        "attributes": {
+          "placeholder": "Placeholder set with attributes"
+        }
+      }
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    "type": "submit",
+    "defaultValue": "Save"
+  }
+];
diff --git a/dev/custom-fn.js b/dev/custom-fn.js
index fe004aa..d6202a4 100644
--- a/dev/custom-fn.js
+++ b/dev/custom-fn.js
@@ -16,10 +16,20 @@ module.exports = function() {
     }
   }
 
+  /**
+   * @returns {void}
+   */
+  function handleButtonClick() {
+    Clay.config = Clay.meta.userData.config2;
+    Clay.build();
+  }
+
   Clay.on(Clay.EVENTS.AFTER_BUILD, function() {
     var coolStuffToggle = Clay.getItemByAppKey('cool_stuff');
     toggleBackground.call(coolStuffToggle);
     coolStuffToggle.on('change', toggleBackground);
+
+    Clay.getItemById('testButton').on('click', handleButtonClick);
   });
 
   console.log('userData: ', Clay.meta.userData);
diff --git a/dev/dev.js b/dev/dev.js
index 72cccee..502edd2 100644
--- a/dev/dev.js
+++ b/dev/dev.js
@@ -6,7 +6,10 @@ window.claySettings = {};
 window.customFn = require('./custom-fn.js');
 window.clayComponents = require('../src/scripts/components');
 window.clayMeta = require('../test/fixture').meta({
-  userData: {foo: 'bar'}
+  userData: {
+    foo: 'bar',
+    config2: require('./config-2')
+  }
 });
 
 var platform = window.navigator.userAgent.match(/Android/) ? 'android' : 'ios';
diff --git a/src/scripts/lib/clay-config.js b/src/scripts/lib/clay-config.js
index e809876..4546f6f 100644
--- a/src/scripts/lib/clay-config.js
+++ b/src/scripts/lib/clay-config.js
@@ -33,10 +33,22 @@ function ClayConfig(settings, config, $rootContainer, meta) {
   var self = this;
 
   var _settings = _.copyObj(settings);
-  var _items = [];
-  var _itemsById = {};
-  var _itemsByAppKey = {};
-  var _isBuilt = false;
+  var _items;
+  var _itemsById;
+  var _itemsByAppKey;
+  var _isBuilt;
+
+  /**
+   * Initialize the item arrays and objects
+   * @private
+   * @return {void}
+   */
+  function _initializeItems() {
+    _items = [];
+    _itemsById = {};
+    _itemsByAppKey = {};
+    _isBuilt = false;
+  }
 
   /**
    * Add item(s) to the config
@@ -97,6 +109,7 @@ function ClayConfig(settings, config, $rootContainer, meta) {
   }
 
   self.meta = meta;
+  self.$rootContainer = $rootContainer;
 
   self.EVENTS = {
     /**
@@ -111,7 +124,21 @@ function ClayConfig(settings, config, $rootContainer, meta) {
      * value set
      * @const
      */
-    AFTER_BUILD: 'AFTER_BUILD'
+    AFTER_BUILD: 'AFTER_BUILD',
+
+    /**
+     * Called if .build() is executed after the page has already been built and
+     * before the existing content is destroyed
+     * @const
+     */
+    BEFORE_DESTROY: 'BEFORE_DESTROY',
+
+    /**
+     * Called if .build() is executed after the page has already been built and after
+     * the existing content is destroyed
+     * @const
+     */
+    AFTER_DESTROY: 'AFTER_DESTROY'
   };
   utils.updateProperties(self.EVENTS, {writable: false});
 
@@ -172,18 +199,39 @@ function ClayConfig(settings, config, $rootContainer, meta) {
   // @todo maybe don't do this and force the static method
   self.registerComponent = ClayConfig.registerComponent;
 
+  /**
+   * Empties the root container
+   * @return {void}
+   */
+  self.destroy = function() {
+    var el = $rootContainer[0];
+    self.trigger(self.EVENTS.BEFORE_DESTROY);
+    while (el.firstChild) {
+      el.removeChild(el.firstChild);
+    }
+    _initializeItems();
+    self.trigger(self.EVENTS.AFTER_DESTROY);
+  };
+
   /**
    * Build the config page. This must be run before any of the get methods can be run
+   * If you call this method after the page has already been built, teh page will be
+   * destroyed and built again.
    * @returns {ClayConfig}
    */
   self.build = function() {
+    if (_isBuilt) {
+      self.destroy();
+    }
     self.trigger(self.EVENTS.BEFORE_BUILD);
-    _addItems(config, $rootContainer);
+    _addItems(self.config, $rootContainer);
     _isBuilt = true;
     self.trigger(self.EVENTS.AFTER_BUILD);
     return self;
   };
 
+  _initializeItems();
+
   // attach event methods
   ClayEvents.call(self, $rootContainer);
 
diff --git a/test/spec/lib/clay-config.js b/test/spec/lib/clay-config.js
index dba8b34..69537b9 100644
--- a/test/spec/lib/clay-config.js
+++ b/test/spec/lib/clay-config.js
@@ -254,6 +254,50 @@ describe('ClayConfig', function() {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('.destroy().', function() {
+    it('Destroys all the items on the page and in the items array', function() {
+      var clayConfig = fixtures.clayConfig(['input', 'text', 'input'], false);
+
+      clayConfig.build();
+      clayConfig.destroy();
+
+      // this should throw because the config has not been built yet
+      assert.throws(clayConfig.getAllItems);
+
+      // there should be no DOM inside the container
+      assert.strictEqual(clayConfig.$rootContainer[0].children.length, 0);
+    });
+
+    it('dispatches the BEFORE_DESTROY event at the right time', function(done) {
+      var clayConfig = fixtures.clayConfig(['input', 'text', 'input'], false);
+
+      clayConfig.on(clayConfig.EVENTS.BEFORE_DESTROY, function() {
+        assert.strictEqual(clayConfig.getAllItems().length, 3);
+        done();
+      });
+
+      clayConfig.build();
+      clayConfig.destroy();
+
+      assert.strictEqual(clayConfig.getAllItems().length, 0);
+    });
+
+    it('dispatches the AFTER_DESTROY event at the right time', function(done) {
+      var clayConfig = fixtures.clayConfig(['input', 'text', 'input'], false);
+
+      clayConfig.on(clayConfig.EVENTS.AFTER_DESTROY, function() {
+
+        // this should throw because the config has not been built yet
+        assert.throws(clayConfig.getAllItems);
+        done();
+      });
+
+      clayConfig.build();
+      assert.strictEqual(clayConfig.getAllItems().length, 3);
+      clayConfig.destroy();
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('.build()', function() {
     it('dispatches the BEFORE_BUILD event at the right time', function(done) {
       var clayConfig = fixtures.clayConfig(['input', 'text', 'input'], false);