Hutchinson Island South, St. Lucie County
Demolition in Hutchinson Island South
Hutchinson Island South is the St. Lucie County stretch of the barrier island along SR A1A, with 4,988 residents and 6,408 housing units in 2020, more than half of them vacant at census time. Oceanfront demolition here can fall seaward of the state Coastal Construction Control Line.
Mid-rise condominium towers line the oceanfront, and FPL's St. Lucie Nuclear Plant shares the island, with Unit 1 in service since 1976 and Unit 2 since 1983. In 1974 only about 1,900 people lived on the island within 5 miles of the plant. The median age in the CDP was 70.7 in 2020.
The control line on this coast is set by Rule 62B-26.021 and runs from the south side of the Fort Pierce Inlet to the county line. Work seaward of it needs a Florida DEP permit or written exemption in addition to the county permit. From March 1 to November 15, beach-visible lights must be shielded, redirected or off from sunset to sunrise for nesting sea turtles, which affects site lighting and work hours. Hurricane Nicole eroded St. Lucie beaches in November 2022.
Condominium work is a different scale of job. Asbestos notice goes to Florida DEP at least 10 working days ahead; we arrange a licensed survey, and abatement goes to a licensed firm. Where foundations sit in wet barrier-island ground, our own crews handle the dewatering and the shoring that keeps the excavation stable.
Sources: Hutchinson Island South census figures · Hutchinson Island: oceanfront condominiums · St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant units · NRC: 1974 island population near the plant · Florida rule 62B-26.021: St. Lucie County CCCL · St. Lucie County: sea turtle information · WQCS: St. Lucie County erosion and flooding from Nicole · Florida DEP: asbestos and demolition notification
Permit office for Hutchinson Island South
St. Lucie County Building and Code Regulations Division
The St. Lucie portion of Hutchinson Island South is unincorporated and permitted by the county. Work seaward of the CCCL also needs a Florida DEP permit or written exemption.
Read the official sourceThis summary is not legal advice. When Romco takes the job, we sign the permit application as the responsible contractor. St. Lucie guide to demolition permits
What we quote in Hutchinson Island South
More demolition we quote
- Interior demolitionStrip a suite or a house to the studs while the shell and its live systems stay intact.Interior demolition in St. Lucie →
- Selective demolitionTake out an addition, a wing or a bay and keep the building that remains in service.Selective demolition in St. Lucie →
- Commercial demolitionRetail, office and industrial buildings taken down, with approvals run in the right order.Commercial demolition in St. Lucie →
- House demolitionA full teardown of a single-family house, from utility letters to a graded lot.House demolition in St. Lucie →
- Structural demolitionFrames, walls and floors taken down in order, including buildings under unsafe orders.Structural demolition in St. Lucie →
- Concrete removalSlabs, driveways, footings and foundations broken out, hauled and recycled.Concrete removal in St. Lucie →
- Pool removalBreak out the top and backfill, or lift the whole shell, with the drainage handled.Pool removal in St. Lucie →
- Mobile home demolitionSingle and double wides removed with chassis, tie-downs, add-ons and debris cleared.Mobile home demolition in St. Lucie →
- Storm damage demolitionHurricane, tornado and flood damage taken down with the record your insurer needs.Storm damage demolition in St. Lucie →
- Site clearingLots cleared of old structures, slabs and debris, with protected trees left in place.Site clearing in St. Lucie →
- Asbestos coordinationLicensed survey, FDEP notice and licensed abatement scheduled before demolition.Asbestos coordination in St. Lucie →
- Accessory structure demolitionSheds, detached garages, carports and screen enclosures removed under permit.Accessory structure demolition in St. Lucie →
- Something else?If your job is missing from the list, call anyway. We price odd jobs too.Call (772) 310-3298 →
Start to finish
How a St. Lucie job moves
Romco Builders is a licensed Florida general contractor, headquartered in Fort Lauderdale. A backyard shed follows the same order as a commercial building.
Reach out
Call or fill in the form. Mention whether the place has a septic tank; it adds a step before the permit.
We look at the property
We come out and trace the services: the FPL drop, the water line, and the septic tank or sewer tap. Then we look at the truck route in and at what sits next door.
A written scope and quote
Each line of the scope says come down, stay, or leave on a truck. Items waiting on the survey result are flagged so nothing is assumed.
Survey, notice, letters, permit
A licensed asbestos survey, the state demolition notice, the utility letters, then the permit from the city, town or county.
Demolition and hauling
The crew works through the scope in order. C&D debris goes to a permitted site such as the county facility on Glades Cut-Off Road, and every ticket is filed.
Final inspection
Last comes the final inspection from the city, town or county. After that the lot is bare and graded, or the shell you wanted kept is still standing.
Questions
Demolition in Hutchinson Island South
Does sea turtle season affect a demolition on Hutchinson Island South?
It can. St. Lucie County's nesting season runs March 1 to November 15, and during it any exterior light visible from the beach must be shielded, redirected or turned off from sunset to sunrise. That limits lit night work facing the beach for most of the year. A job seaward of the coastal control line also needs a Florida DEP permit or written exemption.
What will my demolition cost in St. Lucie?
Two houses on the same Port St. Lucie street can quote quite differently, so we post no rates. The price is set after a visit, or from photos and plans that show enough, and it follows the materials, the footprint and height, the asbestos survey, the service disconnects, any septic tank to abandon, how equipment gets in, what sits next door, what stays, and how far the debris travels.
Do I need an asbestos survey if I think there is no asbestos?
The state's position is that every demolition needs a written notice, even when no asbestos is found, and the notice has to be filed at least ten working days before demolition begins. St. Lucie notices go to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Southeast District. A building permit does not take its place. Fort Pierce also asks for an asbestos report on older homes and commercial buildings. Romco books a licensed survey and brings in a licensed abatement firm for any material found, since we hold no abatement license ourselves.
How long does the whole process take?
We give no estimate until the paperwork picture is clear. The ten-working-day state notice is fixed. Review time at the city, town or county, the utility letters, the survey result, any Fort Pierce historic board review and septic abandonment are not, and size and construction count too. When each is known, you get the steps in order and what each one is waiting for.
Other St. Lucie cities: Port St. Lucie · Tradition · St. Lucie West · Sandpiper Bay · Fort Pierce · Lincoln Park · St. Lucie Village · River Park · Lakewood Park · White City · Unincorporated St. Lucie County
Every type and size, all over St. Lucie County
Tell us what has to come down, and we will quote it.
Romco Builders is a licensed Florida general contractor, headquartered in Fort Lauderdale. A kitchen wall in Tradition and a strip center on US 1 are quoted the same way: on paper, line by line.