House demolition · Monroe County
House demolition in the Florida Keys
Before a Keys house comes down, three questions need answers: which office issues the permit, what the flood zone says about the next building, and whether the lot carries the right to build again. The machine is the easy part.
Keys houses are not one type. There are concrete block ranches from the 1950s and later, older wood-frame cottages in Key West and on the older keys, and stilt houses that were raised above the flood line, often with an open or enclosed ground level beneath. Each comes apart differently, and each leaves a different slab, pile or footing behind.
New home building here is limited by a state allocation system for the whole island chain. That makes the lot's rebuilding rights worth confirming with the planning office before demolition, not after. We raise the question at the walk-through, because the answer can change whether you demolish, repair or replace.
Lots are often tight and wet: canals behind, neighbors on both sides, a septic tank in the yard, a seawall at the back. We plan how equipment reaches the house, how the tank and utilities are handled, and how the lot is left, graded and stable, when the work ends.
Send the address, photos of all sides and the parcel number. We will walk the lot, then give you a written scope that separates the demolition from the permit work and the haul.
Order of work
- Walk the lot and confirm the permit office for the parcel.
- Confirm with the planning office what can be rebuilt, if you plan to build again.
- Order the asbestos survey and request the utility disconnect letters.
- Cap or abandon water, sewer and septic under their permits.
- File the demolition permit.
- Demolish, sort the debris, haul it to licensed facilities.
- Grade the lot, protect the seawall and edges, and pass final inspection.
Where Keys jobs stall
The usual trouble spots, and how each is handled
Rebuild rights not confirmed
A demolition can end the right to build there if the planning rules were not checked first. We ask the question before pricing and tell you to confirm with the planning office.
Septic tank and utilities
Many Keys houses sit on a septic tank. It is abandoned under its own permit, and the electric and water are disconnected before the permit issues.
Canal and seawall edges
Machines working near a seawall can load it. We keep equipment back, protect the wall and plan the grade so the lot does not slump or flood.
Stilt-house ground floors
An elevated house with an enclosed ground level hides pipes, slabs and fill. We survey it before we price the removal.
What falls outside our hands
Septic abandonment, utility disconnects, tree removal and asbestos abatement are licensed work done by those parties. Rebuilding rights are decided by the planning office, not by us, and we do not promise what a lot may carry afterward.
Questions
About house demolition
Can I rebuild after demolishing my house in the Keys?
That depends on the lot, the zoning and the state allocation system, and the planning office decides. Ask it before you demolish, and get the answer in writing. We can start the quote while you wait.
Does a house need an asbestos survey?
A single residence of four or fewer dwelling units generally falls outside the federal rule, but your permit office may still ask for a statement, and the house can still hold asbestos. We recommend a survey either way before anything is broken.
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.
Is there a minimum or maximum size of job?
No. A shed, a pool, a slab or one interior wall gets a quote, and so does an entire building, whether the work is selective or structural. Describe what is standing and what has to stay, and we price that scope.
Is Romco Builders licensed?
Yes. Romco Builders is a licensed Florida general contractor, headquartered in Fort Lauderdale. Some trades need a license of their own: asbestos removal, electrical disconnects and tree work are examples. Those are done by firms that hold it, and we fit them into one schedule.
From first call to final
Six stages, always in this order
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.
House demolition across Monroe, including Key West, Stock Island, Marathon, Islamorada, Key Largo, Ocean Reef, Tavernier, Duck Key, Key Colony Beach, Big Pine Key, and every other Monroe city.
More ways we can help
Other kinds of demolition we quote
- 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 →
- 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 →
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.