Boca Raton, Palm Beach County
Demolition in Boca Raton
Three water-side lines have to be closed in Boca Raton before a building comes down, and the third catches people out: reclaimed water. City Utility Services takes a Preliminary Demolition Form covering sewer cap-off, water disconnect and the reclaimed line, on top of the FPL and Florida Public Utilities letters the building checklist demands.
The city’s “Demolition Entire Building” checklist is a long one. Beyond the building application it asks for a demo form, an environmental application, an electrical application, a recorded warranty deed, an Adjacent Owner Notification Letter, a propane gas affidavit, a refrigerant affidavit and a letter to the Building Official. An underground fuel tank needs its own removal permit.
Boca’s oldest fabric is Addison Mizner’s 1920s Mediterranean Revival work; the Mizner Development Corporation’s Administration Buildings were finished in 1925 and listed on the National Register in 1985. For a locally designated property, the city’s Chapter 23 rules call for a Certificate of Appropriateness before demolition, and the Boca Raton Historical Society describes that review as heightened. Downtown, historic buildings have still come down to make room for high-rises.
Along the water, the city adopted its own reinspection ordinance for most condominiums over 30 years old, starting with 14 waterfront buildings. When an inspection ends in a demolition decision, the file grows: a contractor asbestos notification statement, a licensed survey and abatement we coordinate, and adjacent owners notified on paper. We sequence the disconnects so the utility crews are not the reason a start slips.
Sources: City of Boca Raton: Preliminary Demolition Form (water, sewer, reclaimed) · City of Boca Raton: Contractor Asbestos Notification Statement · City of Boca Raton: One and two family permits (fuel tank removal) · Boca Raton Historical Society: historic preservation · Administration Buildings (Boca Raton) (Wikipedia) · WLRN: historic Boca Raton building demolished for a high-rise · WPTV: Boca Raton acts to reinspect older condos
Demolition permits in Boca Raton
City of Boca Raton, Development Services, Building Permits and Inspections
The “Demolition Entire Building” submittal checklist lists the required forms and documents, including the FPU and FPL disconnect letters, an Adjacent Owner Notification Letter, a refrigerant affidavit and a deposit due at submittal. The Preliminary Demolition Form for water, sewer and reclaimed water goes to City Utility Services by email. Confirm current requirements with Development Services.
Read the official pageA general summary only, and not legal advice. When Romco takes the job, the application goes in under our name as contractor of record. Palm Beach demolition permit guide
What we quote in Boca Raton
Demolition we quote here
- Interior demolitionStrip-outs inside condos, offices and stores, with the asbestos question settled first.Interior demolition in Palm Beach →
- Selective demolitionOne wing, one floor or one wall removed while the rest of the building stays in use.Selective demolition in Palm Beach →
- Commercial demolitionStores, offices, warehouses and plazas, taken down once the releases are in hand.Commercial demolition in Palm Beach →
- House demolitionSingle-family teardowns, with the sheds, pool and septic tank handled to code.House demolition in Palm Beach →
- Structural demolitionConcrete towers, parking garages and steel frames, taken down in engineered sequence.Structural demolition in Palm Beach →
- Concrete removalSlabs, driveways, patios, walks and footings, broken out after the locates are in.Concrete removal in Palm Beach →
- Pool removalBottom broken out and filled, or the shell, deck and equipment removed entirely.Pool removal in Palm Beach →
- Mobile home demolitionSingle units or several in one park, with approvals and permits in order first.Mobile home demolition in Palm Beach →
- Storm damage demolitionTaking down what a hurricane or tornado left unsafe, once the adjuster has seen it.Storm damage demolition in Palm Beach →
- Site clearingBrush, stumps, buried slabs and old fill cleared once the vegetation permits are in.Site clearing in Palm Beach →
- Asbestos coordinationLicensed survey, health department notice and licensed abatement, in the right order.Asbestos coordination in Palm Beach →
- Accessory structure demolitionSheds, detached garages, cabanas, carports, barns and signs, one or several.Accessory structure demolition in Palm Beach →
- Something else?Every type of demolition is quoted, whatever the size. If your job is missing above, describe it on the phone.Call (561) 273-9189 →
Order of work
From first call to closed permit
Romco Builders is a licensed Florida general contractor, headquartered in Fort Lauderdale. A garden shed and an apartment building go through these steps in the same order.
Call or send the form
Give the address, what is coming down and anything that must be protected. Photos or a survey help.
Walk the property
We check the structure, live services, truck access, trees, the seawall or neighbor close by, and any association rules.
Scope and price in writing
Removal, protection, haul-off and anything that depends on the asbestos survey are listed line by line.
Notices, letters and permit
The licensed asbestos survey and any health department notice, the utility releases, then the application to the right building office.
Take it down and haul it out
Work runs in the agreed order. Loads go to Solid Waste Authority–permitted facilities, or the hauler your city requires.
Final inspection and close-out
The inspector signs off and the permit closes. You keep a graded lot or the shell you asked for.
Questions
Demolition in Boca Raton
Do I need to notify neighbors before demolishing a building in Boca Raton?
The city’s Demolition Entire Building checklist lists an Adjacent Owner Notification Letter among the required documents, alongside the deed, the survey and the utility disconnect letters. A package without it is incomplete. The checklist does not spell out the letter’s format, so ask Development Services what it expects and file the letter with the rest of the package.
What does a demolition cost, and what moves the number?
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.
Do I need an asbestos survey before demolition?
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.
How long does a demolition take?
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.
Other Palm Beach cities: West Palm Beach · Palm Beach (the Town) · Jupiter · Delray Beach · Boynton Beach · Palm Beach Gardens · Wellington · Lake Worth Beach · Unincorporated Palm Beach County · Riviera Beach and Singer Island · Royal Palm Beach · Greenacres · North Palm Beach · Tequesta · Highland Beach · Manalapan · Juno Beach · Lantana · Ocean Ridge · Palm Springs · Belle Glade
Every type, every size, all of Palm Beach County
Tell us the address and the scope. We will put a number on it.
Romco Builders is a licensed Florida general contractor, headquartered in Fort Lauderdale. A single wall or a whole building, each quote arrives as a written scope with a price.