Storm damage demolition · Monroe County
Storm damage demolition in the Florida Keys
Storm damage demolition removes a building that a hurricane has made unsafe or too costly to repair. In the Keys, the surge is often the cause, and the damage is concentrated near the water and along the narrow canals.
Hurricane Irma in 2017 destroyed or badly damaged hundreds of homes in the county, with early estimates counting more than six hundred destroyed. The same pattern returns after any major storm: lower-cost housing near the water suffers first, and owners face a repair-or-replace choice at once.
That choice often turns on the 50 percent rule. If a building in a flood zone is damaged and the repair costs reach half of its value, it must be brought up to current flood standards, elevated, moved or demolished. The building official decides how it is counted. We bring a contractor's cost estimate and the scope; the office rules on it.
A damaged building is not a normal demolition. Roofs are loose, floors are wet, framing may be weak, and mold grows quickly. We stabilize first, survey for asbestos and other hazards, and then remove in a sequence that keeps crews and neighbors safe.
Storm debris also has a route. After a hurricane the county sets up temporary debris sites and moves material to the mainland in bulk, and private jobs follow their own rules. We plan the haul with the permit office and keep the records an insurer will ask for.
Order of work
- Walk the building and assess safety.
- Stabilize or shore anything that cannot be entered safely.
- Order the asbestos survey and arrange utility disconnects.
- Prepare the scope and a contractor's cost estimate for the permit office.
- File the permit with the office that holds the parcel.
- Remove in sequence, documenting with photos and load records.
- Clear the lot and pass final inspection.
Where Keys jobs stall
The usual trouble spots, and how each is handled
Unstable structures
Roofs, floors and walls may not carry their own weight. We stabilize or shore before anyone goes inside.
The 50 percent decision
Whether a building can be repaired or must be replaced depends on its value and the cost of repair. The building official makes the call; we prepare the numbers.
Mold and moisture
Wet materials grow mold fast. We plan protection for crews and neighbors, and the removal sequence.
Insurance and documentation
Insurers and agencies often ask for photos, scope and load records. We keep them as the work proceeds.
What falls outside our hands
Whether a building is substantially damaged is decided by the building official. Insurance coverage is between you and your carrier. Unsafe-building orders may carry their own deadlines, and we work within them.
Questions
About storm damage demolition
Do I have to demolish a hurricane-damaged house?
Not always. If the repair cost stays below the local threshold, repair may be allowed. If it reaches half of the building's value in a flood zone, the building must be upgraded, moved or demolished. The building official decides.
Can you work with my insurance company?
We provide the scope, photos and load records that insurers commonly ask for. Coverage decisions are made by your carrier.
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.
Storm damage 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 →
- 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 →
- 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.