Waterfront deck removal is not the same job as pulling up a backyard deck, and if you own a home on the water in Fort Lauderdale you probably already suspect that. The access is tighter, the hardware is rusted from salt air, and anything that falls off the edge lands in a canal.
This post starts from a real Rapid Haul job on Las Olas and then answers the questions waterfront owners ask before they call: what it costs, who handles permits, what happens with pilings and how the debris stays out of the water. If you just want the service details, they are on the deck demolition page.
01The Las Olas job, and what I can and can't tell you
The Las Olas deck tear-out in Fort Lauderdale was a real Rapid Haul job. I have confirmed that it happened. An earlier version of this page printed a square footage, a number of hours and a total price. I never confirmed those figures, so they are gone, and I am not going to replace them with guesses.
What I can show you is how I run waterfront work, using jobs I have posted myself. On one waterfront dock, I said on camera, "Whole deck is demoed," and "We had to use the float." On a canal dock I posted with a Coral Gables location tag, the crew worked the whole thing from a floating platform. You can see that one in the canal dock job story.
02How much does waterfront deck removal cost?
Waterfront deck removal with Rapid Haul starts at $550, the deck demo price on my Square price list, and every job gets one flat, all-in price covering tear-out, loading, hauling and disposal. I give that price after photos or a quick look, usually the same day.
Waterfront decks often price above the starting line. Size, height, access and footings move the number on any deck, and the water adds to each one: the truck is at the front of the property while the deck is at the back, the work at the edge is slower so nothing goes in, and boards held down by salt-rusted screws take cutting instead of prying.
Jobs of $1,000 and over take a 50% deposit to hold the date. Smaller jobs are paid after. There is no hourly clock and no separate dump fee at the end.
03Do you need a permit or license for waterfront deck removal in Fort Lauderdale?
A waterfront deck removal in Fort Lauderdale can need both a city permit and a county license, so the property owner or the GC should check with both before work starts. Rapid Haul does not pull permits or licenses.
On the county side, Broward County's 311 answer says plainly that a license is required from Broward County prior to any work in, on, over or under waters of Broward County. A deck that hangs over a canal or a seawall can fall inside that line.
On the city side, Fort Lauderdale's demolition checklist lists items such as a Broward County asbestos statement, a current survey and a Construction Debris Mitigation form signed by the owner. Whether your deck needs that permit is a question for the city's building division. Our Broward permit guide explains who to ask.
04Does waterfront deck removal include the pilings?
Whether pilings come out on a waterfront deck removal is something to settle with me before the price is set, because I will not promise it either way in a blog post. My own records do not show one rule.
On the canal dock job tagged Coral Gables, one clip is described as a crew member on the float pulling an old piling. The after photo from the same job shows the seawall clear and the dock gone, with cut piling stumps still in the water. Those two descriptions point different ways, so I am not claiming that pilings are always pulled, always cut or always left.
What I can say is that pilings sit in the water, which is exactly where Broward's license rule applies. Send me photos that show the pilings, and tell me what your GC or marine builder needs. We settle it before the job, not on the day.
05Keeping the debris out of the water
Florida's litter law makes it unlawful to dump litter in any canal or tidal or coastal water of the state, and it defines dump to include discard, place and deposit. On a waterfront tear-out, that means every board comes back over land.
On the Coral Gables canal dock, boards were pulled onto the float, the float carried them back to the seawall, and from there they went up onto the lawn to wait for the haul. Railings come off first, boards work from the outside in, and nothing is left loose over the water at the end of the day.
- Old treated lumber is never burned or chipped. The EPA advises against burning CCA or other preservative-treated wood in a residential setting.
- The city's curbside bulk is not a home for a deck. Fort Lauderdale bulk pickup runs once a month, takes a pile no larger than 10 cubic yards and refuses concrete, so footings and a full deck go with the hauler.
- Before we leave, we sweep and pick up nails and screws from the yard.
06What should you send for a waterfront deck removal quote?
For a waterfront deck removal quote, send me photos of the whole deck from the yard, the deck from the water if you can, the pilings, and the path from the deck to the street. Tell me anything that stays, such as a seawall cap, a boat lift, plants or a hose bib. I answer my own phone at (754) 249-1015, Monday to Saturday, 7 AM to 7 PM.
Rapid Haul does non-structural tear-out and haul-away only and is insured with $1M general liability. If the deck is part of a bigger project, such as a seawall repair or a new dock, your GC runs it and we come in for the tear-out and the haul. One customer wrote that after his shed demo in Hollywood the crew "left the place spotless" (Nelsen D.), and that is the standard on the water too. Start on the deck demolition page.
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