The statute draws one line: buildings and residences
Florida's contractor licensing law, Chapter 489, defines "demolish" narrowly. The term applies to steel tanks and towers more than 50 feet tall, other structures more than 50 feet tall, and all buildings or residences. Taking any of those down is contracting, and contracting without a license is a crime in Florida.
Everything else — a fence, a deck, a hot tub, an above-ground pool, a screen enclosure, a concrete patio — falls outside that definition. Those are removals, not licensed demolition.
The statute does not spell out what counts as a "building" for a small accessory structure. A prefab kit shed is treated as yard equipment nearly everywhere; a site-built shed on a slab with its own permit is closer to a building. When it's a judgment call, we ask the building department before we quote.
Which licenses actually cover demolition
The Department of Business and Professional Regulation lists four routes. A certified or registered residential contractor may demolish residences up to three stories. A building contractor may demolish residences or commercial buildings up to three stories. A general contractor may demolish any building or structure regardless of height. And a local specialty demolition license covers demolition only within that jurisdiction's scope.
There is no state-level "demolition-only" license for residential teardowns — the work rides on a Division I contractor license. That is why the crews that take down houses in South Florida are general or building contractors, not haulers.
What that leaves for a junk removal crew
Our light demolition scope stays on the non-building side of the line: fences, decks, hot tubs and spas, above-ground pools, screen enclosures and pool cages, tiki huts, free-standing carports, concrete flatwork and pavers, playsets, and prefab sheds. Inside a home, we do non-structural tear-outs — cabinets, vanities, tile, drywall, ceilings — once a licensed electrician or plumber has disconnected anything live.
What we do not do, at any price: houses, garages, mobile homes, in-ground pools, load-bearing walls, roof structures, or utility disconnects. If a job is on that side, we tell you on the first call and point you to a licensed contractor. We are happy to haul the debris once they are done.
- ✓We remove: fences, decks, hot tubs, above-ground pools, screen enclosures, tiki huts, free-standing carports, concrete patios, playsets, kit sheds, non-structural interior finishes
- ✓Licensed contractor: houses, garages, mobile homes, in-ground pools, structural walls, roof framing, anything over 50 feet
- ✓Licensed electrician or plumber: disconnecting a hot tub, pool pump, kitchen, or bathroom before we start
Why the line matters to you, not just to us
A demolition permit for a building must be pulled by a licensed contractor in most South Florida jurisdictions — the City of Miami says so outright. An unlicensed company cannot close that permit, which leaves the owner holding an open permit and the liability that comes with it.
Insurance follows the same logic. A hauler's general liability policy covers hauling and light removal; it does not cover taking down a structure the state says only a contractor may take down. If something goes wrong on an unlicensed teardown, the homeowner is usually the one exposed.
How to check any contractor's license
Every Florida contractor license is searchable on the DBPR's license portal by name, license number, or business. A legitimate general or building contractor will have an active CGC, CBC, or CRC number and will put it on the estimate. If a company quoting you a house or pool teardown cannot produce one, walk away.