A Palm Beach County demolition permit is pulled by your general contractor or by you as the property owner, through the city, town or county office that covers the address. If you are planning a remodel, a shed teardown or a deck removal up there, that is the first thing to settle.
This guide covers where to apply, what the county's own demolition policy says, how two cities handle fees and debris, and when Rapid Haul takes jobs in Palm Beach County. We do the tear-out and haul-away. We do not pull permits.
01Who pulls a Palm Beach County demolition permit?
A Palm Beach County demolition permit is pulled by the general contractor on the project or by the property owner acting as an owner-builder. On a remodel with a GC, the GC pulls the permit for the whole job, tear-out included, and Rapid Haul works on the GC's schedule.
Without a GC, Florida's owner-builder exemption in section 489.103, Florida Statutes, lets owners improve a one- or two-family home for their own use. The owner must personally appear and sign the permit application, sign a disclosure statement, and directly supervise the work. Selling or leasing within one year of completion creates a presumption that the work was done for sale. Rapid Haul is never the permit holder.
02Which building department covers my address?
Your city or town's building department covers your address if it is inside a municipality, and the county's Permit Center covers unincorporated addresses. The Property Appraiser's permit department list says Palm Beach County has 39 municipalities in total, each with a permit department, and links to every one of them.
For unincorporated addresses, the county's Permit Center at 2300 N. Jog Road in West Palm Beach processes building permit applications, and you can apply online through the county's ePZB portal. Check your tax bill or the Property Appraiser's site if you are not sure which side of a city line you are on.
The county page also lists a second office in Delray Beach, open Tuesday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. When you call or visit any of these offices, bring the address, the parcel number from your tax bill and photos of what is coming out, so staff can point you to the right checklist the first time.
03When does Palm Beach County require a demolition permit?
Palm Beach County requires a demolition permit for any structure that a building permit would be required to construct, which its policy says includes modular buildings, signs and swimming pools. That comes from the county Building Division's demolition policy, PPM PB-O-110, which applies to unincorporated Palm Beach County. Other points in the same policy:
- Interior demolition done by a contractor right before a permitted interior remodel does not need a separate demolition permit, as long as it is shown on the approved plans and the contractor holds the issued permit.
- A partial or interior demolition gets a full technical review from a plans examiner.
- Interior removal or demo permits are only issued when an improvement permit application is in process, unless a supervisor approves otherwise.
- Applicants must confirm the utility companies have disconnected all services before demolition work begins.
- Applicants must follow the asbestos notice rules for renovation or demolition.
04What do Palm Beach County cities charge for a demolition permit?
Each Palm Beach County city sets its own demolition permit fee, so the number depends on where the property is. Two published examples: Boca Raton's permit FAQ says permit fees are 1.6% of the total job cost, not counting other fees such as impact or engineering fees, and the Town of Jupiter's demolition checklist sets the fee at the greater of 2% of demo cost or $250.
Jupiter's checklist also asks for proof of ownership, a notarized letter from the owner or the owner's signature on the contract, and a completed Asbestos Notification Statement, which it says is required for all demolitions and renovations. Florida DEP's asbestos program lists Palm Beach as a local program and says the owner and/or operator must give notice at least 10 working days before a project that removes asbestos above federal thresholds.
05Who can haul the debris, and does Rapid Haul work up there?
Some cities control who hauls construction and demolition debris. Boca Raton's franchise page says that, under Chapter 14 of its city code, debris from construction and demolition activities inside city limits must be collected by an authorized franchised hauler, and it lists those haulers. Ask your city who may haul before you hire anyone, us included.
Rapid Haul's main area is Broward and Miami-Dade, and we are based in Hollywood. We take Palm Beach County jobs by request, when the job is worth the drive. Text Dany photos and the address at (754) 249-1015 and he will tell you straight whether it is a fit. Have these ready either way:
- The permit status settled: needed or not, and who holds it
- Utilities to the work area disconnected by the right trade
- HOA or condo approval with their work hours; many ask for proof of insurance, and Rapid Haul carries $1M general liability with NEXT Insurance
- A clear list of what comes out and what stays
06Where to start, and where Rapid Haul fits in
Start with the Property Appraiser's list to find your permit department, then call and ask for the demolition checklist that matches your job. Settle who holds the permit before anyone books a crew.
When the paperwork is done, Rapid Haul does the non-structural tear-out and haul: kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, non-structural walls, decks, sheds, fences, hot tubs, pool decks and concrete. We do not remove walls or framing that carry the building, we haul roofing debris only, and we do not demolish in-ground pools. Room demo starts at $750, deck demo at $550 and shed removal at $350, each one flat, all-in price. Jobs of $1,000 and over take a 50% deposit. See how interior demolition works, or start with our demolition service.
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