Palm Beach County demolition, with the permit file built first

We do not publish prices, because the number depends on what surrounds the building. The main drivers are structure type and size, asbestos findings, truck access, the permit and utility requirements for the address, any below-grade work, and the haul to SWA-permitted facilities. Local rules move it too: the Town of Palm Beach requires a bond of the demolition cost plus 35%. Send the survey and photos, and we will price it.

Yes. Size never rules a job out: we price everything from a single shed or an interior strip-out to a commercial site or a concrete tower. Every job is priced from the same questions: which department issues the permit, what the asbestos rules require, which utility releases are needed, and in what sequence the structure comes down. Send what you have, and we will say what else we need.

It depends on where the property sits. Palm Beach County has 39 municipalities, and the county’s Planning, Zoning and Building Department covers the unincorporated areas. Each office keeps its own checklist. West Palm Beach sends every demolition application to Historic Preservation, while the Town of Palm Beach asks for a bond and mailed notice to owners within 300 feet. We confirm the office and its list before quoting.

For commercial buildings, condos and co-ops, yes. The Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County requires a survey and written notice at least 10 working days before a regulated demolition, even when no asbestos turns up. An isolated house of four or fewer units is usually excluded, though several cities still ask for an asbestos form with the permit. We arrange a licensed survey and coordinate licensed abatement.

We do not promise durations, because much of the calendar belongs to other parties. The health department’s asbestos notice needs 10 working days, Sunshine 811 needs two full business days, utility release letters arrive when the utilities issue them, and the Town of Palm Beach bars demolition from the Monday before Thanksgiving through March 31. We set out the sequence in writing with the quote, so you can see what drives it.

Romco Builders is a licensed Florida general contractor. We self-perform demolition, dewatering, Support of Excavation and deep foundations. Asbestos surveys come from independent licensed consultants and removal from licensed abatement firms. Utility disconnects, tree removal, electrical, plumbing, fire sprinkler work and engineering go to the licensed parties for those trades, and we coordinate them under one schedule.

We quote anywhere in the county: the 39 municipalities, from Tequesta and Jupiter to Boca Raton and the Glades towns, plus unincorporated areas such as The Acreage, Jupiter Farms and Canal Point. Romco is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, and we walk Palm Beach County sites in person before pricing. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Town Code Sec. 18-112 bars demolition, and the issuing of demolition permits, from the Monday before Thanksgiving through March 31, Good Friday included. Equipment such as pneumatic jackhammers is restricted further, and the Town’s conditions say that work may not start until after May 1. Interior demolition is allowed in season only if it is finished and hauled out within three days.

The 50% rule frames it. When repair or improvement reaches 50% of the building’s market value, excluding land, the building must meet current flood rules, which in practice usually means elevation. In our view, a rebuild is worth pricing at that point. Section 553.79(25), Florida Statutes, keeps local governments from blocking a code-compliant single-family demolition in a flood zone. The building department makes the 50% call.

Each utility has to be off and documented. In unincorporated areas, PB-O-110 requires gas, water, sewer, telephone, cable and electric to be disconnected before the pre-demolition inspection. FPL handles electric disconnects through its local construction office, West Palm Beach requires a sewer cap-off permit before the demolition permit issues, and septic systems are abandoned through the Health Department. We request each release and track it.