Unincorporated Martin County, Martin County
Demolition in Unincorporated Martin County
Three items make up the Martin County Building Department's demolition checklist, revision 2-26: the permit application, an owner/builder disclosure signed in front of county staff, and floor plans for a partial demolition. The short list is not the whole job. State asbestos, septic and utility rules still sit outside it.
The checklist leaves out a utility release, septic proof and asbestos paperwork, yet the FDEP Southeast District still expects the asbestos notice ten or more working days ahead of a covered teardown, clean survey or not. Whether a county inspector asks for FPL or Martin County Utilities letters is not published, so we ask the Building Department and file to its answer.
Growth controls decide what replaces the building. The county plan holds every building to four stories and 40 feet except as its regulations provide, and lots of half an acre or less belong inside the Primary Urban Service District. Outside both service districts, minimum lots are 20 acres for Agricultural land and 5 acres for Agricultural Ranchette, so a teardown there cannot become several smaller lots.
Storm work runs on its own track. Substantial damage letters come through the online permit system or a request for service to Public Works, and the 50 percent rule decides whether a damaged building in a flood hazard area is brought up to current code or replaced.
Sources: Martin County Building Department · FDEP: asbestos FAQ · Martin County Comprehensive Plan, Chapter 4 (Municode) · Martin County Growth Management FAQs (Urban Service Districts) · Martin County: hurricane recovery permitting guide · Wikipedia: Martin County, Florida (municipalities)
Who permits demolition in Unincorporated Martin County
Martin County Building Department
The county Building Department permits everything outside the five municipalities, through Accela Citizen Access. Its Demolition Checklist (rev. 2-26, FBC 8th edition, 2023) lists three items. Zoning, land clearing and historic designation sit with Growth Management, a separate department.
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 Unincorporated Martin County
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. Missing from the list? Call us and tell us what it is.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.
A written scope and quote
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 Unincorporated Martin County
Does the county permit a demolition inside Stuart or Sewall's Point?
No. Stuart, Jupiter Island, Sewall's Point, Ocean Breeze and Indiantown each run their own permit offices. The Martin County Building Department covers the unincorporated county, including Palm City, Jensen Beach, Hobe Sound, Port Salerno, Rio and the Martin side of Hutchinson Island. Check the parcel's jurisdiction before you apply, since a mailing address can point the wrong way.
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. There is no published rate card, 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. When each of those dates is set, the order of work goes to you in writing.
Other Martin cities: Stuart · Palm City · Jensen Beach · Hobe Sound · Port Salerno · Hutchinson Island · Jupiter Island · Sewall's Point · Indiantown · Ocean Breeze · 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.