Milestone Inspection in Florida: What Condo Buyers Should Check

What is a milestone inspection in Florida?

A milestone inspection in Florida is a structural inspection of an aging condominium or cooperative building by a licensed architect or engineer. Under Fla. Stat. § 553.899 it looks at load-bearing elements and the primary structural systems, judges the building's general structural condition and names any repair the structure needs.

The statute is specific about what the inspection is not: "The purpose of such inspection is not to determine if the condition of an existing building is in compliance with the Florida Building Code or the firesafety code." According to Miami-Dade County, the state law took effect on May 26, 2022. DBPR's inspections page describes it as "a structural inspection of an aging building used to determine if substantial structural deterioration exists."

This article explains the rules as of October 2026 (Florida Statutes 2026). It is general information, not legal advice; talk to a Florida real estate attorney about a specific purchase.

Which buildings need a milestone inspection?

The law covers buildings three or more habitable stories tall, measured under the Florida Building Code, that are wholly or partly under the condominium or cooperative form of ownership as a residential condominium (Chapter 718) or a residential cooperative (Chapter 719). A mixed building, with condo units above commercial space owned by someone else, is included, and the association and the other owner each answer for compliance.

Two groups are outside it. The statute "does not apply to a single-family, two-family, three-family, or four-family dwelling with three or fewer habitable stories above ground," and it does not reach single-family homeowners' associations under Chapter 720, which follow a different law.

The association arranges the inspection and pays "all costs associated with the milestone inspection attributable to the portions of a building which the association is responsible to maintain under the governing documents of the association" (§ 553.899(4)).

When is a milestone inspection required in Florida?

The first inspection is due by December 31 of the year the building reaches 30 years of age, counted from the date its certificate of occupancy was issued, and then every ten years. The local enforcement agency may move the first inspection to 25 years when "local circumstances, including environmental conditions such as proximity to salt water," call for it (§ 553.899(3)(b)).

The law set catch-up dates for older buildings. "If a building reached 30 years of age before July 1, 2022, the building's initial milestone inspection must be performed before December 31, 2024," and a building that turned 30 on or after July 1, 2022 and before December 31, 2024 had to be inspected before December 31, 2025. The local enforcement agency can extend the first deadline for good cause, for example when the association has signed a contract with an engineer who cannot finish in time, and may accept an inspection report from before July 1, 2022 in place of a new inspection if it substantially meets the statute.

The clock starts with a notice. The local enforcement agency (DBPR says it "is usually your local building department") sends the association written notice by certified mail, and the association must tell owners within 14 days and give them the completion date.

What happens in phase one and phase two?

A milestone inspection has one or two phases: every building gets phase one, and phase two follows only when phase one finds substantial structural deterioration.

In phase one, the architect or engineer makes a visual examination of habitable and nonhabitable areas, including the major structural components, and gives a qualitative assessment. It must be finished within 180 days after the association (and any other owner of part of the building) receives the notice. If the inspector finds no signs of substantial structural deterioration, the inspection ends there.

"A phase two of the milestone inspection must be performed if any substantial structural deterioration is identified during phase one." Phase two can involve destructive or nondestructive testing, as limited or as extensive as needed to assess the distressed areas, and ends with a recommended program for assessing and repairing them. Within 180 days after the phase one report, the inspector must send the local enforcement agency a progress report with a timeline.

What counts as substantial structural deterioration?

The statute defines it as substantial structural distress or weakness that negatively affects the building's general structural condition and integrity. "The term does not include surface imperfections such as cracks, distortion, sagging, deflections, misalignment, signs of leakage, or peeling of finishes unless the licensed engineer or architect performing the phase one or phase two inspection determines that such surface imperfections are a sign of substantial structural deterioration."

Repairs after phase two

Each county or city must adopt an ordinance setting a deadline to schedule or start repairs after a phase two report, and repairs "must be commenced within 365 days after receiving such report" (§ 553.899(11)). If the owners do not prove that repairs are scheduled or under way, the local enforcement agency must review the building and decide whether it is "unsafe for human occupancy." DBPR adds that, once repairs are done, "a professional must reinspect the building and provide an amended report."

What must the inspection report include?

After each phase, the inspector sends a signed and sealed report, with a separate summary of the material findings and recommendations, to the association and to the local building official. Under § 553.899(8) the report must:

• describe the manner and type of inspection;
• identify any substantial structural deterioration, how far it extends and the recommended repairs;
• state whether unsafe or dangerous conditions, as the Florida Building Code defines those terms, were observed;
• recommend remedial or preventive repair for damage that is not substantial structural deterioration;
• "Identify and describe any items requiring further inspection."

Within 45 days of receiving the report, the association must send the inspector-prepared summary to every unit owner "regardless of the findings or recommendations in the report," post it in a conspicuous place on the property, and publish the full report and summary on its website if it must have one. Associations managing a condominium with 25 or more units (other than timeshare condominiums) must post a listed set of documents on a website or mobile app, and the milestone inspection reports are on that list (§ 718.111(12)). The association keeps the reports as official records for 15 years.

Miami-Dade's 40-year recertification (now from 30 years) vs the milestone inspection

Miami-Dade's building recertification, still often called the 40-year recertification though the county code now starts it at 30 years, is an older county-level program that applies to more types of buildings and adds an electrical report. In Miami-Dade a condo building can be subject to both, and the county page explains how the two schedules were merged.

"Miami-Dade County has had a building recertification program since 1975, which was amended on June 1, 2022," the county's recertification page says. Under Miami-Dade County Code § 8-11(f), buildings become subject to recertification at 30 years and every ten years after that. Owners must file reports from a Florida-registered engineer or architect on the building's structural and electrical condition for continued occupancy, and "the recertification reports must be submitted within 90 days from the date of notice." Single-family homes, duplexes and buildings with an occupant load of 10 or less and 2,000 square feet or less are excluded.

The county's page lists the merged schedule. Buildings built in 1982 or earlier that already had a first recertification keep their schedule. Condo and co-op buildings three stories or taller near the coastline, built in 1998 or later, are due at 25 years, and "all other buildings built on or after 1993 must have a recertification inspection when the building age reaches 30 years." Coastal condo and co-op buildings from 1983 through 1997, and all other buildings from 1983 through 1992, had a catch-up deadline of December 31, 2024. Which group a given tower falls in is a question for the building official, because the county decides which buildings count as coastal.

City of Miami, Miami Beach and other municipalities

Recertification is handled city by city. "There are currently 35 municipalities within Miami-Dade County, and each municipality's building official has jurisdiction over building permitting, inspections and recertifications." A tower in the City of Miami or Miami Beach files with that city's building department. For a property in unincorporated Miami-Dade (folio numbers starting with 30), the county page says recertification cases can be viewed in its recertification portal, and to get a copy of a report it says "you may request a public records search on the property." Outside Miami-Dade, ask the building department of the city or county where the building stands.

Milestone inspection vs SIRS

A milestone inspection looks for substantial structural deterioration and names the repairs the structure needs; a structural integrity reserve study (SIRS) asks how much money the association must set aside to repair and replace major components over time (what buyers should read in a SIRS). DBPR calls a SIRS "a type of reserve study used to ensure condo owners are reserving the funds needed for future major repairs and replacement of structural elements on the condominium property."

The two are linked in § 718.112(2)(g). An association whose milestone inspection is due on or before December 31, 2026 "may complete the structural integrity reserve study simultaneously with the milestone inspection," and a milestone inspection, or an inspection done for a similar local requirement, performed within the past five years can replace the visual inspection part of the SIRS (§ 718.112(2)(g)8.). If the association completed a milestone inspection within the previous two calendar years, the board, with the approval of a majority of the total voting interests, may pause or reduce reserve contributions for no more than two consecutive annual budgets (budgets adopted on or before December 31, 2028) to fund the recommended repairs. That option is not available to a developer-controlled association, one whose unit owners have been in control for less than one year, or one controlled by bulk assignees or bulk buyers. A unit-owner-controlled association that must have a SIRS may also take a line of credit or a loan for capital expenses a milestone inspection requires.

What should condo buyers check?

Ask for the milestone documents before you sign, and read them with the building official's file in mind. The association's documents tell you what the engineer found; the building department's file tells you whether the deadlines were met.

1. Get the inspector-prepared milestone summary from the seller, or the contract's statement that the inspection is not required or not yet completed.
2. Check whether the building needed a phase two inspection, and if so, whether repairs have started and how they are being paid for.
3. Read the items the report lists as needing further inspection, and the recommended preventive repairs.
4. Look up the building's recertification status with the county or city building department that has jurisdiction.
5. Ask for recent board minutes, building permits for ongoing or planned work, and any approved or proposed special assessment.
6. Ask the association for its most recent SIRS, which the seller must also provide (or state that none exists).

What the seller must give you

For a condo resale, the buyer is "entitled, at the seller's expense, to a current copy" of the governing documents, the budget and financial statement and, among other items, "a copy of the inspector-prepared summary of the milestone inspection report" where one applies (§ 718.503(2)).

Under the same clause, the buyer may extend the time for closing by up to seven days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, after receiving these documents, and the right to void the contract ends at closing. The condo and HOA section of our guide on how to buy a house in Florida lists the rest of the resale documents and the closing steps.

Who to ask

An engineer or architect you hire can explain what a summary's findings mean for the structure; the inspector who performed the milestone inspection was hired by the association, not by the buyer. An architect or engineer who bids to perform the milestone inspection must also tell the association in writing if they intend to bid on the repair work the inspection may recommend (§ 553.899(12)). A Florida real estate attorney can review the contract clauses and the association's documents with you.

Milestone inspections and condos in Miami-Dade

Because each of the county's municipalities runs its own recertification, look up a building with its city first. To compare buildings, start with Miami-Dade County homes and data, condos for sale in the City of Miami, Brickell condo buildings and Sunny Isles Beach condo buildings. A building's certificate of occupancy date sets its milestone schedule, so confirm that date and the inspection status with the local building department.

Talk to Marina

Marina Garan, REALTOR®, Broker Associate
London Foster Realty

FL lic. BK3336901 · Brokerage lic. CQ1046685

Call (786) 751-5111Send a message

How we wrote this: This article has no market figures. It is general information, not legal, tax or insurance advice. Spot an error? Call or text (786) 751-5111 · London Foster Realty.