Site clearing · Broward County
Site clearing in Broward County
Clearing a site is easy to start and hard to finish properly. The surface comes off quickly; buried slabs, old footings, abandoned lines and protected trees are where the schedule and the budget move.
Trees are the question owners overlook most. Broward County and most of its cities regulate tree removal through tree preservation ordinances, and removing a protected tree without a permit can bring fines and replacement requirements. We flag trees in the scope early, so the tree permit, and the tree contractor it involves, is arranged before clearing starts.
Underground is the other unknown. Sunshine 811 locates the lines its member utilities own, but private lines, abandoned services and old septic tanks are on nobody’s map. Suspected lines are exposed by hand or by vacuum excavation where the risk warrants it. When something unexpected appears, work stops.
On a development parcel, clearing is the first phase, and the next phase decides how it should be done. Romco self-performs dewatering, Support of Excavation (temporary walls that hold back soil) and deep foundations. A cleared site can then be graded with the foundation work in mind instead of being reworked. Tell us the parcel and what you plan to build, and we will walk it.
Order of work
- Walk the parcel and review any survey or site history.
- Flag trees and confirm whether a tree permit is required.
- Call Sunshine 811 and look for private and abandoned lines.
- Coordinate disconnects and the demolition permit for any structures.
- Remove structures, slabs, pavement and debris, separating materials.
- Take out below-grade foundations and fill to the agreed depth.
- Grade the site and turn it over for the next phase.
Where it goes wrong
What usually goes wrong, and how we control it
Protected trees
Tree removal in Broward usually needs a permit, and some species and sizes carry replacement obligations. A qualified tree contractor does that work under the permit; we coordinate it and do not do arborist work.
Buried slabs and foundations
Old structures leave footings, slabs and debris below grade that only show up when the machine finds them. We test-pit where the site’s history suggests it, and price unknown below-grade removal as a stated unit rate.
Private and abandoned lines
Locates do not cover private lines, wells or septic tanks. We ask for any site history you have, look for surface evidence, and treat unknown lines as live until proven otherwise.
Dumped debris and old fill
Some lots carry dumped material or fill that needs testing before disposal. We sort what we find, and where contamination is suspected we stop and recommend an environmental consultant.
The limits
Tree removal is done under the city’s or the county’s tree permit by a qualified tree contractor, which we coordinate. Environmental testing belongs to an environmental consultant. We do not assume a site is clean below grade until it has been opened.
Questions
About site clearing
Do I need a permit to remove trees on my Broward lot?
Often, yes. Broward County and most cities protect trees above certain sizes, and some species regardless of size. Confirm with the city or the county before any tree is touched.
What does site clearing include?
Whatever the scope lists: structures, slabs, pavement, fences, debris and below-grade foundations, to a stated depth. Trees are included only where permitted and arranged with a tree contractor.
Can the cleared site go straight into foundation work?
It can. Romco is a licensed Florida general contractor and self-performs site engineering, including dewatering and deep foundations, so clearing can be planned as the first phase of the build.
What does a demolition cost?
Every job is quoted from a site visit, or from photos and drawings when that is enough to see the scope. The number depends on what the building is made of, its size and height, what the asbestos survey finds, which utilities must be disconnected, access for equipment, how close the neighbors are, what stays and what goes, and where the debris is hauled. We do not publish prices, because two jobs that look alike rarely are.
What size of job will you take on?
Any size. We quote one interior wall, a shed, a pool or a slab, and we quote a full building, including selective and structural demolition. Tell us what is there and what has to remain, and we will price the scope as described.
Is Romco Builders licensed?
Yes. Romco Builders is a licensed Florida general contractor, headquartered in Fort Lauderdale. Work that needs its own license, such as asbestos abatement, electrical disconnects or tree removal, is done by firms that hold that license, and we coordinate them under one schedule.
How a job runs
Six steps, in this order
Send the address and the scope
Call, or use the quote form with photos or drawings. Tell us what has to go and what has to stay.
We walk the site
We look at the structure, the utilities, access for equipment and trucks, and what sits next door.
Written scope and quote
The quote names what is removed, what is protected, what is hauled away, and what depends on survey results.
Surveys, permit and disconnects
Asbestos survey where required, utility disconnects, and the demolition permit from your city's building department.
Demolition and haul-off
Work follows the agreed sequence. Debris is hauled to permitted disposal facilities, with the load records kept.
Final inspection
The building department closes the permit. You get a clear site, or the shell you asked for.
Site clearing across Broward, including Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Pompano Beach, Coral Springs, Pembroke Pines, Plantation, Davie, Sunrise, Deerfield Beach, Miramar, and every other Broward city.
Other demolition
Any type of demolition, including
- Interior demolitionStrip-outs for tenant spaces, condos and homes, with live systems protected.Interior demolition in Broward →
- Selective demolitionWalls, openings, additions and stairs removed from buildings that stay standing.Selective demolition in Broward →
- Commercial demolitionWhole retail, office, warehouse and strip-center buildings, quoted at any size.Commercial demolition in Broward →
- House demolitionFull teardowns and knockdown-rebuild lots, with disconnects and permits planned.House demolition in Broward →
- Structural demolitionConcrete and steel frames, slabs and columns, removed in an engineered, shored order.Structural demolition in Broward →
- Concrete and slab removalSlabs, driveways, patios and footings removed, with the ground below accounted for.Concrete and slab removal in Broward →
- Pool removalFull removal or partial fill-in, with what each leaves in the ground stated plainly.Pool removal in Broward →
- Mobile home demolitionMobile and manufactured homes taken down, frame and tie-downs out, lot left clean.Mobile home demolition in Broward →
- Storm damage demolitionStorm-damaged and unsafe structures, recorded for the insurer before anything moves.Storm damage demolition in Broward →
- Asbestos survey and abatement coordinationAsbestos surveys and abatement by licensed firms, coordinated before demolition.Asbestos survey and abatement coordination in Broward →
- Garage, shed and carport demolitionGarages, sheds, carports and screen enclosures removed, slab and wiring included.Garage, shed and carport demolition in Broward →
- Something else?We quote any type of demolition, at any size. If yours is not listed, call and describe it.Call (954) 947-4881 →
Any type, any size, anywhere in Broward County
Send the address and what has to go. We will price the work.
Romco Builders is a licensed Florida general contractor, headquartered in Fort Lauderdale. One interior wall or a whole building: every job gets a written scope and a quote.