Storm damage demolition · Martin County
Storm damage demolition in Martin County
Following a Martin County storm, repair versus teardown is usually settled by the 50% substantial damage rule before a contractor weighs in.
The county's recovery guide is plain. A structure in a Special Flood Hazard Area that sits below the current design flood elevation and is substantially damaged or improved must be brought into compliance with the Martin County Floodplain Management Ordinance and the Florida Building Code. Substantial damage letters come from Public Works, through the online permit system or a request for service.
Storm demolition still needs a permit, but after a storm the county waives the fees and expedites review, and debris and tree removal need no permit at all. Temporary permit stations may open at Fire Station 33 in Hobe Sound and at the Indiantown Intergovernmental Center.
This coast has a record. Frances came ashore at the southern end of Hutchinson Island on September 5, 2004, and Jeanne landed near the same spot in late September. In November 2022, Nicole's surge took patios, staircases and garage walls from homes on Martin's Hutchinson Island, and in October 2024 two tornadoes spawned by Milton struck Port Salerno.
We quote any storm-damaged structure, partial or total. Send the damage photos, your insurer's report if you have one, and any letter from Public Works.
Work order
- Photograph and document the damage with your adjuster in mind.
- Request the substantial damage letter from Public Works where the building is in a flood zone.
- Arrange the licensed asbestos survey and the FDEP notice.
- Pull the storm demolition permit from the office that covers the address.
- Coordinate the FPL and water disconnects.
- Demolish, sort the debris and haul.
- Clear the slab or foundation to the condition the rebuild needs.
Where jobs slip
Common problems, and how each is controlled
Demolishing before the adjuster has seen it
Taking a building down before the damage is documented can complicate the claim. We photograph the structure and wait for your written go-ahead.
A structure that is still moving
Storm-damaged walls and roofs can shift without warning. We set exclusion zones and take down loose elements from a distance under rigorous safety protocols.
Assuming the storm waives the asbestos rules
FDEP exempts only emergency renovations from the 10-working-day wait. We arrange the licensed survey and the notice for a storm teardown like any other demolition unless FDEP says otherwise.
Work others are licensed for
We do not adjust claims, determine substantial damage or certify flood elevations; your insurer, Public Works and a licensed surveyor do. Asbestos goes to a licensed abatement firm, mold is coordinated with a licensed mold remediator, and tree work goes to a licensed tree service.
Questions
About storm damage demolition
Does storm demolition need a permit in unincorporated Martin County?
Yes. The county's recovery guide says storm demolition needs a permit, with fees waived and review expedited after a storm. Debris and tree removal do not. The five municipalities run their own offices, so check with yours if the property sits in one.
What is the 50% rule?
When repair or improvement reaches at least 50% of a structure's market value, the Florida Building Code requires full compliance, including the current flood elevation in a flood zone. How Martin County sets market value is a question for Public Works.
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.
Storm damage 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 →
- 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 →
- 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.