Every demolition in Florida Gulf Coast needs a local building-department permit, and most demolitions on pre-1981 structures also need a state asbestos notice. Here's the sequence.
Step 1 — Utility disconnects
Power, water/sewer, and gas (if applicable) have to be disconnected and verified by the utility before the demo permit will issue. We coordinate the disconnects so the schedule doesn't stall waiting for LCEC or the utility.
Step 2 — The local demolition permit
The City of Cape Coral, City of Fort Myers, Lee County, Collier County, Charlotte County, and the smaller municipalities each run their own demo-permit process. Documents typically include the application, proof of utility disconnects, the contractor's license and insurance, and the asbestos paperwork (see step 3).
Step 3 — FDEP 10-day asbestos notice
Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) requires a 10-working-day notice before demolishing most pre-1981 structures, with an asbestos survey by a licensed inspector documenting what's there. This catches a lot of owners by surprise — but it's mandatory and the fines for skipping it are significant.
Step 4 — Demolition + disposal
The active demo is the fast part — most residential teardowns are 1–3 days of work. Disposal goes through a permitted C&D (construction-and-demolition) facility with manifests, so the paper trail closes cleanly.
What this means for your timeline
From sign-the-quote to permit-in-hand is typically 2–4 weeks once the asbestos survey is back, longer if the structure has confirmed friable asbestos requiring abatement. We sequence the steps in parallel where we can so the calendar isn't 4 weeks of nothing followed by 3 days of demo.
Brookins Site Development handles the paperwork as part of the scope. You don't run permits, surveys, or notices yourself.