South Florida Demolition Done Right

Under Section 105.1 of the Florida Building Code, any structural demolition, residential or commercial, requires a permit issued to an appropriately licensed contractor. While specialty demolition licenses exist for sub-tier work, hiring an actively licensed Florida General Contractor (CGC) allows one single accountable party to pull permits, perform the structural tear-down, manage inspections, and prepare the site for rebuild without sub-contracting friction.

Check the contractor’s license status directly on the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) portal (myfloridalicense.com). Ensure they hold active General Liability insurance and Workers' Compensation coverage that explicitly covers heavy demolition work, not just lighter specialty trades.

The licensed contractor pulls the demolition permit from the local municipality (e.g., City of Miami, City of Fort Lauderdale, or Broward/Miami-Dade/Palm Beach County building departments). The property owner should not pull an owner-builder permit for commercial or complex residential structural demolitions, as it shifts all legal and safety liabilities directly onto the owner.

Florida building departments generally require four core items before issuing a demolition permit: 1) Utility disconnect letters verifying power, gas, water and telecom lines are cut and capped; 2) Asbestos documentation: commercial buildings and residential buildings with five or more units need a licensed asbestos survey and a 10-working-day notice under federal NESHAP rules, while single-family homes and small multi-family buildings are exempt from the federal rule but may still need county review (in Broward, a Statement of Responsibilities Regarding Asbestos), and older homes are commonly surveyed because of the higher likelihood of asbestos-containing materials; 3) Pest control certification of extermination and rodent baiting; and 4) Tree protection, silt fencing and erosion control measures.

It depends a lot on where the property is. In public permit records, a house demolition permit in unincorporated Miami-Dade was typically issued about 4 days after the application, while full demolitions in the City of Miami spent a median of about 134 days in plan review from 2024 to 2026. Environmental approvals, utility letters and historic review all add time, so we start them the day you sign.

Debris must be hauled to licensed Construction and Demolition (C&D) recycling facilities or landfills under Florida Administrative Code (FAC 62-701). Concrete, rebar, asphalt, and metals are separated on-site or at recovery facilities to be crushed and recycled, minimizing environmental impact and reducing tipping fees.

South Florida building codes mandate strict dust containment under FAC 62-296. Contractors use continuous water misters to suppress airborne dust. Work hours are strictly limited by municipal noise ordinances (typically 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM or 6:00 PM, Monday through Saturday). For tight zero-lot-line urban environments, hand-demo or precision hydraulic attachments are utilized to isolate vibrations away from neighboring structures.

Yes. As a licensed general contractor, we handle permit applications, utility disconnects and required inspections with the local building department so you don't have to.

Yes. One contract covers the permit and inspections, utility disconnects with the sewer cap or septic abandonment, the asbestos survey and any abatement, the demolition, hauling and disposal with tickets, fill, compaction and rough grading, and closing out the permit. Where Florida requires a specialty license, such as asbestos surveys and abatement, we hire a licensed specialist as our subcontractor and stay responsible for the work.

We stop work in that area, send you photos and give you a written price. Where the proposal includes an allowance for unknowns we use it, and anything beyond it is a written change order. No extra work happens without your written approval.

Yes. Rosemont Ventures Group LLC is qualified under a Florida Certified General Contractor license, CGC1541479. It's a state certification, valid in every county in Florida, not a county license that only covers one area. We carry general liability, workers' compensation and commercial auto insurance, send a certificate of insurance before we mobilize, and can name you or your general contractor as additional insured on request.

We serve Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties and surrounding areas, including Monroe, Collier and Lee counties for larger projects.

Most single-family home demolitions take 1 to 6 days on site, including debris removal and leaving the lot broom-clean. Smaller wood-frame homes are at the short end; larger concrete block (CBS) homes, slab removal or septic tank abandonment push toward the longer end. Permitting before demolition can take from about a week to several months, depending on the city or county.

Remove any personal property you want to keep, notify tenants and neighbors, and confirm whether your HOA requires notice. Utilities (FPL, gas, water/sewer and telecom) must be disconnected before the permit is issued. Rosemont Ventures Group can coordinate the disconnects for you and provides a pre-demolition checklist once your project is booked.

Yes. Partial demolition is common for additions, remodels and structural changes. It requires careful sequencing and shoring so the remaining structure is not damaged, and the permit must clearly describe what is being removed. As a licensed general contractor, we plan and permit partial demolition as part of the project.

Yes, when the project calls for it. Some owners keep the existing slab for a rebuild, while others need the slab and foundation fully removed and the site rough-graded. We quote both options so you can choose what fits your plans.

Yes. Many older South Florida homes have septic tanks that must be properly abandoned before or during demolition. Florida requires a permit for septic tank abandonment, and the tank must be pumped and either removed or filled according to state rules. We include septic abandonment in the demolition scope so it is permitted and inspected alongside the rest of the job.

Timelines depend on permit turnaround and utility disconnects. Once permits are in hand, most residential projects begin within one to two weeks. Emergency and storm cleanup can often start sooner.

Yes. Our quotes include demolition, loading, hauling and disposal at licensed facilities, with disposal and recycling tickets. We then fill, compact and rough grade the lot so it's ready to build on. Interior jobs are left broom-clean.

We work with homeowners, property investors, general contractors, developers and architects. Whether you need a single-room gut-out or a full building teardown, we can scope and price the work.