Delray Beach, Palm Beach County
Demolition in Delray Beach
Inside a Delray Beach historic district, a building cannot come down until the permit for what replaces it has been issued. That rule, from the city’s preservation FAQ, sits on top of Historic Preservation Board review for any demolition in a district, whether the building contributes to the district or not.
The city has five historic districts: Del-Ida Park, Marina, Nassau Park, Old School Square and West Settlers. Four were created in 1987 and 1988, and West Settlers followed in 1997. The Marina district was developed mainly between 1922 and 1943, and Nassau Park is the only one east of the Intracoastal. The board also hears demolitions of contributing garages and accessory structures, so a rear outbuilding can carry its own review.
The permit page posts an Asbestos Affidavit, a Historic Preservation Acknowledgement Form and a lookup for whether a property sits in a district or on the Local Register. The affidavit tells applicants to notify FDEP, while the county’s asbestos program is run by the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County. We confirm which notice the reviewer expects, so the file does not come back.
West of the core, Kings Point took an EF-2 tornado from Hurricane Ian’s outer bands on September 27, 2022; the National Weather Service survey records a roof torn from a condominium building. A storm-damaged multifamily building is a different file from a house: a licensed asbestos survey and abatement we arrange, and an engineer’s judgment before any partial removal.
Sources: City of Delray Beach: Historic Preservation FAQ · City of Delray Beach: historic districts · Delray Beach Historical Society: the historic districts · Florida DOH in Palm Beach County: demolitions and asbestos · NWS Miami: Delray Beach tornado survey, Sept 2022
Demolition permits in Delray Beach
City of Delray Beach, Development Services Department, Building Division
The building permit applications page posts the Asbestos Affidavit, the Historic Preservation Acknowledgement Form and the historic-property lookup. No single demolition checklist is published; ask the Building Division what else it needs for your property.
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 Delray Beach
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 Delray Beach
Can I demolish a non-historic house inside a Delray Beach historic district?
Only with a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Board. The city’s FAQ says demolition of a structure within a historic district, contributing or non-contributing, needs HPB approval under LDR Section 4.5.1(F). It also says demolition cannot happen until a building permit has been issued for the redevelopment approved in the COA. Plan the new house and the demolition as one application.
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 · Boca Raton · Palm Beach (the Town) · Jupiter · 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.