Stuart, Martin County
Demolition in Stuart
Two Stuart districts, Downtown and East Stuart, joined the National Register on September 9, 2026. Listing alone does not bar a teardown, but the city code sets a 30-day wait on a historic structure, and 90 days outside R-1 and R-2 zoning. We confirm a building's status with the city before we price it.
The Downtown district is mostly early-to-mid-20th-century commercial and government buildings on SW Flagler Avenue and SW Osceola Street, among them the Lyric Theatre and the Art Deco courthouse. East Stuart, the city's historic Black community, holds rare 1920s houses and the 1930s Stuart Training School among mostly post-war homes. Whether a contributing building now triggers the waiting period is a question for the city to answer, not one we assume.
During the wait, the city and the applicant look at keeping the structure, moving it on the lot, or donating it for relocation. Section 5.09.04 bars demolition by neglect of a historic structure, and a denied applicant may appeal to the City Magistrate within 30 days. Our source is a city code summary dated 2016, so the current text on Municode governs.
Since July 1, 2025, the Building Division no longer accepts Martin County Certificates of Competency. Contractors must hold a state registration or certification. Stuart also runs its own water utility, so the meter and service questions on a city lot go to the city rather than to Martin County Utilities.
Sources: Florida Department of State: Downtown and East Stuart historic districts listed (2026) · City of Stuart: codes and policies summary, historic demolition (Sec. 5.09) · Florida DEP: State Revolving Fund and Stuart's reverse osmosis water treatment facility
Who permits demolition in Stuart
City of Stuart, Development Department, Building Division
Applications are filed through the city's OpenGov portal. We found no published demolition checklist for a non-historic building, so ask the Building Division what the file needs before you apply. Historic structures fall under Land Development Code Sec. 5.09.
Official pageSummary only, not legal advice. Once Romco is hired, the permit is filed in our name as contractor of record. Martin guide to demolition permits
What we quote in Stuart
Demolition quoted in this area
- Interior demolitionStrip-outs to the studs or the slab, with the survey and the floor plans settled first.Interior demolition in Martin →
- Selective demolitionOne part of a building comes off; the rest stays standing and in use.Selective demolition in Martin →
- Commercial demolitionPlazas, offices, restaurants and warehouses, sequenced around utilities and the next use.Commercial demolition in Martin →
- House demolitionTeardowns planned around what the lot may hold next and the steps the checklist skips.House demolition in Martin →
- Structural demolitionMulti-story and coastal buildings down to the foundation, with deep work self-performed.Structural demolition in Martin →
- Concrete removalSlabs, drives, patios and footings broken out, hauled and graded.Concrete removal in Martin →
- Pool removalPartial fill-in or full shell removal, with the access route and the permit settled first.Pool removal in Martin →
- Mobile home demolitionMobile and manufactured homes taken down, with the hookups and the pad dealt with.Mobile home demolition in Martin →
- Storm damage demolitionStorm-damaged buildings made safe and taken down under the county's recovery rules.Storm damage demolition in Martin →
- Site clearingLots cleared for building, in the order the county's tree and clearing rules set.Site clearing in Martin →
- Asbestos coordinationThe licensed survey, the FDEP notice and the abatement firm, coordinated around the work.Asbestos coordination in Martin →
- Accessory structure demolitionSheds, detached garages, guest cottages and outbuildings, permitted and hauled.Accessory structure demolition in Martin →
- Something else?Demolition of every type is quoted, large or small. If yours is not shown, phone and describe it.Call (772) 310-3298 →
The sequence
Six stages, start to closed permit
Romco Builders is a licensed Florida general contractor, headquartered in Fort Lauderdale. A carport and a commercial building follow these stages in the same order.
Describe the job
Phone or use the form. Tell us the address, what comes down and what stays. Photos or a survey help.
Site visit
We look at the structure, the live services, access for trucks, trees, the seawall or water's edge, and any association rules.
Written scope with a price
Removal, protection, hauling and anything that hangs on the asbestos survey appear as separate lines.
Notices, releases, permit
The licensed survey and FDEP notice where required, the utility releases, then the application to the correct office.
Demolition and hauling
Work follows the agreed order, and debris goes to the county transfer facility in Palm City or another licensed site.
Inspection and close
The final inspection passes and the permit closes, leaving a level lot or the shell you specified.
Questions
Demolition in Stuart
Does the new National Register listing stop a teardown in downtown Stuart?
Not on its own. National Register listing does not bar demolition; local designation under the city's Land Development Code is what brings the 30- or 90-day wait. The code's definition of historic includes National Register listing among other criteria, so a contributing building may now qualify. Ask the Development Department how it reads your building before you sign a demolition contract.
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 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.
Other Martin cities: Palm City · Jensen Beach · Hobe Sound · Port Salerno · Hutchinson Island · Jupiter Island · Sewall's Point · Indiantown · Ocean Breeze · Unincorporated Martin County · Rio · Golden Gate · Port Mayaca
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.