Services
Demolition
Transforming your property often requires removing the outdated or unused structures that stand in your way. Langley coastal specializes in a wide range of demolition projects, including the removal of residential homes, detached garages, and aging commercial structures. Beyond traditional buildings, we are experts in specialized demolition such as pool removal and infill. We don’t just break up the concrete; we ensure the area is properly backfilled and compacted to restore your land’s value and usability. From the first strike to the final grade, we focus on leaving your property "build-ready" and meticulously clean.
How the work goes
1. Survey and permits
Before anything comes down, the structure is inspected for asbestos, the notice of demolition is filed with the state, and the demolition permit is pulled from your city or county. Where a pool is involved, the same permit covers the fill-in. We handle this paperwork for the scope we carry.
2. Disconnects and site protection
Electric, gas, water and sewer are disconnected and capped, and the building department gets the disconnect letters it asks for. We fence the site, protect trees and neighboring structures that are staying, and set up dust and runoff control.
3. Take-down and haul-off
The structure comes down with equipment matched to the site, from 100,000 lb class excavators on an open commercial parcel to mini excavators in a backyard with a narrow gate. Debris is sorted and hauled to permitted facilities, with concrete and metal separated where they can be recycled.
4. Backfill, compaction and final grade
Holes, pool shells and foundation excavations are backfilled in lifts and compacted, then the whole area is graded so it drains and is ready for whatever comes next. That is what we mean by build-ready.
What we demolish
Residential homes, whether the house is being replaced with a new build, cleared for sale as a lot, or removed after storm or fire damage.
Detached garages, sheds, carports and other outbuildings, including partial demolition where an addition is coming off but the main house stays.
Aging commercial structures on parcels being redeveloped, using our heavy equipment fleet.
Swimming pools, including breaking up the shell, removing the equipment and plumbing, and filling the hole with compacted fill. See our pool removal guide.
We do not just break up concrete and leave. The area is backfilled and compacted to restore the land's value and usability, and the site is left clean.
In Broward County the asbestos step comes before the permit: the notice of demolition goes to the county at least ten working days in advance, a city or county demolition permit does not satisfy that notice, and the county issues a Certificate of Submittal that the city needs before it will issue the demolition permit. [lauderdalebythesea-fl.gov]
Pool removal and infill
There are two ways to take a pool out. A partial removal breaks up the top of the shell and the floor and fills the hole; a full removal takes out the entire structure and replaces it with compacted soil, which leaves the land build-ready. A partial fill-in can restrict what can be built on that spot later and usually has to be disclosed when the property is sold. [hometowndemolitioncontractors.com]
Under the Florida Building Code a pool is a structure, so filling one in needs a demolition permit. The conditions cities attach are consistent: Lauderdale Lakes, for example, requires drainage holes in the floor, the coping and at least 12 inches of wall removed below grade, no broken concrete used as fill, backfill compacted in lifts to 90 percent, utilities capped, and in-progress and final inspections. If you ever want to build over the spot, the inspector will want an engineer's letter. [epicwatershapes.com]
We do the removal with the backfill and compaction included, and we tell you up front which method fits what you plan to do with the yard.
What build-ready means
A demolition that stops at the last truckload leaves you with a hole, soft ground and a grading problem. Build-ready means the excavations are backfilled in compacted lifts, the debris is gone, the site is graded to drain, and the next contractor (or our own sitework crew) can start on a pad, a pool or a foundation without doing our job over.
Langley Coastal is a licensed Florida general contractor (CGC1538377), family-owned across two generations, with 35+ years of licensed construction expertise, working in Broward, Palm Beach, Miami-Dade and Manatee counties.
Questions we hear
Do I need a permit to demolish a house or garage in Florida?
Yes. The Florida Building Code requires a permit before anyone demolishes a building or structure, and your city or county building department issues it. South Florida adds an asbestos survey and state notice on top of that. We pull the demolition permit for the scope we carry. County-by-county details are in our [[demolition permits guide|/guides/demolition-permits-south-florida]]. [source]
What is the asbestos survey and the 10-day notice?
Federal NESHAP rules, enforced by FDEP, require a thorough inspection for asbestos before demolition, and a notice of demolition filed at least 10 working days before work starts. FDEP is explicit that the waiting period cannot be reduced. Single-family homes are excluded only if the building has four or fewer dwelling units and is not part of a larger project. Build the 10 working days into the schedule. [source]
What happens to the utilities?
They are disconnected and capped before the building comes down. Electric, gas, water and sewer each have their own disconnect process, and most building departments want the disconnect letters with the permit. If the lot is being rebuilt, we coordinate where the new services will land so the caps are placed where the next contractor needs them.
What happens to the debris?
It is sorted and hauled to permitted facilities. Concrete and metal are separated where they can be recycled, and everything else goes to a licensed disposal site. Nothing is buried on the lot: pool fill-in permits, for example, specifically prohibit using broken concrete as fill, and buried debris is what makes ground settle later. The site is left clean and graded. [source]
How long does a demolition take?
It depends, and the paperwork usually takes longer than the work. The asbestos survey and the 10-working-day notice period come first, then the permit. The take-down itself depends on the size of the structure, the equipment the site allows, the amount of debris and how far it travels, and whether backfill and compaction are part of the job. We give you a sequence at the site visit rather than a guess. [source]
Can you demolish and then build on the same lot?
Yes. That is the most common sequence: take the old structure down, backfill and compact, then clear, grade and build the pad for the new one. Because our [[sitework crew|/services/sitework]] does the second half, the elevation and drainage plan is set before the demolition starts, and the fill and compaction are done to the spec the new foundation needs rather than done twice.
Guides
Sourced answers to the questions we hear most.
What our customers say
Rutger and Roman took care of my dock rebuild and seawall repair. They did an outstanding job and the process was professional and straightforward start to finish. Will be recommending these guys to friends and will definitely inquire again in the future!