Teardowns in Victoria Park, Harbor Beach and Las Olas Isles
Teardown work in Fort Lauderdale clusters in three neighborhoods, and each one sets up differently. Victoria Park sits close to downtown, where older homes now sell as teardown lots on narrow streets. There we often bring a mini excavator and load the dump trucks from the driveway so the street stays open.
Harbor Beach and Las Olas Isles back onto canals, and the flood zone weighs on every rebuild. Take a one-story block house of 52 × 30 ft: that is 1,560 sq ft of house, and the demolition cost calculator turns it into a total before permit and asbestos fees. Block versus wood frame is covered on our page about knocking down a house.
Canal lots: the seawall and the dock stay
On a canal lot we stage everything from the street side, and the seawall and dock stay put. Our excavator works from the front of the house back toward the water and never rides on the seawall cap. Silt fence goes up along the bank before the first wall falls, and the section nearest the water is pulled toward the street with the thumb, away from the canal.
What the city checklist asks for
We work through the city's published checklist in order. Broward's asbestos statement (SRRA) goes first: the county reviews it and issues a Certificate of Submittal that travels with the city application. We schedule the survey with a licensed asbestos consultant, and when it finds asbestos, a licensed abatement contractor removes it before we start. Our guide to Broward's asbestos filing and survey covers the county side.
The city also wants letters from FPL and TECO Gas, the water meter pulled and the sewer capped with an inspection passed; our guide to disconnecting utilities before a teardown shows who handles each cut. On the lot side come a pest control report showing no rodents and a notarized letter about using water to hold the dust down.
Covered ground before the final inspection
Fort Lauderdale does not accept bare dirt after a teardown. The owner signs a letter promising no exposed soil, so once we rough-grade we lay sod or another ground cover and only then call for the final. Further south along the coast, our crews also work in Hollywood.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Fort Lauderdale demolition permit cover clearing the rest of the lot?
No. The city states that its demolition permit is not for land clearing. Clearing and tree removal go under separate permits, which we sort out at the site visit.
Can a house in a Fort Lauderdale historic district be torn down?
Properties inside a city historic district need a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Board before a demolition permit. We check the address before quoting and never promise how that board will decide.
Does a two-story teardown in Fort Lauderdale need extra paperwork?
Yes. For a building of more than one story, the city checklist asks for a daily schedule of the work and a list of the equipment on site.
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