Structural demolition · Martin County
Structural demolition in Martin County
Structural demolition on Martin County's coast starts at the Coastal Construction Control Line. Seaward of it, FDEP issues its own permit on top of the local one, and a 2024 state law changed how certain unsafe buildings may come down.
That law is s. 553.8991. For a parcel wholly or partly seaward of the line, where the building is flood-nonconforming, declared unsafe or ordered demolished, local review of the demolition becomes administrative only. Single-family homes are excluded, and the replacement may reach only the maximum height local rules allow, so on Hutchinson Island the four-story limit still binds.
Many condominium decisions start with a milestone inspection. State law sets the first milestone inspection at 30 years and lets a local building official require it at 25. The local choice can change from year to year, so for the exact answer call the Martin County Building Department at (772) 288-5916 (unincorporated county) or the City of Stuart Building Division at (772) 288-5326 (inside Stuart).
Ground near the St. Lucie Inlet and the river can be tidal. We self-perform dewatering, Support of Excavation and deep foundations, including in tidal ground, so foundation removal and the next building's piles can sit in one sequence.
Beachfront jobs also meet the county's sea turtle season, March 1 through October 31, under a lighting ordinance adopted in 1988. Send the engineer's report and the survey, and we will price the sequence.
Work order
- Review the engineer's report, the survey and the CCCL position.
- Confirm with the building office whether s. 553.8991 or a milestone finding applies.
- Arrange the licensed asbestos survey and the FDEP notice, with the board as owner.
- File the local permit and, seaward of the line, the FDEP CCCL permit or exemption request.
- Coordinate the FPL, water and sewer disconnects.
- Demolish top-down in the engineered sequence.
- Remove foundations with self-performed dewatering and shoring, then grade.
Where jobs slip
Common problems, and how each is controlled
Neighbors inside the fall zone
Coastal buildings sit close together. We plan floor-by-floor removal by high-reach machine or by hand and set exclusion zones before the first floor comes down.
Water in the foundation dig
Pile caps and grade beams near tidal water take on water as soon as they are opened. Our own crews run the dewatering and the Support of Excavation.
A CCCL permit missing from the schedule
The local permit alone is not enough seaward of the line. We locate the line on the survey and add the FDEP permit to the preconstruction plan.
Association approvals out of order
The board is the owner for the asbestos notice and the party that signs the contract. We map the votes and signatures needed before mobilization.
Work others are licensed for
Structural assessments, milestone inspections and demolition engineering are signed by licensed engineers. We do not decide whether a building is unsafe or whether s. 553.8991 applies; the building official does. Asbestos abatement, utility disconnects and environmental work belong to the licensed parties we coordinate.
Questions
About structural demolition
Can a Hutchinson Island condo be rebuilt taller after demolition?
Not above the local maximum. Even where s. 553.8991 applies, the replacement may reach only the height local rules allow for a similar parcel, and Martin County limits buildings on the island to four stories. Confirm the parcel with Growth Management.
Does turtle season stop beachfront demolition?
Martin County's season runs March 1 to October 31, and its lighting ordinance dates from 1988. The ordinance's rules for construction work are not something we will guess at, so ask the county about night work and site lighting before the schedule is set.
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.
Structural 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 →
- 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.