Florida Milestone Inspection Law: Deadlines, Reports, and Costs

Under the Florida milestone inspection law, any condominium or cooperative building three or more habitable stories tall must have a licensed engineer or architect complete a structural inspection by December 31 of the year the building turns 30, and again every 10 years after that. The requirement sits in Florida Statute 553.899 and was refined by House Bill 913 in 2025. It is paid for by the association, backed by local enforcement, and paired with a separate reserve-funding study that carries its own deadlines.

Which Buildings Are Covered

The law reaches condominium buildings governed by Chapter 718 and cooperative buildings governed by Chapter 719, provided they stand three or more habitable stories. The 2025 amendments tied the story count to the Florida Building Code’s definition of “habitable,” which can matter for buildings with a parking level or mechanical floor.¹ A building’s age runs from the date on its original certificate of occupancy.

Single-family homes, duplexes, triplexes, and buildings with three or fewer habitable stories above ground are not covered.² Townhome-style condominiums are usually out because they rarely reach the three-story threshold, but architectural style is not the test: any condo or co-op building that meets both the height and age triggers is in.

Deadlines You Need To Know

The default is clear. The first milestone inspection is due by December 31 of the year the building turns 30, and every 10 years afterward.² Buildings that were already 30 or older before July 1, 2022 had until December 31, 2024 for the initial inspection.

Coastal Buildings and Local Discretion

The original 2022 law set a mandatory 25-year deadline for buildings within three miles of the coastline. Under the current statute, local enforcement agencies decide whether conditions in their area, including proximity to salt water, warrant a deadline earlier than 30 years.² If your building sits on or near the coast, ask your local building department whether an earlier deadline applies.

Extensions

An association can request an extension from the local enforcement agency for good cause. In practice, that usually means the association has already contracted with an engineer or architect but cannot reasonably finish the work before the deadline. Local agencies must report extension data to the state each December 31.³

How the Clock Actually Starts

The local building official identifies buildings that have hit the age threshold and sends a written notice by certified mail to the association. The association has 14 days from that notice to inform every unit owner of the inspection and the completion deadline.⁴ Phase one of the inspection must be completed within 180 days of the association receiving that notice.

How the Inspection Works

A Florida-licensed architect or engineer performs the inspection, paid for by the association. The statute uses two phases so buildings without problems don’t pay for testing they don’t need.

Phase One

Phase one is a visual examination of habitable and nonhabitable areas. The professional evaluates major structural components and gives an overall assessment. If no substantial structural deterioration turns up, the inspection ends and the report is submitted.⁴

Cracks, sagging, peeling finishes, or water staining do not on their own count as substantial structural deterioration. Those conditions push a building into phase two only when the inspector concludes they point to deeper structural problems.²

Phase Two

When phase one finds signs of substantial structural deterioration, the inspector must conduct phase two using destructive or nondestructive testing to determine the extent of the damage. Scope is left to the inspector’s judgment, with a preference for test locations that cause the least disruption and are easiest to repair.⁴ Within 180 days of the phase one report, the phase two inspector must submit a progress report and timeline to the local enforcement agency.

The Report and What Owners See

After each phase, the architect or engineer prepares a sealed report and a separate plain-language summary. Both go to the association and the local building official.⁴

The association then has 45 days to distribute the summary to every unit owner. The summary also has to be posted in a visible common area, and if the association is required to maintain a website, both the full report and the summary must be published there.⁵

The Reserve Study That Comes With It

The milestone inspection is paired with a Structural Integrity Reserve Study, or SIRS. A SIRS estimates the remaining useful life and replacement cost of major building components, so the association funds future repairs on schedule instead of scrambling for emergency money.

The components that must be evaluated include the roof, load-bearing walls and primary structural members, floors, foundation, fireproofing and fire protection systems, plumbing, electrical systems, waterproofing and exterior painting, and windows. The 2025 amendments require a baseline funding plan that keeps the reserve cash balance above zero and distinguishes mandatory reserve items from other reserve categories.¹

SIRS Deadlines and Funding Rules

The original SIRS deadline of December 31, 2024 was extended by one year to December 31, 2025. Associations with a milestone inspection due on or before December 31, 2026 may complete the SIRS at the same time, with a final deadline of December 31, 2026.¹ An association that has completed its milestone inspection may delay the SIRS for two consecutive budget years to prioritize funding for repairs the inspection identified.

Associations can no longer vote to waive or reduce funding for the structural reserves a SIRS identifies. Reserve funds collected for structural components can only be spent on repairing or replacing those specific components. Within 45 days of completing the study, the association must notify unit owners in writing that the SIRS is available for review and copying.⁵

What It Costs

The inspection itself typically costs between $8,000 and $60,000 depending on building size and complexity. A SIRS generally runs $3,300 to $16,500 or more. Those costs come from association assessments paid by unit owners.

The bigger financial hit is whatever the inspection uncovers. Structural repairs identified through phase two can run into the millions for a large building. When reserves fall short, the association typically levies a special assessment, and there is no statutory cap on the amount. The 2025 amendments do allow associations to use loans or lines of credit to fund reserves and stretch repair costs over time.¹ Owners in buildings with long-deferred maintenance should expect real financial exposure once the process begins.

Conflict-of-Interest Disclosure

The 2025 amendments added a safeguard against inspectors finding problems and then bidding on the fix. Engineers, architects, and licensed contractors who bid on a milestone inspection or SIRS must disclose in writing if they also intend to bid on the resulting repair or replacement work. Failing to disclose makes the contract voidable and can lead to professional discipline.¹

Buying or Selling a Unit

For any contract entered into after December 31, 2024, if the association was required to complete a milestone inspection or SIRS and has not done so, the sales contract must include a conspicuous disclosure stating that fact. A contract missing the required language is voidable at the buyer’s option any time before closing.⁶

When the reports do exist, the buyer receives the inspector’s summary and can extend the closing date by up to 15 business days after receiving it. The buyer can also cancel within 15 business days of receiving all required documents. These rights cannot be waived in the contract.⁶

For sellers, the practical picture is blunt. A building with overdue inspections, unfunded reserves, or unresolved structural findings is harder to sell, and lender restrictions layer on top.

Mortgage and Insurance Consequences

Inspection results move outward into lending and insurance. Fannie Mae updated its condo project review guidelines in 2023 to restrict loan purchases for units in buildings with significant deferred maintenance or unfunded critical repairs exceeding $10,000 per unit.⁷ A building flagged with unresolved structural problems can leave prospective buyers unable to get conventional financing until repairs are done.

On insurance, Florida’s 2025 legislative session tied hurricane mitigation grants to inspection compliance. Under the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program, an association cannot apply for a hurricane mitigation inspection or grant unless it has complied with milestone inspection and structural integrity reserve requirements.⁸ Falling behind on inspections can cut a building off from programs meant to lower its insurance costs.

Enforcement, Repair Deadlines, and Board Liability

The local building official is the primary enforcer, and local enforcement agencies can set their own timelines and penalties for noncompliance.²

When a phase two report identifies substantial structural deterioration, the association must begin repairs within 365 days of the local enforcement agency receiving the report. County commissions and municipal governing bodies are required to adopt ordinances enforcing that timeline.⁴ If the association cannot show that repairs have been scheduled or started within the required timeframe, the local enforcement agency must review the building and decide whether it is unsafe for human occupancy.

In the most serious cases, local government can order a building vacated. Board members who fail to comply with the milestone inspection requirements may also face claims that they breached their fiduciary duty to unit owners, creating personal legal exposure alongside the association-level consequences.² Local enforcement agencies must also report to the state, providing the number of buildings inspected and a list of buildings deemed unsafe or uninhabitable, which puts problem buildings on the public record.¹

1
Florida Senate. CS/CS/HB 913 – 2025 Bill Summary
2
Florida Senate. Florida Code 553.899 – Mandatory Structural Inspections for Condominium and Cooperative Buildings
3
Official Internet Site of the Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 553.899 – Mandatory Structural Inspections for Condominium and Cooperative Buildings
4
Florida Senate. Chapter 553 Section 899 – 2025 Florida Statutes
5
DBPR Condominium Information & Resources. Inspections
6
Justia Law. Florida Statutes 718.503 – Developer Disclosure Prior to Sale; Nondeveloper Unit Owner Disclosure Prior to Sale; Voidability
7
Fannie Mae. Lender Letter LL-2021-14
8
Florida Department of Financial Services. Property Insurance Changes