What Approvals Does Commercial Demolition Need in Fort Lauderdale?

What Are the Steps to Get Commercial Demolition Approvals in Fort Lauderdale?

Most commercial projects follow these seven steps. Several run at the same time, so starting the slow ones first saves weeks.

1. Order the asbestos survey. Commercial buildings fall under the federal asbestos NESHAP, so a Florida-licensed asbestos consultant surveys the building before anything else.
2. Request the utility letters. Ask FPL, TECO Gas, the city’s Public Works Department and, if the building has sprinklers or standpipes, the Fire service water meter team for their letters, and schedule the sewer cap or septic abandonment.
3. Prepare the site plans. Have the erosion and sediment control plan, the staging and storage plan, and the tree survey prepared, along with a current signed and sealed survey of the structures.
4. File the asbestos paperwork. Submit the Notice of Demolition or Asbestos Renovation and the Broward County Statement of Responsibilities Regarding Asbestos at least 10 working days before work starts, and arrange abatement if the survey finds regulated asbestos.
5. Apply for the demolition permit. Submit the complete checklist package to the city. Commercial demolition permits in Fort Lauderdale go through the city’s online permitting system, LauderBuild.
6. Get the right-of-way approvals, if needed. If equipment, staging, or debris will use a city street or sidewalk, a Maintenance of Traffic permit goes in with the demolition permit.
7. Record the Notice of Commencement and start. Once the permit is issued and the Notice of Commencement is recorded, demolition can begin, followed by the final inspection and permit close-out.

What Does the City Building Division Require?

The Building Division’s checklist starts with the documents every demolition needs. These include the Broward asbestos statement, a current signed and sealed survey showing each structure and its square footage, a pest control report showing the property is free of rodents, a notarized letter from the demolition contractor stating where dust-control water will come from, and a construction debris mitigation form signed by the owner.

For any building more than one story, the city also asks for a daily work schedule and a list of the equipment that will be used.

The trade reviews add their own items. Plumbing review needs the TECO Gas letter confirming there is no gas service, the Public Works water meter removal letter, and the sewer cap or septic abandonment permit with a passed inspection.

Electrical needs the FPL disconnect letter, mechanical needs proof that a licensed contractor recovered the refrigerant from the air conditioning units, and fire review needs a fire service water meter removal letter when the building has standpipes or sprinklers.

What Extra Approvals Do Commercial Buildings Need?

The checklist has a separate section for commercial buildings and multifamily buildings of three or more units. It adds three engineering items.

• Mitigation permit and bond. A mitigation permit with a bond payment, as requested by the city’s engineering plan reviewer.
• Erosion and sediment control plan. Silt fence around the site, a rock construction entrance, a vehicle wash-down area, storm drain protection on site and within 100 feet of the property lines, dewatering and filtering systems, and the construction fence and gate layout.
• Staging and storage plan. Fenced areas, equipment and material storage, crane locations, construction traffic, debris truck routes and times, noise, dust and lighting control, underground utilities, worker parking and how traffic will be maintained.

Commercial sites also need the engineering items every demolition needs, including a Hold Harmless Agreement and a Dewatering Affidavit.

What Asbestos Approvals Does a Commercial Demolition Need?

Unlike most houses, commercial buildings are covered by the federal asbestos NESHAP. That means an asbestos survey by a Florida-licensed asbestos consultant and a Notice of Demolition or Asbestos Renovation sent at least 10 working days before the project starts, even if no asbestos is found.

In Broward County, the notice goes to the county’s Natural Resources Division, and the Statement of Responsibilities Regarding Asbestos is filed online through Broward’s ePermits system.

Commercial projects are not exempt from Broward’s $100 SRRA review fee, and the county may invoice an additional fee based on the amount of regulated asbestos. If regulated asbestos is found, a licensed asbestos contractor removes it before demolition. Our guide to the asbestos survey before demolition in Broward County explains each step.

When Do You Need a Right-of-Way or Traffic Permit?

If any staging or demolition work will be in the city’s right-of-way, such as a dumpster, equipment, or a crane on the street or sidewalk, the city requires a Maintenance of Traffic permit when you submit the demolition permit.

Any right-of-way closure also needs approval from the Transportation and Mobility Department, and a closure longer than 72 hours requires a Revocable License approved by the City Commission. On tight downtown or Las Olas sites, plan this early, because a Commission approval adds time.

What Tree and Landscape Approvals Apply?

The city wants every existing tree and palm shown on a survey, with its species, height, trunk size, and condition, plus protection barricades for trees that stay, and the barricade inspection must pass before landscape review is approved.

Trees that must come out to reach the building need a separate tree removal sub-permit, and mitigation payment is required before the demolition and tree permits are closed unless a building permit for the site’s redevelopment has been submitted. If there are no trees, a letter stating that is enough.

The owner must also agree in writing to leave no exposed soil after demolition, using ground cover or lawn to prevent dust and erosion.

What Usually Delays a Commercial Demolition in Fort Lauderdale?

The slowest items are usually the asbestos survey and any abatement, the utility letters, and right-of-way approvals that need the City Commission. Missing items also cost time, because the city will not process an application unless every checklist item is either included or marked not applicable.

Filing in the wrong place is another common delay: properties in Fort Lauderdale go through the city, while properties in unincorporated Broward County go through the Broward County Building Division. Our comparison of commercial demolition permits in Florida explains how other cities differ.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need a permit to demolish a commercial building in Fort Lauderdale?

Yes. A commercial demolition needs a city demolition permit, and the application must include every applicable item on the city’s Demolition Permitting Checklist, including the asbestos filing, utility letters and the commercial site plans.

Is an asbestos survey required for commercial demolition?

Yes. Commercial buildings are covered by the federal asbestos NESHAP, so a licensed asbestos consultant must inspect the building, and notice must be filed at least 10 working days before demolition, even if no asbestos is found.

What is a staging and storage plan?

It is a plan the city requires for commercial demolitions showing fenced areas, equipment and material storage, crane locations, debris truck routes and times, and how noise, dust, lighting and traffic will be managed around neighboring homes and businesses.

Do you need a Notice of Commencement for a commercial demolition?

Yes, when the demolition costs more than $5,000, which covers nearly every commercial project. The original and a copy are required, and it must be kept on site during the work.

What if the building has fire sprinklers?

If the building has standpipes or sprinklers, the city’s fire review requires a fire service water meter removal letter before the demolition permit is issued.