Do You Need a Permit to Demolish a House in Hillsborough County, Florida?
Yes. A demolition permit is required before any structure comes down in Hillsborough County. The cities of Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City each require their own. Which office you apply to depends on the address.
The permit is only part of the paperwork. Florida ties an asbestos notification to every demolition permit. The permit office wants utility sign-off letters before it issues. Florida law wants a Sunshine 811 ticket before the machine digs.
Which Permit Office Covers Your Property?
Hillsborough County has one county building department and three city ones. Valrico, Brandon, Riverview, Seffner, Lithia and Apollo Beach all sit in the unincorporated county. Those permits go through the county’s HillsGovHub portal. As a demolition contractor in Valrico, that is the office we deal with most.
| Where the property sits | Permit office | How you apply |
|---|---|---|
| Unincorporated Hillsborough County (Valrico, Brandon, Riverview, Seffner, Lithia, Apollo Beach) | Hillsborough County Building Services, (813) 272-5600 | HillsGovHub portal |
| Inside Tampa city limits | City of Tampa Construction Services, (813) 274-3100 | Accela Citizen Access portal |
| Temple Terrace | Temple Terrace Building Division, (813) 506-6400 | City permit application |
| Plant City | Plant City Building Department | City demolition application plus a permit application |
Tampa says the permit covers the demolition of any existing structure and the debris removal with it. Tampa also says the permit is issued the same day. Plant City puts it plainly on its own form: the permit must be issued before demolition starts.
What Does Hillsborough County Ask For?
The county’s residential demolition checklist is short and firm. You need a recorded certified copy of a Notice of Commencement under Florida Statutes 713.13. You upload a key site plan drawn to scale showing the whole parcel and the building coming down.
Then come the utility sign-offs. The county lists four sources: Hillsborough County Public Utilities, Tampa Electric, the gas provider and the phone or data provider. Each sends an approval letter or email that you attach to the application.
Commercial jobs carry more. The county requires an Environmental Protection Commission Asbestos Project Information Form with the demolition permit application. Water and wastewater lines have to be capped and secured onsite. The site plan also has to show safeguards under Florida Building Code Chapter 33.
A whole house teardown and a detached garage both fall under residential demolition. Mobile homes sit under the county’s residential and mobile home checklists. Ask the permit office which application fits a mobile home demolition. A retired mobile home also carries title paperwork with the state.
Do You Need an Asbestos Survey Before Demolition?
Florida Building Code Section 105.9 puts asbestos on the permit itself. Every demolition or renovation permit has to carry an asbestos notification statement. That statement points to the owner’s or operator’s duty under Section 469.003, Florida Statutes.
The state notice is called a Notice of Renovation or Demolition. Florida DEP says it must be postmarked or received at least 10 working days before the project start date. It goes to the DEP district office or to the local air program office. In Hillsborough County the local air program is the Environmental Protection Commission, at (813) 627-2600.
DEP’s rule reaches all structures, installations and buildings. It leaves out buildings that meet the residential exemption in the federal asbestos NESHAP. That is why a single family house is often handled differently from an apartment block. Temple Terrace, for one, asks for a survey on commercial work and on multi-family of five units or more. Confirm your own address with the EPC before you count on an exemption.
We do not remove asbestos. A licensed asbestos professional does the survey and any abatement, and we book the teardown around it. The same applies on interior demolition, where old flooring and pipe insulation come up most.
Which Utility Disconnect Letters Do You Need?
Electric comes first because it takes the longest. Tampa Electric runs demolition requests through its own online system. TECO says single phase equipment it can reach with a bucket truck takes up to 15 business days. Three phase equipment, underground service or current transformers run 6 to 8 weeks.
TECO then sends back the completed sign-off sheet and a confirmation letter. That letter is what the permit office wants.
Gas is its own sign-off. In Tampa that is TECO Peoples Gas at (813) 223-0800. Plant City lists the gas utility on its demolition form.
Water and sewer vary by office. The county wants an email response from Hillsborough County Public Utilities. Tampa folded water and wastewater sign-offs into the Accela permit record, so a separate form is no longer needed. Plant City pulls the water meter before the water division signs off. The sewer gets capped at the property line. A licensed septic tank contractor pumps the tank, and it is caved in and filled.
Plant City is unusual. Three signatures have to be on its demolition form before you submit it. The phone provider, the gas utility and Tampa Electric sign first.
Do You Have to Call Sunshine 811 Before Demolition?
Yes, and Florida law names demolition directly. Florida Statute 556.105 sets the notice at not less than 2 full business days. That applies before any excavation or demolition. The ticket then stays valid for 30 calendar days.
That matters on a teardown because slabs, footers and old service lines come out with the structure. Sunshine 811 is Florida’s call before you dig system.
Who Pulls the Permit, the Owner or the Contractor?
On most jobs the demolition contractor applies and the owner signs what only the owner can sign. The recorded Notice of Commencement is the owner’s document. Plant City goes further and wants a notarized letter of authorization from the owner of record.
A homeowner can pull the permit instead. Hillsborough County’s owner-builder rules are specific. The property has to be in the homeowner’s name and be their primary residence. An Owner Builder Disclosure Statement is required. The property cannot be sold for one year after the work is completed.
Skipping the permit is the expensive route. The county says unpermitted work can draw a citation of up to $500 per violation. It also tells you to stop and email permitting@hcfl.gov.
How Much Does a Demolition Permit Cost?
Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa both set demolition fees through published fee schedules rather than one flat price. The real number comes from the permit office for your address.
Two figures are fixed and published. Florida adds a building permit surcharge of 2.5 percent of permit value, with a $4.00 minimum. That comes from Florida Statutes 553.721 and 468.631. Since March 23, 2025, Florida DEP’s asbestos notification fee is $200 for a hard copy or pay-later filing. It drops to $100 when it is filed electronically and paid at once.
Those are government fees, not our price list. Ask the county for the current permit figure rather than a cost-guide site. For the teardown itself, see what a house demolition costs in Florida.
Where This Lands on Your Project
Permits, the asbestos notice and the utility letters set the calendar on a teardown. The electric disconnect alone can run weeks. Start that paperwork before you book the machine.
Global Construction and Home Repair handles demolition across Hillsborough, Polk and Pasco counties from a base in Valrico. We pull the demolition permit where the office lets the contractor apply. We work around the asbestos survey and the utility disconnects. Call or text (813) 239-4231 for a free estimate on your structure.