Skip to content

Martin County demolition

Demolition in Martin County, priced against what can replace it

Martin County caps new buildings at four stories and 40 feet, so a teardown here starts with a question most counties never ask: what may legally go back on the lot. Romco Builders answers that, sorts out the asbestos notice and utility releases, then quotes the demolition.

  • A licensed Florida general contractor
  • Any demolition, any size, priced in writing
  • Romco files as contractor of record
  • Asbestos and abatement by licensed firms we coordinate
An orange excavator with a grapple pulling apart a brick building while a worker in a hard hat sprays water on the rubble to keep dust down.

Before the first wall falls

Three things settle a Martin teardown early

The machine time is short. What takes the planning is the height limit, the state asbestos filing and the utility that happens to serve the address.

A height cap that shapes the decision

The county's Comprehensive Plan holds buildings to four stories and 40 feet. An older building that stands taller may not come back at the same size, so we confirm the replacement rules before anyone prices the teardown.

The asbestos notice goes to the state

Martin has no local asbestos program. Notices go to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Southeast District at least ten working days ahead, even when the licensed survey finds nothing.

Utilities change with the address

Martin County Utilities serves most unincorporated land, Hobe Sound sits with South Martin Regional Utility, and Stuart runs its own system. We find out which provider holds each service before requesting releases.

Ground and water work in-house

Romco self-performs dewatering, Support of Excavation and deep foundations, tidal ground included. Lots on the St. Lucie River and the Indian River Lagoon often need exactly that once old foundations come out.

What we quote

Demolition we take on, at any size

A kitchen in a Hutchinson Island condo, a block house in Port Salerno, a barn west of the turnpike or a commercial building on US 1. If your work is not on the list, describe it to us by phone.

The sequence

Six stages, start to closed permit

  1. Describe the job

    Phone or use the form. Tell us the address, what comes down and what stays. Photos or a survey help.

  2. Site visit

    We look at the structure, the live services, access for trucks, trees, the seawall or water's edge, and any association rules.

  3. Written scope with a price

    Removal, protection, hauling and anything that hangs on the asbestos survey appear as separate lines.

  4. Notices, releases, permit

    The licensed survey and FDEP notice where required, the utility releases, then the application to the correct office.

  5. Demolition and hauling

    Work follows the agreed order, and debris goes to the county transfer facility in Palm City or another licensed site.

  6. Inspection and close

    The final inspection passes and the permit closes, leaving a level lot or the shell you specified.

Questions

What owners ask before calling

What drives the cost of a demolition?

Six things move the number most: the building's size and construction, what the asbestos survey finds, the utility and septic work to coordinate, site access, debris weight, and what the permit office requires. We do not publish prices, because a guess is worse than none. Send the property survey and photos, and we return a written number after we walk the site.

Is there a job size you will not take?

No. Every kind of demolition gets a price from us, whether it is a single shed or to a multi-story building. On larger and coastal sites we self-perform dewatering, Support of Excavation and deep foundations, including in tidal ground, so the work below grade stays in our sequence instead of passing to another firm.

Which office issues my demolition permit?

It depends on the address. Stuart, Jupiter Island, Sewall's Point, Ocean Breeze and Indiantown each run their own building departments. Everywhere else, including Palm City, Jensen Beach, Hobe Sound and Port Salerno, the Martin County Building Department issues it from its office on SE Ruhnke Street in Stuart. We confirm the office from the parcel and file there.

Is an asbestos inspection required before a Martin teardown?

For most buildings, yes. FDEP requires a thorough inspection by a state-licensed consultant before any planned demolition it covers, and a notice to its Southeast District at least 10 working days ahead, even when no asbestos turns up. We arrange the survey with an independent licensed consultant and bring in a licensed abatement firm if needed. Romco does not abate asbestos.

How long before the work can start?

We do not promise dates, because the lead items belong to others. FDEP needs its notice at least 10 working days ahead where it applies, Sunshine 811 needs at least 2 full business days, and FPL sets its own disconnect date. Permit review depends on the office. Once those are known, we give you a written sequence.

Is Romco licensed for this work?

Romco Builders is a licensed Florida general contractor. That matters in Stuart, which since July 1, 2025 no longer accepts county Certificates of Competency and requires state registration or certification. Asbestos surveys, abatement, electrical, plumbing and tree work are licensed separately, and we coordinate the firms that hold those licenses.

Where in Martin County do you take work?

Across the whole county. That includes the five municipalities, Stuart, Jupiter Island, Sewall's Point, Ocean Breeze and Indiantown, and the unincorporated communities: Palm City, Jensen Beach, Hobe Sound, Port Salerno, Rio, Golden Gate, Port Mayaca and the Martin side of Hutchinson Island. Romco is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, and we come to the site to walk it.

What happens to the septic tank after the house comes down?

Florida rule 62-6.011 sets the method: a permit, pumping by a permitted septage company, a broken or collapsed tank, sand fill, then an inspection. It requires abandonment within 90 days when a lot connects to sewer; whether a teardown alone triggers it, we confirm with the state program. A licensed septic contractor does that work, and we fit it into the demolition sequence.

Do you haul the debris away?

Yes, hauling is part of the price we give you. Concrete, brick, asphalt, steel and wallboard are construction and demolition debris, which the county transfer facility in Palm City accepts, and private C&D facilities are another outlet. Land-clearing debris is not curbside material, so its disposal falls to the contractor or owner, and we price that haul with the clearing.

What should I send to get a quote?

The property address, the survey or site plan, photos of every side and the roof, and any drawings, engineering reports or asbestos surveys you already have. For a condominium, add the board's or manager's contact. Email them to info@romcobuilders.com or use the form, and we will arrange a walk at the site.

Request a quote

Send the address and what has to go

Phone photos are enough to begin. A survey or drawings tighten the number. Calling works just as well. (772) 310-3298.

A phone number or an email address is all we need.

Photos (up to 5, optional)

Photograph the whole structure from the street, then anything you are unsure of. Plans can follow by email.

Best way to reach you
News and offers (optional)

We will contact you about this quote the way you chose above, whether or not you tick the boxes below.

We use what you send only to reply, scope the job and price it.

Every type and size, across Martin County

Send the address and the scope. We will quote it.

Romco Builders is a licensed Florida general contractor, headquartered in Fort Lauderdale. One wall or an entire building, every quote comes back as a written scope with a number attached.

Call (772) 310-3298Request a quote