Demolition permits in Broward County

Broward County has 31 municipalities, and each runs its own building department. If the property is inside a city, that city issues the demolition permit, and the county's own Building Code Division directs applicants back to the municipality for its requirements. Some cities contract the work out; Deerfield Beach and Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, for example, use CAP Government for building code services, but the permit is still the city's.

Unincorporated land goes through the Broward County Building Code Division. It regulates construction in unincorporated Broward, the Broward Municipal Services District (Boulevard Gardens, Broadview Park and Franklin Park), cities that contract with it, and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The first step on any job is confirming which side of a city line the parcel sits on.

The Florida Building Code applies statewide, including Chapter 1, its administrative provisions. Broward adds a local layer through the Broward County Board of Rules and Appeals, known as BORA, which considers amendments to the code, issues formal interpretations where a section's meaning is disputed, and hears appeals of decisions by building and fire code officials.

In practice, that means most Broward building departments use the Broward County Uniform Building Permit Application, with a separate application per trade. A demolition that touches electrical, plumbing or mechanical systems usually carries those trade permits alongside the building permit.

The federal asbestos rule, NESHAP at 40 CFR Part 61, Subpart M, requires a thorough inspection for asbestos before a regulated demolition or renovation. For regulated demolitions, notice goes in at least ten working days before work starts, and FDEP's guidance is that the waiting period cannot be shortened outside an emergency renovation. Working days are Monday through Friday.

In Broward, that program is run locally by the county's Air Quality Program, a state-approved local program. Under the county's air quality code, the package for a covered project includes a Statement of Responsibilities Regarding Asbestos, a Notice of Demolition or Asbestos Renovation, a thorough asbestos survey and a fee, filed through ePermits. A city demolition permit does not satisfy that notice; they are separate filings.

An isolated residential building of four or fewer dwelling units is generally outside the federal definition of a facility, with conditions: it cannot be part of a larger project, have been used commercially, or be coming down to make room for a commercial building. Many Broward cities still ask for the county asbestos statement on house demolitions, and removal of any asbestos found is done by a licensed abatement firm, not the demolition crew.

A full demolition permit is commonly issued only after the utilities are off, and the building department wants proof. Fort Lauderdale's checklist, for example, asks for an FPL disconnect letter, a gas disconnect letter, a water meter removal letter from the city, and a sewer cap or septic tank abandonment permit with a passed inspection. Air conditioning units need their refrigerant recovered by a licensed, EPA-certified contractor before they are removed.

What usually goes wrong is one letter arriving late and holding the whole file. The utilities and the licensed trades do the disconnects; we request the letters, track them, and file when the set is complete.

Florida's underground facility law requires anyone digging to notify Sunshine 811 first, and Sunshine 811 counts demolition as digging. The notice goes in at least two full business days before work, not counting the day of the call, weekends or holidays. A site that was marked before still needs a new ticket.

Trees have their own permits. In unincorporated Broward and in cities without equally strict rules, the county's Tree Preservation Program, part of the Environmental Permitting Division, licenses tree removal; many cities, such as Coral Springs and Fort Lauderdale, run their own. Removal usually comes with replacement or mitigation.

On beachfront land, the Coastal Construction Control Line matters. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection requires a permit for activity that alters, excavates or constructs seaward of the line unless an exemption applies, and that is in addition to the local permit.

Historic designation adds a review before the building permit. Fort Lauderdale requires a Certificate of Appropriateness for demolition in a designated district such as Sailboat Bend, and Hollywood's Historic Preservation Board reviews work in its designated districts.

Florida Statute 489.103(7) lets a property owner act as their own contractor on a one-family or two-family residence for their own use, or on a commercial building for their own use at a cost of no more than 75,000 dollars. The owner must personally supervise all work not done by licensed contractors and cannot hand that supervision to an unlicensed person.

The owner signs a disclosure statement and becomes the responsible party of record. A sale or lease within one year of completion creates a presumption that the work was done for sale or lease, which falls outside the exemption. Cities add their own conditions; Miramar, for example, asks owner-builders for proof of a homestead exemption.

A demolition permit closes on a passed final inspection. Some cities want more at the end: Fort Lauderdale asks for a signed and sealed survey at completion of a partial demolition, and a letter committing the owner to cover exposed soil to prevent dust and erosion.

Debris disposal has rules of its own. Pembroke Pines and Miramar require demolition debris to go through the city's franchised hauler, and a recorded Notice of Commencement is required above each city's value threshold. When you hire Romco, we act as the contractor of record: we file the permit, coordinate the licensed trades and outside agencies, and carry the job through final inspection.