What is a milestone inspection for a condo in Florida

Last updated 2026-07-25

What is a milestone inspection for a condo in Florida?

A milestone inspection is a structural and life-safety review required for Florida condominium and cooperative buildings that are 3 stories or taller. A licensed Florida architect or engineer physically examines the building's load-bearing walls, roof structure, and any other primary structural systems, then produces a written report that goes to the local building official, the association, and every unit owner. ^[1] The law that created this requirement is Florida Statutes section 553.899, passed in the wake of the Champlain Towers South collapse in Surfside in June 2021, which killed 98 people. ^[1] Before that, Florida had no statewide structural inspection mandate at all; some counties, like Miami-Dade and Broward, had their own 40-year recertification rules going back to the 1970s, but nothing applied statewide until this law. The inspection happens in two phases. Phase 1 is a visual, walk-through examination. If the inspector finds "substantial structural deterioration," the law requires a Phase 2 inspection, which can include more invasive testing like core sampling of concrete, moisture probes, or other destructive and non-destructive testing methods the engineer deems necessary. ^[1]

Which buildings need a milestone inspection?

Any condo or cooperative building in Florida that is 3 stories or more above ground and used for residential purposes needs a milestone inspection, with the timing depending on how close the building sits to the coast. ^[1] Buildings within 3 miles of the coastline get their first milestone inspection at 25 years of age, based on the certificate of occupancy date. Buildings farther inland get their first inspection at 30 years. After that first inspection, every building repeats the process every 10 years, regardless of distance from the coast. ^[1] The law defines "condominium building" broadly enough to include most standard mid-rise and high-rise residential condos, but single-family homes, duplexes, and most townhome-style buildings under 3 stories are excluded. If your building already went through a local 40-year recertification program (Miami-Dade and Broward have run these for decades), that doesn't automatically substitute for the statewide milestone requirement; check with your local building department and the association's counsel on how the two programs interact. ^[1]

When is the milestone inspection deadline for my building?

The deadline is tied to your building's certificate of occupancy date, not the calendar year the law passed. If your building got its CO in 1994 and sits within 3 miles of the coast, the 25-year mark hit in 2019, but the statute gives local building officials discretion on scheduling and enforcement for buildings that were already past the threshold when the law took effect in 2022. ^[1] For buildings that reached their 30-year (or 25-year coastal) mark before July 1, 2022, the local building official can set a phased schedule, but must require the inspection to be completed by December 31, 2024, unless the building official grants an extension. ^[1] Practically, most of these older buildings should already have completed their first milestone inspection; if yours hasn't, that's a conversation to have with your property manager and the local building department immediately. For buildings that hit the 30-year or 25-year coastal mark after July 1, 2022, the association has to get the inspection done within that same calendar year, or the local building official may grant a short administrative extension. ^[1] Board members should not guess at this date. Pull the certificate of occupancy from county records, confirm the exact CO date, and have the association's engineer or counsel calculate the real deadline. Local building departments (city or county, depending on jurisdiction) are the enforcement authority, so a call to that office early is worth more than any spreadsheet guess.

Who performs the milestone inspection, and who pays for it?

The inspection must be performed by a licensed Florida architect or engineer, and the report has to be signed and sealed by that professional. ^[1] The Florida Board of Professional Engineers licenses and regulates engineers in the state under Chapter 471 of the Florida Statutes, and boards should verify a candidate's license is active before hiring. ^[2] The association pays for the milestone inspection. It's a common expense, the same as landscaping or insurance, and the board doesn't need a membership vote to authorize the cost unless the association's governing documents specifically require one for expenditures above a certain threshold (that's a documents question for the association's own counsel, not something the statute dictates). Costs vary a lot by building size and complexity: a Phase 1 visual inspection on a mid-size condo can run from a few thousand dollars up to $10,000 or more, and a Phase 2 inspection involving concrete coring and lab testing adds significantly more, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars depending on how much testing the engineer determines is necessary. There's no statewide fee schedule; get at least two or three quotes from licensed firms with condo experience.

What happens if the inspector finds structural problems?

If the Phase 1 inspection finds "substantial structural deterioration," defined in the statute as deterioration that affects a building's structural integrity, the engineer or architect has to notify the local building official and move into Phase 2 testing. ^[1] Phase 2 can include core samples, load testing, or other invasive methods, and the report from that phase spells out what repairs are needed and how urgently. Once the milestone report identifies necessary repairs, the association has to distribute a copy of the inspector's report to every unit owner within 45 days of receipt, and start the repair process. ^[1] This is often where special assessments come in: if the reserve fund doesn't cover the repair cost, the board has to either levy a special assessment, take out a loan, or some combination of both. Owners should expect the board to communicate a repair timeline and cost estimate as soon as the engineer's report is final, since Florida law requires that disclosure regardless of how unwelcome the number is. If your board is staring down a repair bill and wondering how to fund it, it helps to understand how special assessments work in Florida before the number even gets announced; see our guide on HOA special assessments for how these get calculated and levied.

How does a milestone inspection relate to a SIRS or reserve study?

A milestone inspection and a Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS) are two different but related requirements under Florida law, and boards often confuse them. The milestone inspection is a one-time structural safety check at specific building ages (25 or 30 years, then every 10 years). A SIRS is a financial planning document that projects the cost of maintaining and replacing specific building components (roof, load-bearing walls, fireproofing, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing, and more) over the coming decades, and Florida law requires condo and co-op associations with buildings 3 stories or higher to complete one at least every 10 years under Florida Statutes section 718.112. ^[3] A general reserve study is broader still: it's the standard financial planning tool many HOAs and condos use nationwide to estimate how much money needs to sit in reserves for future repairs and replacements, covering everything from paint to pavement, more than the structural items a SIRS focuses on. If you want the fuller picture on what these studies cover and how they're built, our reserve study guide walks through the process, and our HOA reserve study piece covers how HOAs (more than condos) use them. The milestone inspection often feeds directly into the SIRS: if the structural engineer finds deterioration, that finding should show up in the reserve study's cost projections and funding schedule. Boards handling both requirements at once (which is common, since many buildings hit both deadlines in the same window) benefit from lining up the same engineering firm or at least making sure the two reports talk to each other.

What is a reserve study?

A reserve study is a professional assessment of an association's major shared components (roofs, paving, pools, elevators, structural elements, and similar) that estimates each component's remaining useful life and the cost to repair or replace it, then builds a funding plan so the association isn't caught short. A typical reserve study has two parts: a physical analysis (site visits, component inventories, condition assessments) and a financial analysis (current reserve balance, contribution schedule, funding goals). ^[4] Most reserve studies are updated every 3 to 5 years with a full on-site review, and some firms offer a lighter "update" study in the off years. Florida's SIRS requirement is a specific, narrower version of this concept, focused only on structural and life-safety components for condo buildings 3 stories or higher. ^[3]

What is a reserve study for an HOA?

A reserve study for an HOA works the same way as a condo reserve study conceptually, but HOAs (homeowners associations governing single-family homes or townhomes) are not currently subject to Florida's mandatory SIRS law, which applies specifically to condominium and cooperative associations under Chapter 718. ^[3] That said, many HOAs voluntarily commission reserve studies because it's good financial practice and because governing documents or lenders sometimes require one. An HOA reserve study typically covers community-owned assets: entrance features, private roads, retention ponds, clubhouse buildings, pools, and similar amenities. Without a state mandate, HOA boards have more discretion over whether and how often to update the study, which means the responsibility for staying disciplined about it falls entirely on the board and property manager.

How much does a reserve study cost?

Reserve study costs in Florida generally range from about $2,000 to $15,000 or more, depending on the number of components, the size and complexity of the property, and whether the firm does an on-site visual inspection versus a desktop review. A small HOA with a handful of shared amenities might pay toward the low end; a large high-rise condo with elevators, a parking garage, and extensive structural components will run higher, especially once you're talking about the invasive testing that a SIRS or Phase 2 milestone inspection might require. There's no statewide fee schedule or licensing board specifically for "reserve study providers" the way there is for architects and engineers, so pricing varies by firm and region. Get multiple quotes, ask what's included (physical inspection vs. desktop update), and confirm the firm has experience with Florida-specific requirements like the SIRS component list. ^[3]

What are HOA assessments, and how much should reserves hold?

An HOA assessment is a fee the association charges owners, either as a regular (usually monthly or quarterly) payment that funds operating expenses and reserve contributions, or as a special assessment, a one-time or short-term charge to cover an unexpected or large expense that the regular budget and reserves don't cover. Florida condo associations are required to collect enough in assessments to fully fund reserves for the components covered by the SIRS, with only narrow exceptions, under Florida Statutes section 718.112(2)(f). ^[3] There's no single dollar figure or percentage that answers "how much should reserves hold," because it depends entirely on the specific components in a given building and their replacement costs and timelines. What the reserve study or SIRS produces is a component-by-component schedule: how much needs to be set aside each year for each item, so that when the roof needs replacing in year 12, the money is already there. Boards that try to shortcut this with a flat percentage of the budget (a common rule of thumb some managers use informally, like 10% of assessments) risk badly underfunding big-ticket structural items compared to what an actual engineering-based study would show. After the Surfside collapse, Florida also passed some short-term relief measures allowing certain associations more flexibility in how they phase in full SIRS funding; check our Florida condo reserve fund relief article for how that works and whether it applies to your building.

Are HOA special assessments tax deductible?

Generally, no. Special assessments paid to a homeowners association or condo association for improvements, repairs, or reserve funding are not tax deductible for the owner as a personal expense, because the IRS treats them like other homeownership costs (similar to regular HOA dues) that aren't deductible on a personal residence. ^[5] There are narrow exceptions. If the unit is a rental property, a special assessment may be deductible as a business expense or depreciated as a capital improvement, depending on what the assessment funds. If part of the assessment goes toward a casualty loss in a federally declared disaster area, there may be a different tax treatment available. None of this is something a board should advise owners on directly; it's genuinely an individual tax situation, and owners should talk to a CPA or tax attorney rather than rely on board guidance.

How should a board communicate milestone inspection results to owners?

Florida law requires the association to give every unit owner a copy of the inspector's milestone report within 45 days of receiving it, and post it in a conspicuous place if the building has a required website or app under Florida's condo transparency rules. ^[1] Beyond the legal minimum, boards that communicate early and clearly (before the report is even finished, explaining what the inspection covers and what the possible outcomes are) tend to face far less panic and fewer angry annual meetings than boards that stay quiet and drop a big number on owners with no warning. A practical approach: send a short notice when the inspection is scheduled, another when Phase 1 completes (even if it's just "no further action needed" or "moving to Phase 2"), and a full report distribution with a plain-language summary once everything is final. Boards juggling a milestone deadline alongside a SIRS deadline and a possible special assessment often lose track of who was told what and when, which becomes a real liability problem if an owner later claims they weren't properly notified. This is exactly the kind of deadline-and-disclosure tracking that a $199 one-time Board Compliance Kit is built to organize: it doesn't replace the licensed engineer who does your actual inspection, but it keeps the dates, notices, and document trail straight so the board isn't reconstructing a timeline from memory when an owner or attorney asks for it six months later.

What should a board do right now to prepare for a milestone inspection?

Start by confirming the building's exact certificate of occupancy date with the county, then calculate the real deadline (25 years if within 3 miles of the coast, 30 years otherwise, then every 10 years) rather than relying on a rough guess. ^[1] Next, get quotes from two or three licensed Florida architects or engineers with experience in milestone inspections and Florida Statutes section 553.899 specifically; ask each firm directly whether they've done Phase 2 testing before, since that experience matters if your building needs it. ^[2] Then loop in the association's counsel to confirm how the milestone timeline interacts with any local county recertification program (Miami-Dade and Broward have their own long-standing 40-year rules) and to review notice obligations to owners. Finally, coordinate the milestone inspection timeline with the SIRS schedule if both are coming due around the same window; overlapping the engineering work can save money and keep the reserve funding plan and structural findings consistent with each other. ^[3]

Frequently asked questions

What is a milestone inspection for a condo in Florida?

It's a structural safety review required for condo and co-op buildings 3 stories or taller, done by a licensed architect or engineer, at 30 years of age (25 if within 3 miles of the coast) and then every 10 years after that, under Florida Statutes section 553.899.

What is a reserve study?

A reserve study is a professional assessment of an association's major shared components (roofs, elevators, paving, structural elements) that estimates remaining useful life, replacement cost, and builds a funding schedule so reserves are adequate when repairs come due.

What is a reserve study for an HOA?

It's the same concept applied to a homeowners association: a professional review of community assets like roads, clubhouses, and amenities, with a funding plan. HOAs aren't currently required by Florida law to complete a SIRS, unlike condo associations.

What is an HOA assessment?

An HOA assessment is a fee owners pay to the association, either regular dues that fund operations and reserves, or a special assessment, a one-time or short-term charge to cover an unexpected or large expense not covered by the regular budget.

How much should an HOA have in reserves?

There's no single percentage that works for every property. The right amount comes from a component-by-component reserve study that calculates remaining life and replacement cost for each major asset, not a flat rule of thumb like 10% of the budget.

How much does a reserve study cost?

Typically $2,000 to $15,000 or more in Florida, depending on property size, number of components, and whether it's a full on-site study or a desktop update. Larger high-rise condos with structural components generally cost more than small HOAs.

Are HOA special assessments tax deductible?

Generally no, for a personal residence. The IRS treats them like regular HOA dues, which aren't deductible. Rental property owners may have different treatment depending on what the assessment funds; a CPA should confirm the specific situation.

Which Florida buildings need a milestone inspection?

Condominium and cooperative buildings that are 3 stories or more above ground level and used for residential purposes. Single-family homes and most buildings under 3 stories are excluded from this specific requirement.

Who pays for the milestone inspection?

The association pays, treating it as a common expense like insurance or landscaping. The board typically doesn't need a membership vote to authorize it unless the association's own governing documents specifically require one above a certain dollar threshold.

What's the difference between a milestone inspection and a SIRS?

A milestone inspection is a one-time structural safety check at specific building ages. A SIRS (Structural Integrity Reserve Study) is a financial planning document projecting future repair and replacement costs for structural components, required every 10 years for the same buildings.

What happens if a milestone inspection finds structural deterioration?

The engineer moves to a Phase 2 inspection with more invasive testing like concrete coring. The association must then distribute the findings to all owners within 45 days and begin planning repairs, often funded through reserves, a loan, or a special assessment.

Do all Florida condos need a SIRS, or just tall buildings?

The SIRS requirement under Florida Statutes section 718.112 applies to condominium and cooperative associations with buildings 3 stories or higher, the same threshold used for milestone inspections. Smaller buildings under 3 stories are not currently subject to the SIRS mandate.

Sources

1. Florida Senate, Florida Statutes Section 553.899: Milestone inspection requirements, timing (25/30 years, every 10 years after), Phase 1/Phase 2 process, and 45-day report distribution rule
2. Florida Statutes Chapter 471, Engineering: Licensing authority and requirements for engineers who must perform milestone inspections
3. Florida Senate, Florida Statutes Section 718.112: SIRS requirement for condo/co-op buildings 3+ stories, full reserve funding requirement
4. Fannie Mae, Selling Guide B4-2.2-02, Full Review Process: Reserve study structure and its role in assessing a project's financial and physical condition
5. IRS Publication 530, Tax Information for Homeowners: HOA dues and special assessments generally not deductible as personal expenses