Ask five demolition contractors what it costs to tear down a house in Fort Lauderdale and you'll get five different numbers, and all five could be right. Structure type, size, what's inside the walls, how a crew gets equipment onto the lot, and which city's permit office is involved all move the price before anyone breaks ground. This page walks through what actually drives demolition cost in Broward County, with typical ranges by project type, so you can tell a fair quote from one that's missing half the job.
Six things move a demolition quote more than anything else. A contractor who prices a job without walking the property, or without asking about all six, is guessing.
Here's how each one actually plays out on a Broward County job.
Yes, more than almost anything else. Wood-frame construction breaks apart faster and lighter than concrete block, and most homes in Broward County are built from concrete block stucco, known in the trade as CBS, rather than wood frame. That's standard practice across South Florida because block holds up better against wind and termites than wood framing does. A CBS home takes more time and heavier equipment to demolish than a comparable wood-frame house would in a lot of other markets, and that shows up directly in the price per square foot. A poured concrete slab foundation, close to universal here, adds to the job compared with a raised foundation over a crawl space. Interior-only demolition, gutting a kitchen or opening up a wall, gets priced differently than a full structural teardown, since it's billed more by scope of work than by square footage.
Asbestos surveys are commonly required before demolition, and in Broward County that requirement isn't tied to how old the building is. Materials like popcorn ceiling texture, vinyl floor tile, and old duct insulation were common in construction through the late 1970s and into the early 1980s, so older buildings get flagged for extra scrutiny as a matter of practice. Broward's actual rule is broader than a build-date cutoff, though: the county requires written notice at least ten working days before demolition or asbestos renovation begins, regardless of the structure's age or how much regulated material a survey finds, filed through the county's ePermits system or the Florida DEP Business Portal. A Certificate of Submittal has to be on file before your city's building department will issue the demolition permit. If a survey turns up material that needs abatement, that work happens before demolition starts, which adds both a line item and time to the schedule. Your contractor will confirm the current requirement for your specific property, since forms and fee schedules do get updated.
Every utility serving the structure has to be disconnected and documented before a demolition permit closes out, not just switched off at the breaker. Fort Lauderdale's own demolition checklist calls for proof that gas, electric through FPL, the water meter, and the fire service water meter have all been disconnected before the city signs off, and most Broward cities follow a similar pattern. Scheduling those disconnections takes coordination, since the utility company sends someone out on its own calendar, not the demolition crew's. Building that into the schedule early avoids a permit that's ready in every other way except one disconnection letter that hasn't come back yet.
Debris gets weighed, not eyeballed. Construction and demolition debris is hauled to a transfer station or landfill and billed by the ton, and a concrete block structure generates a heavier load than a wood-frame house of the same square footage, which pushes disposal costs up right alongside demolition labor. Some materials, clean concrete and metal especially, can be recycled rather than landfilled, which sometimes offsets part of the cost depending on current material prices and which facility a contractor uses. A contractor's quote should specify whether disposal is included in the price or billed separately as debris comes off the site.
It can change it substantially. A property with a wide driveway and room for an excavator to maneuver costs less to demolish than a canal-lot house squeezed between two neighbors with six feet of clearance on either side. Tight access sometimes means smaller equipment, more hand labor, or protective measures for a neighboring fence or seawall, all of which take longer than a straightforward lot. Trees add another layer: Fort Lauderdale's permit process requires mapping existing trees on the survey, noting species and condition, and barricading anything staying in place before demolition starts, with a separate permit required if a tree comes out too.
They do, and the amount depends on which of Broward's 31 municipalities the property sits in. Fort Lauderdale, Plantation, Oakland Park, and every other city in the county set their own permit fee schedules, and a demolition permit typically isn't the only one involved. Depending on the project, you might also need a Notice of Commencement, a separate tree removal permit, mitigation permits with bonds attached, and construction debris mitigation paperwork. None of these are huge line items individually, but they add up, and a contractor quoting a job should be able to tell you which ones apply before you sign anything.
These are general ranges drawn from national cost data, not a quote for your specific property. Broward numbers often run toward the higher end or above it once permit layering, CBS construction, and disposal tonnage get factored in.
| Project Type | Typical Range | What Moves the Number |
|---|---|---|
| Interior or selective demolition | $0.50 to $1.50 per sq ft; $4,000 to $10,000 if a load-bearing wall is involved | Whether shoring and engineering are required |
| Full residential teardown | $4 to $10 per sq ft; commonly $6,000 to $25,000 total | CBS vs. wood frame, access, asbestos findings |
| Garage or accessory structure | $3 to $10 per sq ft; $1,000 to $5,000 total | Size, attached vs. detached |
| Pool removal, partial fill-in | $2,500 to $10,000 | Pool material, decking removal scope |
| Pool removal, full extraction | $4,000 to $16,000 | Gunite and concrete cost more than vinyl or fiberglass |
| Concrete flatwork removal | $3 to $8 per sq ft including disposal | Slab thickness, rebar, equipment access |
Commercial demolition and site clearing aren't in the table on purpose. Both vary too much project to project: a small interior strip-out and a full commercial building teardown don't belong on the same per-square-foot scale, and a cleared lot might need nothing more than debris haul-off or might need truckloads of fill dirt. Those get priced per bid after a walkthrough, not off a general chart.
Want an actual number instead of a range? Call (954) 998-4434 and describe your property. We'll connect you with a contractor who can give you a written estimate after seeing the site.
Yes. The contractor we connect you with looks at the property and gives you a written number before any work starts or any money changes hands. There's no obligation to hire them just because they came out to look.
It should, but confirm it in writing. Some quotes bundle disposal into the total price, while others bill it separately based on the tonnage that actually comes off the site. Ask your contractor to specify which before comparing quotes side by side.
Usually yes, even when both happen as part of the same project. Pool removal and structure demolition are typically permitted as separate scopes of work in Broward County, so a project involving both should account for two permit fees, not one.
It varies by city and by how complete the application package is going in. The asbestos notification alone requires a minimum ten-working-day window before demolition can start, and that's before the building department's own review time or any pending utility disconnection letters. A contractor who's worked in your specific city can usually give you a realistic timeline better than any general estimate.
Sometimes, on interior prep like pulling cabinets or flooring before a contractor arrives, though check with the contractor first since some insurance and liability terms don't allow it. Structural demolition, asbestos-related work, and anything requiring a permit generally needs to be done, or at least supervised, by the licensed contractor, so the savings from DIY prep are usually modest against the overall job cost.
Ready for a real number on your project? Call (954) 998-4434 for a free, no-obligation estimate from a licensed Broward County demolition contractor.