What the law requires, and who it applies to.
Section 553.899, Florida Statutes, requires a milestone structural inspection for condominium and cooperative buildings three habitable stories or more once they reach the statutory age, and on a recurring cycle after that. The Legislature has adjusted the deadlines more than once, and local jurisdictions have a say in some cases, so the right first step is simple: take your building's age and address to a licensed engineer and ask where you stand. That question costs you nothing and settles the calendar.
The inspection is not optional, and it is not a general once-over of the property. It looks at the structure: the load-bearing walls, the primary structural members and systems, and the conditions around them.
Where this law came from.
The milestone requirement is young law and has already been amended. Check which bill a source is quoting before you rely on it.
- SB 4-D (2022 special session, Ch. 2022-269, Laws of Florida): Created the milestone inspection requirement at Fla. Stat. 553.899 and the structural integrity reserve study requirement at Fla. Stat. 718.112.
- SB 154 (2023 regular session, Ch. 2023-203, Laws of Florida): Revised both requirements. Among other changes, it repealed the automatic 25-year coastal trigger and replaced it with local enforcement agency discretion.
- HB 913 (2025 regular session, Ch. 2025-175, Laws of Florida): Further revised condominium and cooperative association requirements, including reserve funding flexibility tied to the milestone inspection and reserve study process.
Phase 1: an engineer looks, carefully.
Phase 1 is a visual examination by a licensed engineer or architect. No drilling, no demolition. The inspector examines the structural systems and documents what is observed. For most buildings that are reasonably maintained, this is the whole inspection. If there is no sign of substantial structural deterioration, the inspection ends at Phase 1 and the report says so.
Phase 2: only if Phase 1 finds a reason.
If Phase 1 does find substantial structural deterioration, Phase 2 follows: testing and analysis scoped to what was found. That might mean probing a corroded area of concrete, testing a sample, or opening a small section to see what a stain is hiding. A well-run Phase 2 is targeted. It answers the specific questions Phase 1 raised and stops there.
What "substantial structural deterioration" means in plain terms.
It means deterioration that affects how the building carries load. Rusting reinforcing steel that is breaking concrete apart. A beam or column that has lost section. A connection that is no longer doing its job. It does not mean peeling paint, hairline stucco cracks, or a stained ceiling tile. Those may be maintenance items worth fixing, but they are not what this statute is about. A good report separates the two clearly, because a board that cannot tell the difference either overspends on cosmetics or underspends on structure.
What happens after the report.
The report goes to the building official and to the association, and the association distributes a summary to owners. If no substantial structural deterioration was found, you file it, budget for normal maintenance, and put the next inspection on the calendar. If repairs are required, the report becomes the starting point for repair documents, bidding, and construction. Either way, the report documents the building's condition on a date, signed by a licensed professional, and it will be read by insurers, lenders, and buyers.
How it connects to your SIRS and your budget.
The milestone inspection and the Structural Integrity Reserve Study look at overlapping parts of the same building, and their findings should agree. What the milestone inspection observes about the structure feeds the remaining-life and cost numbers in the reserve study, and the reserve study is how the association pays for what the inspection finds. Many associations schedule the two together so the board pays for one mobilization and gets one consistent picture instead of two reports that argue with each other.
What to ask any engineer you hire.
Ask these before you sign, whoever you hire:
- Who signs the report, and what are their license numbers?
- How many buildings like ours have you inspected on this coast?
- If Phase 2 is warranted, how do you scope it, and how is it priced?
- Will you present the findings at a board meeting, in language the board can follow, and take questions?
- If repairs are needed, can your firm carry them through design, bidding, and construction, and what would that cost?
The answers tell you what you are actually hiring.
Common questions.
What is a milestone inspection?
A milestone inspection is a structural inspection of a condominium or cooperative building three habitable stories or more, required by Section 553.899, Florida Statutes, once the building reaches the statutory age and at intervals after that. Phase 1 is a visual examination by a licensed engineer or architect. If substantial structural deterioration is found, Phase 2 testing and analysis follows.
Who can perform a milestone inspection?
A Florida-licensed engineer or architect. At O'Connell & Associates, milestone inspections are led by a licensed professional engineer who also holds Florida Special Inspector status.
What happens if deficiencies are found?
The engineer documents them, distinguishes substantial structural deterioration from maintenance items, and defines what repair work is needed and on what timeline. The report goes to the association and the local building official.