West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County
Demolition in West Palm Beach
Every demolition application in West Palm Beach goes to Historic Preservation for approval, inside a historic district or not. Inside one of the city’s districts, even a non-contributing building needs a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Board, filed two months before the meeting. That review, not the excavator, sets the start.
Much of the older housing dates from the 1920s land boom. Flamingo Park, platted in 1921, counts 501 contributing structures built between 1921 and the mid-1930s, from Mission and Mediterranean Revival to Craftsman bungalows. Old Northwood has 173 contributing buildings from 1921 to 1929 and became the city’s first designated district in 1991.
The preservation ordinance itself came out of teardowns. In the late 1980s, residents of the Northwest and Flamingo Park neighborhoods worried that houses were being torn down as slum and blight, and the city adopted its first ordinance on November 26, 1990. A teardown and rebuild inside a district now goes to the board twice: once for the demolition, once for the new building.
The city’s checklist wants signed releases from FPL, Florida Public Utilities, AT&T, Comcast and West Palm Beach Public Utilities, a pest-control letter, and a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan for every demolition. The sewer lateral cap-off permit must issue before the demolition permit does. A single missing release holds the whole package, so we chase each letter before anything is filed.
Sources: City of West Palm Beach: Historic Preservation program · City of West Palm Beach: history of the preservation ordinance · City of West Palm Beach: COA approval matrix · Florida Historical Marker: Flamingo Park · Florida Historical Marker: Old Northwood · City of West Palm Beach: sewer cap-off rule (demolition application)
Demolition permits in West Palm Beach
City of West Palm Beach, Development Services, Building Division
The Demolition Permit Application Checklist (revised 11/04/2025) lists the five utility releases, an extermination letter, Historic Preservation sign-off, a SWPPP for all demolition permits, and lot grading to sidewalk grade, seeded and mulched. Debris goes with an approved franchise hauler, or a disposal fee is paid at application when you haul it yourself. Confirm the current list 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 West Palm 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 West Palm Beach
Does my West Palm Beach house need historic approval if it is not in a historic district?
It still passes through Historic Preservation. The city’s demolition checklist says all applications for demolition must be taken to Historic Preservation for approval, citywide. Inside a designated district, the city’s COA approval matrix sends demolition of contributing and non-contributing buildings alike to the Historic Preservation Board. Ask the Planning Division which level of review your address gets before you set a schedule.
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: Boca Raton · 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.