Ramrod Key, Monroe County
Demolition in Ramrod Key
Reports from the Lower Keys after Hurricane Irma singled out Ramrod Key for some of the most extensive damage. Many lots here have a damaged building that the owner has been deciding what to do about, and that decision usually comes down to the repair-cost test.
Damage on the Lower Keys was uneven. One reporter on the scene noted that houses facing the Atlantic took the brunt of the storm, while some of the steepest damage was found on the inside keys. A Ramrod Key lot can hold a gutted house, a patched one or a lifted one, and each leads to a different scope.
Because the key is unincorporated, the county permits the work. A damaged building in a flood zone with a repair cost at half its value or more must be upgraded to current rules, moved or demolished. Monroe County has said it values the structure at the property appraiser's figure plus 20 percent, but that comes from older reporting, so confirm it with floodplain staff before relying on it.
We walk the lot, assess what the storm left, survey for asbestos and mold, and set the scope. Debris from the Lower Keys travels by road to the mainland, and we price the haul as its own line.
Sources: CNN transcript, September 12, 2017 · Blue Paper: Monroe County substantial damage and floodplain rules
Getting the permit in Ramrod Key
Monroe County Building Department
Ramrod Key is unincorporated and is permitted by the county. The county takes applications through its online permitting system, where applicants must register first, and publishes its office hours as 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at each permitting office, with appointments encouraged. Check the current checklist for your parcel before filing.
Read the sourceThis is general information and not legal advice. If you hire us, we file the permit ourselves as the contractor on record. Monroe permit guide
What we quote in Ramrod Key
Kinds of demolition we quote here
- Interior demolitionCondo, hotel and shop interiors and stilt-house living floors cleared out, salt damage and all.Interior demolition in Monroe →
- Selective demolitionRemove one wing, a deck or a floor of a Keys building and protect what stays.Selective demolition in Monroe →
- Commercial demolitionShops, motels, marinas and multifamily buildings, planned around US 1 access.Commercial demolition in Monroe →
- House demolitionBlock ranches, wood cottages and stilt houses, taken down after the permit work is done.House demolition in Monroe →
- Structural demolitionConcrete frames, elevated slabs, piles and unsafe structures, taken down in engineered order.Structural demolition in Monroe →
- Concrete removalSlabs, driveways, decks and caps broken out, sorted and hauled off the island chain.Concrete removal in Monroe →
- Pool removalFill in or fully remove a pool, with the groundwater and the fill planned first.Pool removal in Monroe →
- Mobile home demolitionMobile homes, trailers and RVs removed from park lots and private lots, with utilities handled.Mobile home demolition in Monroe →
- Storm damage demolitionHurricane-damaged homes and buildings, made safe and removed, with the paperwork in order.Storm damage demolition in Monroe →
- Site clearingClear a lot of old structures, slabs and debris, where the habitat and tree rules allow it.Site clearing in Monroe →
- Asbestos coordinationSurvey, notice and licensed abatement lined up so the demolition can proceed.Asbestos coordination in Monroe →
- Accessory structure demolitionSheds, carports, garages, screen rooms and dock houses removed cleanly.Accessory structure demolition in Monroe →
- Something else?Do not see your job above? Phone us and describe it. We quote every type and size.Call (239) 510-4206 →
From first call to final
Six stages, always in this order
Romco Builders is a licensed Florida general contractor, headquartered in Fort Lauderdale. A shed and a full building go through these same stages.
Send the address and the scope
Phone us or fill in the quote form. Say which key it is on, what must come down and what must stay.
A visit to the lot
Someone from Romco goes to the property. The building, the flood zone, the utility connections, the way equipment and trucks get in, and the neighboring lots all get a look.
The written quote
You get a document listing what comes out, what is kept safe, and what is trucked north off the island chain. Anything that hangs on survey results is marked as such.
Paperwork before machines
If asbestos testing applies, it happens here. So do the utility shutoffs and the filing of your demolition permit with whichever office covers the parcel.
Demolition and haul-off
The crew works through the agreed order. Debris is trucked to permitted facilities, and we keep the load records.
Final inspection
The permit office signs off after its last inspection. You are left with a cleared lot, or the shell you specified.
Questions
Demolition in Ramrod Key
How is a damaged building valued for the 50 percent rule?
Monroe County has said it uses the property appraiser's value of the structure plus 20 percent, excluding land. That detail came from older reporting, so ask the county floodplain staff whether it still applies.
What does a demolition cost in the Keys?
A quote follows a visit to the property, or a review of photos and drawings when those show enough. The figure moves with the building's materials and height, the asbestos survey, the utility disconnects, how equipment reaches the lot, and the haul, because everything leaves the island chain by truck. We do not publish prices, since two lots that look alike seldom cost alike.
How is asbestos handled before a demolition?
An independent licensed consultant surveys the building first, because the federal asbestos rule calls for a thorough inspection before a regulated demolition and the state notice depends on it. Should the survey turn up asbestos that the job would disturb, a separately licensed abatement firm takes it out. Romco books and sequences both visits, but abatement is not work we perform.
How long before a Keys demolition can start?
No one can name a date until the facts are known. The start depends on how fast your permit office reviews the file, when the utility letters arrive, the asbestos survey and the notice that follows it, any flood-zone or habitat review, the weather, and the building itself. When those are settled we send you the order of work and what each step waits on.
Other Monroe cities: Key West · Stock Island · Marathon · Islamorada · Key Largo · Ocean Reef · Tavernier · Duck Key · Key Colony Beach · Big Pine Key · Cudjoe Key · Summerland Key · Big Coppitt Key
Any type, any size, anywhere in the Keys
Tell us where it is and what has to come down. We will price it.
Romco Builders is a licensed Florida general contractor, headquartered in Fort Lauderdale. From a single wall to a full building, you receive a written scope and a quote.