Unincorporated Palm Beach County, Palm Beach County
Demolition in Unincorporated Palm Beach County
Outside city limits, a Palm Beach County inspector will not sign off on a demolition start until the pool bottom is broken out and filled, or the pool is removed, and the septic tank is removed or abandoned. Both checks are written into county policy PB-O-110, which governs demolition from The Acreage to Canal Point.
The PZB Building Division covers every neighborhood outside the 39 cities: the Lake Worth corridor, west Boca, west Boynton and west Delray, The Acreage, Jupiter Farms and Canal Point. Under PB-O-110, a whole-house demolition takes every accessory structure with it unless the Building Official approves otherwise before permitting. Gas, water, sewer, telephone, cable and electric must be off before the pre-demolition inspection, and a permit abandoning a septic system is routed to the Health Department.
The Acreage grew out of wetland. The Indian Trail Water Control District was formed in 1957 to build its canals and roads, and Royal Palm Beach Colony began selling 1.25-acre lots there in the early 1960s. Canal Point, on the east shore of Lake Okeechobee, was the first settlement on that side of the lake in 1909 and had the Glades’ first sugar mill in 1922. Large rural parcels tend to carry barns, sheds and old slabs, and each one counts as scope.
In the Urban/Suburban Tier, a single-family demolition without a redevelopment permit is reviewed for “significant degradation” of the neighborhood. If staff find it, the owner files a landscape plan for the vacant lot or an affidavit that redevelopment will be applied for within 120 days, and a missed deadline goes to Code Enforcement. Tree removal needs a Tree Removal and Replacement Permit from the Zoning Division, which starts with an on-site meeting.
Sources: Palm Beach County PZB: Permit Center · Palm Beach County zoning filing: history of The Acreage area · Historical Society of Palm Beach County: Canal Point · Palm Beach County Zoning: Tree Removal and Replacement instructions
Demolition permits in Unincorporated Palm Beach County
Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning & Building, Building Division
PPM PB-O-110, Demolition Permits (effective June 28, 2024): a permit for any structure that needs one to build, including pools and signs; full plan review for commercial and multifamily; utilities off, septic abandoned and pool filled before the pre-demolition inspection; debris removed and lot graded for final. Applications go through ePZB. Confirm with the Building Division.
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 Unincorporated Palm Beach County
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 Unincorporated Palm Beach County
Do I have to rebuild right away after demolishing a house in unincorporated Palm Beach County?
Not always. In the Urban/Suburban Tier, the county reviews a single-family demolition without a redevelopment permit for “significant degradation.” If it applies, PB-O-110 requires either a landscape plan for the vacant lot or an affidavit that redevelopment will be applied for within 120 days. Ask PZB which tier your parcel sits in before the demolition permit is filed.
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 · Delray Beach · Boynton Beach · Palm Beach Gardens · Wellington · Lake Worth Beach · 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.