Structural demolition · St. Lucie County
Structural demolition in St. Lucie County
Structural demolition takes down the frame itself: walls, columns, floors and roof. It is the work where sequence matters most, because a building partly taken apart in the wrong order can fail in a direction no one planned for.
Every structural job starts with an engineering look at how the building stands now, not how it was drawn. Fire, termites, rot and years of water intrusion all change where loads go. The demolition sequence and the exclusion zone are set from that assessment, and both are fixed before the first piece comes off.
Some St. Lucie County buildings reach us through code enforcement. In Fort Pierce, the City Commission can declare a building unsafe and order it demolished; if the owner does not act, the city demolishes it and places a lien for the cost, and its orders allow 30 days to appeal to circuit court. On the county side, the Code Enforcement Board can refer a structure to the County Commission, which in 2021 voted to seek demolition bids on a Lakewood Park house over its owner's objection.
An owner who acts first keeps the choice of contractor, method and quote. We read the order with you, work to its deadlines, and keep the building division informed as the work moves.
Where foundations run deep or sit near the North Fork or the lagoon, removal can go below the water table. Keeping a deep cut dry and shored is work Romco does with its own crews rather than handing off. We quote structural work at any size.
Order of work
- Review any unsafe order, its deadlines and the permitting office for the parcel.
- Have an engineer assess the structure as it stands and set the sequence.
- Arrange the asbestos survey, FDEP notice and utility disconnects.
- Set fencing and the exclusion zone, and protect neighboring property.
- Demolish in the engineered sequence, top down and bay by bay.
- Remove foundations, dewatering where the depth requires it, then backfill and grade.
Watch points
Where this kind of job runs into trouble, and how we handle it
Premature collapse
A damaged frame can let go before the planned stage. We follow the engineered sequence, keep people out of the fall zone, and stop to reassess when a member behaves differently from the plan.
Debris leaving the exclusion zone
Material falling from height can carry beyond the fence. We size the exclusion zone to the height and condition of the structure and bring sections down toward the site, not toward the street or the neighbor.
Hidden damage changing the loads
Rot or termite damage inside walls only shows once the finishes come off. When it appears, work pauses and the engineer revisits the sequence before demolition resumes.
Asbestos disturbed by fire or collapse
Damage can break up material that would otherwise be stable. We arrange a licensed survey where the building can be entered and plan with the consultant and FDEP where it cannot.
Outside our scope
Structural engineering, asbestos surveys and abatement, utility disconnects, and legal advice on an unsafe order are outside our work; we coordinate the first three and suggest you speak to an attorney about the last. We do not assume a damaged building will stand while it is surveyed, and we do not enter one the engineer has not cleared.
Questions
About structural demolition
Fort Pierce has declared my building unsafe. Can I hire my own contractor?
Fort Pierce's demolition resolutions give the owner the chance to act before the city demolishes and liens the property. Read the order's deadlines closely and talk to an attorney about your options. If you decide to demolish, we can quote the work against the order's dates.
What does structural demolition need that a simple teardown does not?
An engineering assessment of the building as it stands, a written demolition sequence, and an exclusion zone sized to its height and condition. A small sound house may need little of that; a damaged multi-story frame needs all of it.
What will my demolition cost in St. Lucie?
We put a number on it once we have seen the job, on site or through photos and plans that show enough. It turns on what the structure is built from, its footprint and height, what the asbestos survey finds, which services need disconnecting, whether a septic tank must be abandoned, how equipment gets in, what sits next door, what you want kept, and the haul to the disposal site. Two houses on the same Port St. Lucie street can quote quite differently, so we do not post rates.
Is any job too small or too large in size for you?
No. We quote a single shed, a screen enclosure, a pool, a mobile home or a full commercial building, and partial jobs where most of the structure stays. Tell us what is on the property and what must remain, and the quote follows that.
Is Romco Builders licensed?
Yes. Romco Builders is a licensed Florida general contractor with its office in Fort Lauderdale. Work that requires its own license, including asbestos abatement, electrical and plumbing disconnects, septic abandonment, mold remediation and tree removal, goes to firms holding that license, and we keep them on one schedule.
Start to finish
How a St. Lucie job moves
Reach out
Phone us or use the form. Include the address, what is coming down, what is staying, and photos or plans if you have them.
We look at the property
We check the structure, where power, water and sewer or septic connect, how equipment and trucks reach the work, and what is next door.
A written scope and quote
It lists what is removed, what is protected and what is hauled, and flags anything that depends on the asbestos survey.
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
Work follows the agreed order. Debris goes to permitted facilities, and the tickets are kept.
Final inspection
The inspector closes the permit. You get a cleared lot, or the shell you asked us to leave.
Structural demolition anywhere in St. Lucie, including Port St. Lucie, Tradition, St. Lucie West, Sandpiper Bay, Fort Pierce, Lincoln Park, St. Lucie Village, River Park, Lakewood Park, White City, and every other St. Lucie city.
Other work
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 →
- 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?Not on the list? We still quote it. Call and talk us through the job.Call (772) 310-3298 →
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. One wall inside a house or an entire building gets the same thing from us: a written scope and a number.