Block houses from the 1950s to the 70s
Hialeah's older streets are lined with concrete block and stucco houses, each with a poured tie beam on top and a slab on grade. That construction is heavy. We open the roof first, then the excavator pushes the walls in and a hydraulic breaker splits the tie beam so the rebar can be cut and pulled for scrap. A house that old is the reason we schedule a survey with a licensed asbestos consultant before the first swing; our guide to asbestos testing in older houses explains what happens when it finds something. Full teardowns follow the steps on our CBS house demolition page.
Additions built without a permit
Many Hialeah lots carry a back room or an enclosed carport added over the years, and some of those were never permitted. Taking one down still needs a demolition permit. When the house stays, we work along the shared wall by hand and with a mini excavator, so the original block and its tie beam stay sound. An addition of 22 × 14 ft is 308 sq ft, and its slab comes out with it. Closing the opening in the original wall is work for your builder.
Old slabs and driveways
Hialeah lots hold a lot of old concrete. Old driveways, cracked patios, the slab under a torn-down addition: a skid steer with a breaker opens them up, and a saw cut leaves a straight edge wherever concrete stays. A driveway of 40 × 12 ft is 480 sq ft of concrete. Slabs here often carry wire mesh or rebar inside, which we separate before the broken concrete goes to recycling. More detail on thickness and reinforcement is on our driveway and slab removal page.
The Hialeah permit
Hialeah takes permit applications through its online portal, and the application has to be signed and notarized. The city keeps its own demolition checklist, and we confirm it for your address before we start. Debris leaves with haulers permitted under the city's franchise program. Down in unincorporated Kendall, the county issues the permit instead of a city.
Frequently asked questions
Does Hialeah let a homeowner sign for the demolition?
Only an owner-builder who lives in the property. The city can ask for the deed and proof of homestead to confirm it. The rules for each city are in our permit guide.
Is the slab under an old addition removed too?
Yes. Once the walls are down we break out the slab and footings and charge them at the concrete rate per square foot. The ground is left level and ready for sod or new concrete.
Can you take down just the carport enclosure and keep the roof?
We can remove the block infill and leave the carport roof standing when its posts and beam are sound. We look at how the enclosure ties into the structure at the site visit before we say yes.
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