Miami, Miami-Dade County
Demolition in Miami
In the City of Miami, a demolition permit is requested through the iBuild portal and handled by Unsafe Structures Services. Anything inside a designated historic site, district or archaeological zone needs a Certificate of Appropriateness first, which can put a preservation board ahead of the building department on the schedule.
Census ACS figures give City of Miami housing a median build year of 1979, with about half of it built before 1980. Morningside was built mostly between 1922 and 1941 in Mediterranean Revival and Art Deco styles, and the MiMo district along Biscayne Boulevard holds hotels from the 1950s and 1960s. Older stock raises the odds that the asbestos survey finds material to abate, so we arrange a licensed survey before the quote is final.
Chapter 23 of the City Code requires a Certificate of Appropriateness to demolish within a historic site, district or archaeological zone. For a designated property, that usually means a Special Certificate from the Historic and Environmental Preservation Board, and the city notes that its review can take up to two months. Building Bulletin 2023-003 sets out the city's own demolition requirements.
Miami sits on Biscayne Bay over the shallow limestone of the Biscayne aquifer, where the water table answers quickly to rain. Pulling a pool, a basement or old footings can meet water fast. Romco self-performs dewatering and Support of Excavation, which counts when the demolition leads straight into a new foundation.
Sources: Census Reporter, median year structure built (ACS 2020-2024) · Wikipedia: MiMo Historic District · City of Miami historic preservation ordinances (Chapter 23) · City of Miami: Special Certificate of Appropriateness · City of Miami Building Bulletin 2023-003, demolition · Wikipedia: Miami · USGS: Biscayne aquifer
Who issues the permit in Miami
City of Miami Building Department, Unsafe Structures Services
Apply through the iBuild portal and select the total or partial demolition permit. Historic properties need a Certificate of Appropriateness first.
See the official pageThis is general information, not legal advice. If you hire Romco, we apply for the permit as contractor of record. Miami-Dade demolition permit guide
What we quote in Miami
Other work we quote
- Interior demolitionCondo units, offices and retail space taken back to the shell, in the right order.Interior demolition in Miami-Dade →
- Selective demolitionRemove one part of a building and keep the rest standing and in service.Selective demolition in Miami-Dade →
- Commercial demolitionWhole commercial buildings down to grade, with DERM and the permit file in order.Commercial demolition in Miami-Dade →
- House demolitionA full teardown of a single-family home, from permit to a graded lot.House demolition in Miami-Dade →
- Structural demolitionUnsafe or failed structures taken down under an engineer's plan and the county's order.Structural demolition in Miami-Dade →
- Concrete removalSlabs, driveways, footings and hardscape broken out, hauled and graded.Concrete removal in Miami-Dade →
- Pool removalIn-ground pools filled in or removed, with groundwater and backfill planned.Pool removal in Miami-Dade →
- Mobile home demolitionManufactured and mobile homes taken down and hauled, additions and pads included.Mobile home demolition in Miami-Dade →
- Storm damage demolitionHurricane- and flood-damaged structures taken down or opened up for repair.Storm damage demolition in Miami-Dade →
- Site clearingLots cleared of structures, slabs, debris and brush, with tree permits in order.Site clearing in Miami-Dade →
- Asbestos coordinationLicensed asbestos survey, abatement and the DERM notice, arranged in order.Asbestos coordination in Miami-Dade →
- Accessory structure demolitionDetached garages, sheds, carports, screen rooms and guest houses removed.Accessory structure demolition in Miami-Dade →
- Something else?Your job is not listed? We still quote it. Call and walk us through it.Call (305) 760-9827 →
From first call to final
The order a Miami-Dade job follows
Romco Builders is a licensed Florida general contractor, headquartered in Fort Lauderdale. A garden shed and a mid-rise run through the same steps.
Call or send the request
Give us the address, photos or plans if you have them, and a plain account of what goes and what remains.
Site visit
We check how the building is framed, where the services enter, how trucks and machines get in, and what stands on either side.
Scope and quote in writing
You get a written scope listing removals, protections and haul-off, with any item that hangs on the asbestos survey called out.
Survey, notice and permit
A licensed asbestos survey, the DERM notice where it applies, the utility disconnects, then the permit from the city or the county.
Take-down and hauling
Work runs in the agreed sequence. Loads go to permitted facilities, and we keep the tickets.
Final and closeout
The inspector signs off the permit. You are left with a clean lot, or the shell you asked us to keep.
Questions
Demolition in Miami
Does a building in a Miami historic district need approval before demolition?
Yes. Chapter 23 of the City Code requires a Certificate of Appropriateness to demolish within a designated historic site, district or archaeological zone, usually a Special Certificate from the Historic and Environmental Preservation Board. Check the property's designation with the city's preservation office before you set a schedule.
How much will my demolition cost?
We quote each job after seeing it, in person or through photos and plans when they show enough. The figure moves with the construction type, the floor area and height, the asbestos survey result, the utilities to be cut off, how machines reach the work, what stands next door, what must be kept, and how far the loads travel. A 1950s concrete block house and a 1990s frame addition can sit on the same street and quote very differently, which is why we publish no rates.
Why does Miami-Dade want an asbestos survey even for a house?
The county's own demolition requirements call for an asbestos survey on every demolition project, which is stricter than the federal rule for some small homes. A notice of demolition also goes to DERM, the county's environmental resources office, no later than ten working days ahead of the start date. The building permit is a different document and cannot stand in for it. We arrange a licensed survey, and a licensed abatement firm removes anything the work would disturb. Romco coordinates both and is not an abatement contractor.
How long does it take to get from first call to a cleared site?
We will not guess before the facts are known. The answer depends on the plan review queue at your city or the county, how fast the utilities issue their disconnect letters, what the survey turns up and the notice period that follows, any historic or condo board approval, and how big the building is and what it is built from. When we know those, you get a sequence that names what each step waits on.
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Every type, every size, all of Miami-Dade
Tell us what is coming down. We will put a quote on it.
Romco Builders is a licensed Florida general contractor, headquartered in Fort Lauderdale. A single interior partition or a complete building gets the same thing: a written scope and a quote.