Before walls come out
- Photograph the wet walls and floors before anything is removed, and keep damaged material if feasible, as DFS's advocate page asks.
- Ask your insurer whether it wants to inspect before tear-out; the 30-day inspection window runs from proof-of-loss statements.
- Ask the building department whether the tear-out needs a permit at your address.
- If the house predates 1978, ask the company for its EPA lead renovation firm certification before paint is disturbed.
- Ask whether any material could contain asbestos, since DEP's notice is due 10 working days before certain removals.
- Measure any mold you find against 10 square feet before anyone treats it.
Which tear-out needs a permit
Two cities exempt drywall removal. Port St. Lucie and Palm Bay list drywall removal or replacement among storm repairs that need no permit. Hernando County's list exempts drywall repairs up to 8 sheets (256 sq. ft.) and interior flooring replacement, but not in a Special Flood Hazard Area. Clearwater's page says painting, tile, carpeting and replacing cabinets or fixtures need none, while Lakeland says demolition of any building or structure, regardless of size, requires a permit.
Section 553.79's under-$7,500 exemption excludes plumbing, electrical, structural, mechanical and gas work.
What structural drying costs in Florida (estimates, not quotes)
Our model puts structural drying in Florida at $3 to $11 per square foot, removal and drying together, an estimate and not a quote. It has no Florida company drying price, and one national guide carries the figure, widened by 15 percent each side.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $3 to $11 per square foot, removal and drying together | Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Florida hazardous materials removal worker wage ratio (0.80). Two Florida restoration companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. Basis: no state company sample (no counted Florida company price for this job), national estimate only. |
| Hazardous materials removal worker wage, Florida mean | $21.70 an hour (United States mean: $27.13) | May 2025 BLS wage for the occupation that sits nearest a drying crew; the match is ours. |
Estimated range. Built from national published ranges (1 source), adjusted by Florida's hazardous materials removal worker wage ratio to the US (0.80, BLS May 2025). Not a quote. Two Florida restoration companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. We have no counted Florida company price for this job, so the range is our national estimate alone. Full method. Prices as of Oct 24, 2026.
When asbestos rules attach
DEP administers the asbestos work practices under chapter 62-257, F.A.C., and a Notice of Renovation or Demolition is due at least 10 working days before work that removes asbestos-containing material above the NESHAP thresholds. Material counts when it contains more than 1 percent asbestos by polarized light microscopy, and DBPR licenses the consultants who survey and the contractors who abate.
An owner who lives in the house, isn't selling or leasing it and does the work personally under owner-builder limits is exempt; a hired restoration company isn't. A Category I nonfriable resilient floor covering can come out without an asbestos license if OSHA rules are followed and DBPR gets written notice 3 days before.
Lead paint and mold in the same walls
EPA says anyone paid to disturb paint in housing built before 1978 must be certified. Small areas are excepted: six square feet or less per room inside, or 20 square feet or less outside, though window replacement and demolition of painted surfaces are always covered. EPA runs lead abatement in Florida. The state isn't on EPA's list of states authorized to run the renovation program either.
If mold appears, the statute defines mold assessment and remediation by mold of greater than 10 square feet, and an assessor's company can't remediate that structure for 12 months.
Drying that can't be put off
- Walls, subfloor or insulation are still wet and nothing is moving air through them.
- A musty smell or visible growth is spreading.
- Someone has started cutting out a house built before 1978 without asking about lead.
- Surfaces that are dry to the touch and sound; photograph them for the claim.
- Finish work, which waits until the insurer has seen the tear-out.
Licenses and permits around the tear-out
DBPR's construction license list has no restoration category, so ask the drying company what license or registration it holds. Rebuilding after tear-out is chapter 489 work, and the casual-work exemption stops at $2,500 and doesn't cover a person who advertises as a contractor.
From 1 July 2026, per city pages, the under-$7,500 single-family exemption needs a written request with the contract and doesn't cover flood hazard areas. Orlando's page says its fee schedule is under review for it.
Ask which licenses your state requires for the work, and check them with your state's licensing office before anyone starts. A credential from a private body, such as IICRC, isn't a license.
Questions people ask
Does removing wet drywall need a permit in Florida?
Not in Port St. Lucie or Palm Bay, which list it among repairs that need none. Hernando County exempts up to 8 sheets (256 sq. ft.) outside flood hazard areas. Other offices may differ, so ask yours.
When does asbestos matter in a tear-out?
When the work removes asbestos-containing material above the NESHAP thresholds, DEP's notice is due 10 working days ahead. The notice costs a flat $200, or $100 for an electronic notice paid at once, since 23 March 2025.
Can I remove asbestos flooring myself in a house I live in?
Section 469.002 exempts an owner-occupant whose home isn't for sale or lease, within owner-builder limits. You must personally appear and sign any building permit application. The exemption belongs to the owner, not to a hired company.
Does the lead rule apply to wet walls?
It applies to paid work that disturbs paint in housing built before 1978, with small-area exceptions. Florida isn't on EPA's list of states authorized to run the program, and window replacement and demolition of painted surfaces are always covered.
Who licenses the rebuild after the walls are dry?
DBPR does, through chapter 489, once the work repairs or alters walls and floors. Look up the rebuild contractor on myfloridalicense.com before you sign.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Hazardous Materials Removal Workers (SOC 47-4041), Florida, mean hourly wage Read Oct 24, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Hazardous Materials Removal Workers (SOC 47-4041), United States, mean hourly wage Read Oct 23, 2026.
- RestorationMatch: how we estimate costs, Florida (editorial policy) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- City permit schedules (Port St. Lucie, Tampa, Palm Bay, Hernando County) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- City of Port St. Lucie: Post-Storm Recovery Permitting Guide Read Oct 24, 2026.
- City of Palm Bay: Post-Storm Recovery Permitting Plan Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Hernando County: Residential Permit Exemption List Read Oct 24, 2026.
- City of Clearwater: Get a Building Permit - Apply Online Read Oct 24, 2026.
- City of Lakeland: Permit Fees Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Florida Statutes 553.79 Read Oct 24, 2026.
- City HB 803 pages (Miami, St. Petersburg, Hollywood, Orlando, Hernando County) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Florida DEP: The Asbestos Program Read Oct 24, 2026.
- DBPR: Asbestos Contractors and Consultants Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Florida Statutes 469.002 Exemptions Read Oct 24, 2026.
- EPA: RRP firm certification Read Oct 24, 2026.
- EPA: Lead-Based Paint Activities Program overview Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Florida Statutes 468.8411 Definitions Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Florida Statutes 468.8419 Prohibitions; penalties Read Oct 24, 2026.
- DBPR: Construction Industry Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Florida Statutes 627.70131 Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Florida DFS: Be Your Own Advocate Read Oct 24, 2026.