Quick answer
A milestone inspection is a structural inspection Florida law requires for condominium and cooperative buildings three habitable stories or taller. The initial inspection is due by December 31 of the year the building turns 30 (25 where the local official requires it), then every 10 years, performed by a licensed Florida engineer or architect.
A milestone inspection is a structural inspection Florida law requires for condominium and cooperative buildings that are three habitable stories or taller, once they reach a set age. It exists because of the Champlain Towers South collapse in Surfside in June 2021, which killed 98 people and exposed how invisible structural deterioration can be in aging coastal buildings. The requirement lives in Section 553.899, Florida Statutes, created by Senate Bill 4-D in 2022 and refined since, most recently by HB 913 in 2025.
Key facts
- Applies to condo and co-op buildings three habitable stories or taller.
- Initial inspection is due by December 31 of the year the building turns 30, or 25 where the local building official has adopted the earlier coastal trigger, then every 10 years.
- Must be performed by a licensed Florida professional engineer or architect.
- Phase 1 is visual. Phase 2, with testing, is required only if Phase 1 finds substantial structural deterioration.
- Required repairs must commence within 365 days after the local enforcement agency receives the Phase 2 report, and local ordinances can require action sooner.
Who needs one, and when?
The count of habitable stories is determined under the Florida Building Code, so buildings with podium parking, mezzanines, or mixed-use levels should confirm their classification with the local building official. Deadlines follow the building’s age: buildings that reached 30 before mid-2022 had catch-up deadlines in 2024 and 2025, which have now passed. Going forward the rule is simple: the initial inspection is due by December 31 of the year the building reaches 30 (or 25 where the local official requires it), and every ten years after that. Once your association receives written notice from the local building official, the sealed Phase 1 report is due within 180 days. HB 913 also lets a local building official accept a substantially compliant structural inspection report prepared before July 1, 2022 in place of the initial milestone inspection.
What happens in Phase 1?
Phase 1 is a visual examination of the building’s major structural components: foundation, framing, floors, roof structure, exterior walls, concrete elements, stairwells, balconies, breezeways, and facade. The engineer produces a photographic record, a narrative report, and a standardized checklist, sealed and submitted to the local enforcement agency. No coring, no cutting into walls, no destructive testing. If Phase 1 finds no substantial structural deterioration, the process ends there until the next ten-year cycle.
What triggers Phase 2?
Phase 2 is required when Phase 1 identifies substantial structural deterioration: structurally significant cracking, visible rebar corrosion or spalling, differential settlement, water intrusion through structural elements, rot in load-bearing members, or evidence of deflection or overloading. The engineer then performs a deeper assessment that may include concrete coring, borescopic inspection, moisture testing, or sonic testing, choosing locations that are representative but least disruptive. A progress report with a timeline is due to the local agency within 180 days of the Phase 1 submission.
What happens after the report?
The Phase 2 report gives the association a detailed picture of structural condition and a recommended repair scope. Required repairs must commence within the timeframe set by local ordinance, and in all events within 365 days after the local enforcement agency receives the report. That is a statutory deadline with enforcement consequences, not a suggestion. Associations that ignore notices face code enforcement actions, fines, and in serious cases restrictions on occupancy.
What does this mean for owners?
For owners, the milestone report is a public record and a window into the building you co-own. Read it. Ask the board what the findings mean for the budget, whether a Phase 2 is coming, and how repairs will be funded. A clean milestone report is also becoming a selling point: buyers, lenders, and insurers increasingly ask for it. Chapter 23 of the book walks through the whole process from the inspector’s side of the clipboard, including what a thorough engineering firm looks for beyond the statutory minimum.
Common questions
Who pays for the milestone inspection?
The association pays for it as a common expense, which means owners fund it through assessments. Boards should budget for the inspection well before the deadline year and get proposals from Florida-licensed firms with condominium experience, since scope and pricing vary with building size, height, and access.
What happens if the association skips it?
The local enforcement agency can pursue code enforcement and fines, and a director who willfully and knowingly fails to complete a required milestone inspection breaches the fiduciary relationship to the owners under Chapter 718. Lenders and insurers also increasingly ask for the report, so non-compliance follows the building into every renewal and sale.
Does a clean Phase 1 mean the building is fine?
It means the engineer found no substantial structural deterioration in a visual examination. It is not a warranty on concealed conditions, which is why the reserve study, ongoing maintenance, and the next ten-year cycle still matter.
Related guides
This guide is educational, not legal or engineering advice. Statutes change and every building and declaration is different. Confirm how the law applies to your association with your attorney and a licensed professional. Figures current as of July 2026.