House demolition · Martin County
House demolition in Martin County
A Martin County teardown is decided by the rebuild. The county plan caps buildings at four stories and 40 feet, so before a house comes down we read what may legally replace it, then line up the paperwork.
The county's own list looks short. The Building Department's demolition checklist, revision 2-26, names three items: the permit application, an owner/builder disclosure statement signed in front of county staff under s. 489.503(6), and floor plans for partial demolition only. It lists no utility release, no septic item and no asbestos item, and the state rules behind those still apply.
Utilities change by address. Martin County Utilities serves the unincorporated county, Sewall's Point and Ocean Breeze; Stuart runs its own; South Martin Regional Utility serves Hobe Sound and Jupiter Island. FPL handles the power, and a single-phase service under 320 amps can be booked through its project portal.
Flood law cuts the other way. Under s. 553.79(25), a local government may not restrict the demolition of a single-family home in a flood zone whose lowest floor sits at or below base flood elevation, and review is administrative only. Confirm with the building office whether your house qualifies before you rely on it.
We quote any house at any size, block or frame, one story or two. Send the survey and photos, and we will walk the lot.
Work order
- Read the parcel: zoning, flood zone, water and sewer provider, septic or sewer.
- Arrange the licensed asbestos survey.
- File the permit with the checklist items and the owner/builder disclosure.
- Request the FPL disconnect and the meter pull from the water provider.
- File the Sunshine 811 notice, then demolish, separate and haul.
- Coordinate septic abandonment, remove the slab and footings, and grade the lot.
Where jobs slip
Common problems, and how each is controlled
A rebuild planned past the code
A buyer who plans a taller or denser replacement can lose more than the house. We ask you to confirm the parcel's height and density limits with Growth Management before the permit is filed, because demolition cannot be undone.
The septic tank left behind
A tank under a demolished house stays in the ground unless someone deals with it. Florida rule 62-6.011 sets how a system is abandoned, and we ask the state onsite sewage program whether your teardown triggers it, then schedule a licensed septic contractor.
A meter still live
The wrong guess about the provider stalls everything. We identify the water and sewer provider from the address and request the FPL disconnect before mobilizing.
Work others are licensed for
We do not pump or abandon septic systems, pull meters or disconnect power ourselves; licensed septic contractors, the utility and FPL do. Tree removal is coordinated with a licensed tree service. Zoning and flood determinations come from the county or the municipality, and we will not tell you what can be built back.
Questions
About house demolition
What can I build after tearing down a house in Martin County?
Whatever the parcel's zoning allows, inside the plan's four-story and 40-foot limit. Outside the Urban Service Districts, minimum lots are 20 acres for Agricultural and 5 acres for Agricultural Ranchette, which limits any plan to divide the land. Growth Management confirms the rest.
Is the county's three-item checklist all I need?
It is all the Building Department lists for the permit. The state still requires the FDEP asbestos notice where the building is covered, septic abandonment where the state onsite sewage program requires it, and a Sunshine 811 notice at least 2 full business days before demolition.
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.
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.
The sequence
Six stages, start to closed permit
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.
House demolition anywhere in Martin, including Stuart, Palm City, Jensen Beach, Hobe Sound, Port Salerno, Hutchinson Island, Jupiter Island, Sewall's Point, Indiantown, Ocean Breeze, and every other Martin city.
Other types
More demolition on quote
- 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 →
- 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 →
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.