Milestone Inspections
What is a Milestone Inspection?
A Milestone Inspection is a structural inspection of a building, including its load-bearing walls and primary structural systems, by a licensed architect or engineer. Its purpose is to confirm the life safety and adequacy of the building’s structural components and determine its general structural condition. A milestone inspection should include, to the extent reasonably possible, a determination of any necessary maintenance, repair, or replacement of any structural component of the building.
When is a Milestone Inspection required?
Florida Statutes section 553.899 calls for a “Milestone Inspection” to be completed for a Condominium Association or the Cooperative Association for each building that is three stories or more in height by December 31st of the year in which the building reaches 30 years of age, based on the date of the certificate of occupancy for the building, and every 10 years thereafter. If the building is located within 3 miles of a coastline, the timeline becomes 25 years and every 10 years thereafter. This does not apply to a single family, two-family or three- dwelling with three or fewer habitable stories above ground.
If an inspection is required and the building’s certificate was issued on or before July 1, 1992, the initial milestone inspection must be performed before December 31, 2024.
What is a Phase I Milestone Inspection?
A Milestone Inspection consists of two phases. For Phase I, a licensed architect or engineer performs a visual examination of a building, including its major structural components, and provides a qualitative assessment of the building’s structural condition. If no signs of substantial structural deterioration are found, then a Phase II inspection is not required. “Substantial structural deterioration” means substantial structural distress that negatively affects a building’s general structural condition and integrity. It does not include surface imperfections (cracks, sagging, signs of leakage, peeling of finishes, etc.) unless they are a sign of substantial structural deterioration.
When is a Phase II Milestone Inspection required?
A Phase II Milestone Inspection must be performed if any substantial structural deterioration is identified during Phase I. The inspection may be as extensive or as limited as necessary to fully assess areas of structural distress to confirm that the building is structurally sound, safe for its intended use, and to recommend a program for fully assessing and repairing distressed and damaged portions of the building. The Phase II inspection may involve destructive testing at the inspector’s direction. The Structural Inspector must give preference to locations that are least disruptive and most easily repairable while still representative of the structure.
What happens after a milestone inspection?
Upon completion of a Phase I or Phase II milestone inspection, Unique Engineering Solutions will submit a sealed copy of the inspection report to the Condominium Association or the Cooperative Association, along with a separate summary of material findings and recommendations. A copy must also be furnished to the appropriate local building authority. The inspection report must include all the information required by the Florida Statutes section 553.899. Condominium Associations or the Cooperative Association must then distribute the inspector’s summary to each unit owner and post a copy in a conspicuous place on the condominium property. Associations are required to maintain a website must also make the full report and the inspector’s summary available online.