How to demolish a house in Mount Dora, FL
In Mount Dora, residential demolition permits are issued by the City of Mount Dora Building Division (application: BFP-005 Demolition Permit Application). If the house is a designated landmark or sits in a local historic district, review by the Historic Preservation Board (seven residents appointed by City Council; created by Ordinance 623, November 2, 1993) comes first.
Demolition permit steps in Mount Dora
Step 1
If the house is in the historic preservation review area and was built before 1956, or is a designated historic site, first obtain a Certificate of Appropriateness for demolition from the Historic Preservation Board (see historic section). A building permit obtained without a required COA is invalid (LDC 3.6.4.1.g).
Step 2
Have each utility provider (electric, water, sewer/septic, gas) sign off on the BFP-005 form that service is disconnected and all lines, pipes and connections are safed, capped or removed.
Step 3
Attach the Lake County Property Appraiser property record card.
Step 4
Sign the application before a notary, certifying that a demolition permit does not automatically grant permission to rebuild.
Step 5
Record a Notice of Commencement and post it on the job site before the first inspection.
Documents Mount Dora asks for
| Document | What it is |
|---|---|
| BFP-005 Demolition Permit Application (notarized) | Work types: remove entire structure, demo for alteration, interior non-structural demo; residential or commercial; cost and square footage. [3] |
| Property Appraiser property search record card | Copy attached to the application. [3] |
| Utility provider sign-offs | Electrical, Water, Sewer/Septic, Gas provider and authorized agent signatures. [3] |
| Notice of Commencement | Must be recorded and posted on the job site before the first inspection. [10] |
If the house is historic in Mount Dora
Who reviews it: Historic Preservation Board (seven residents appointed by City Council; created by Ordinance 623, November 2, 1993).
When it applies
- Designated historic site anywhere in the city (LDC 3.6.4.1.a.1).
- Building in the historic preservation review area constructed before 1956 (LDC 3.6.4.1.a.2.a).
- Building in the review area built in 1956 or later if the change increases or decreases building size by 50 percent or more or increases height (LDC 3.6.4.1.a.2.b).
- National Register listing alone has no regulatory impact, per the city's National Register page.
How the review works
- File the Certificate of Appropriateness Application (Demolition Requests Only) with Planning and Development, 510 N. Baker St., 352-735-7113. Fee $100.
- Applications must be received three weeks before the board meeting; incomplete applications are not processed.
- Notice of the demolition application is posted on the property, visible from the street, within three working days of receipt (LDC 3.6.4.4.i).
- Board hearing (normally last Wednesday of the month, 3:00 p.m., City Hall Chambers, 510 N. Baker St.). Applicant or representative is encouraged to attend.
- If the structure has been condemned by the city, demolition may be allowed with a report from a licensed engineer or architect experienced in rehabilitation stating it is structurally unsound and unsuitable for rehabilitation (LDC 3.6.4.4.a).
- For a non-condemned contributing building, the applicant must show no reasonable alternative such as relocation exists, and submit a conceptual building design or redevelopment plan; demolition approval may only be granted together with that plan (LDC 3.6.4.4.b).
- Board weighs seven guidelines in LDC 3.6.4.4.h, including National Register eligibility, difficulty of reproduction, last remaining example, definite reuse plans, contribution to the district, and structural soundness.
- A refusal must be supported within 15 calendar days by a written statement of the public interest (LDC 3.6.4.4.d). No decision may cause undue economic hardship (LDC 3.6.4.4.c, defined at 3.6.5.8).
- Appeal to City Council on or before five calendar days after the board's notification (COA brochure, citing LDC 3.6.4).
- COA approval is required before a building permit can be issued.
What the board can ask for
- Property record card.
- Licensed engineer report stating the building is structurally unsound and unsuitable for rehabilitation.
- Statement that the building has been condemned by the Building Official.
- For a non-condemned structure, a showing that no reasonable alternative such as relocation can be found.
- Conceptual building design and/or redevelopment plan for the property; the COA brochure says demolition requires scaled elevation drawings of the proposed replacement building (11 by 17 preferred).
- Full description of the need for demolition, current use and year built.
- $100 application fee.
Demolition delay: The board may grant a demolition COA with a delayed effective date of up to six months from its action, based on significance and time needed to arrange an alternative (LDC 3.6.4.4.e).
Relocation, salvage and donation: Board encourages the owner to salvage and preserve specified building materials, architectural details, ornaments and fixtures for reuse in restoring other historic properties. The board may ask Historic Mount Dora, Inc. or a qualified historic preservation consultant to record architectural details before demolition, which may include photographs, documents and scaled architectural drawings (LDC 3.6.4.4.g). During any delay the board may explore moving the structure (LDC 3.6.4.4.f).
Utilities, asbestos, septic and trees in Mount Dora
The office that issues it
State rules apply on top of the local ones
The asbestos notice, septic and well abandonment, owner-builder limits and the Notice of Commencement come from state law. See the Florida rules that apply to every demolition.
Straight answers
Do I need a permit to demolish a house in Mount Dora?
Yes. Residential demolition in Mount Dora is permitted through the City of Mount Dora Building Division.
Who can pull a demolition permit in Mount Dora?
Contractor, or owner if owner-builder (signature line reads "Signature of Contractor (Owner if Owner-Builder)"). Form asks for state license number and Lake County competency card number. A Residential Owner-Builder Affidavit is on the forms page.
What if my house is historic in Mount Dora?
If the house is a local landmark or in a local historic district, Historic Preservation Board (seven residents appointed by City Council; created by Ordinance 623, November 2, 1993) reviews the demolition before a permit can issue. The board may grant a demolition COA with a delayed effective date of up to six months from its action, based on significance and time needed to arrange an alternative (LDC 3.6.4.4.e).
Can Brightview handle the demolition in Mount Dora?
Yes. Brightview Homes (CRC1334100) pulls the permit under its Florida contractor license and runs the asbestos survey and notice, utility disconnects, historic documentation when it applies, tear-down, haul-off and final inspection. Demolition is quoted per job, typically $12,000 to $24,000.
Where this comes from
Every fact on this page comes from the official sources below, read on the date shown. Rules change; the building department has the final word.
- Mount Dora Building Division
https://www.mountdora.gov/234/Building-Division - Mount Dora Building Applications and Forms
https://www.mountdora.gov/236/Applications-Forms - BFP-005 Demolition Permit Application
https://www.mountdora.gov/DocumentCenter/View/57/BFP-005-Demolition-Permit-Application - COA Application, Demolition Requests Only (rev. 2019, quotes LDC 3.6.4)
https://www.mountdora.gov/DocumentCenter/View/10849/COA-Application-rev-2019_Demolitions - COA Brochure (2019)
https://www.mountdora.gov/DocumentCenter/View/10850/COA-Brochure-Updated-2019 - Mount Dora Historic Preservation
https://www.mountdora.gov/282/Historic-Preservation - Certificate of Appropriateness
https://www.mountdora.gov/291/Certificate-of-Appropriateness - Historic Preservation Board
https://www.mountdora.gov/400/Historic-Preservation-Board - National Register of Historic Places (Mount Dora)
https://www.mountdora.gov/447/National-Register-of-Historic-Places - https://www.mountdora.gov/DocumentCenter/View/75/NOC--County-Wide?bidId=
https://www.mountdora.gov/DocumentCenter/View/75/NOC--County-Wide?bidId= - https://www.mountdora.gov/DocumentCenter/View/355/Tree-Removal-Permit?bidId=
https://www.mountdora.gov/DocumentCenter/View/355/Tree-Removal-Permit?bidId= - https://www.mountdora.gov/Faq.aspx?QID=79
https://www.mountdora.gov/Faq.aspx?QID=79 - https://bsaonline.com/?uid=2978
https://bsaonline.com/?uid=2978
What we could not confirm in published sources
Ask the building department about these before you plan around them.
- The LDC text was read as quoted on the 2019 COA demolition application, not on Municode itself (https://library.municode.com/fl/mount_dora/codes/land_development_code?nodeId=LADECO_CHIIIZORE_3.6HIPR did not load). Confirm no later amendment.
- Building demolition permit fee not found (fee schedule PDF not read).
- No city asbestos or septic abandonment instruction found on the demolition form.
- Street list for the review area differs between the web page and the 2019 brochure (Gorham and Johns Streets).
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- Residential Demolition