Coastal 25-year inspections in Fort Lauderdale
Your building department, not a fixed 3-mile line, decides.
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We arrange and coordinate the 25-year coastal rule for condo and co-op associations in Fort Lauderdale, working to the rules of the City of Fort Lauderdale Building Services from the first notice to the final report.
- Free, no-obligation proposal
- Inspections by Florida-licensed engineers and architects
- Milestone, SIRS and recertification deadlines
The short answer
Whether a Fort Lauderdale building's first milestone inspection comes at 25 or 30 years is a local decision under s. 553.899(3)(b), based on circumstances such as proximity to salt water. Fort Lauderdale's first safety inspection comes at 25 years for every covered building, then every ten years. Notices go out by certified mail between 1 June and 31 August each year.
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25 or 30 years in Fort Lauderdale
- BORA gives each city its list of buildings due by June, and Fort Lauderdale mails the notices by certified mail with return receipt between 1 June and 31 August.
- Exempt from the program are structures under 3,500 square feet, residential buildings of up to four units and three stories, fee simple townhouses and some public buildings.
- Broward building officials reported 155 required Phase 2 milestone inspections in 2025, while 7 of the county's 31 municipal building officials did not report that year.
How we handle the 25-year coastal rule in Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale boards plan around a summer notice season. Letters arrive between June and August, the report is due 180 days later, and repairs are due 180 days after the report, so a building noticed in July is usually repairing by the following summer. Because BORA counts the Broward inspection as both milestone phases, we scope one structural and electrical inspection for the LauderBuild filing.[1][2]
Permits in Fort Lauderdale
- City of Fort Lauderdale Development Services, Permitting Services: Building Safety Inspection Program notices, report review and repair permits
What changed in 2023?
SB 4-D (2022) made 25 years automatic for buildings within 3 miles of a coastline. SB 154 (2023) replaced that with the local enforcement agency's decision based on local circumstances such as proximity to salt water. Many guides, and some search answers, still quote the old automatic rule.[6][5][4]
| Topic | Rule in Fort Lauderdale | Source |
|---|---|---|
| First inspection | Fort Lauderdale's first safety inspection comes at 25 years for every covered building, then every ten years. | City of Fort Lauderdale |
| Report deadline | The safety report is due within 180 days of the notice, on separate structural and electrical forms. | City of Fort Lauderdale |
| Filing | Reports are filed online in the LauderBuild Plan Room, and the review fee is $375. | City of Fort Lauderdale |
| Repairs | Repairs are due within 180 days of the report unless the Building Official sets another timeline. | City of Fort Lauderdale |
Frequently asked questions
Is Fort Lauderdale on a 25-year or a 30-year schedule?
Fort Lauderdale applies Broward's Building Safety Inspection Program under BORA Policy 05-05. The first inspection is due at 25 years from the certificate of occupancy, for coastal and inland buildings alike, and the next ones every ten years from the year the first was required. Your notice letter is the deciding document if anything on a website differs.
How common are Phase 2 findings in Broward?
Broward building officials reported 155 required Phase 2 milestone inspections in 2025.
When do Fort Lauderdale notices go out?
By certified mail between 1 June and 31 August each year. The 180-day report clock starts from the notice.
Sources
- Building Safety Inspection Program, City of Fort Lauderdale, City of Fort Lauderdale. Accessed October 28, 2026.
- Broward County Board of Rules and Appeals Policy #05-05, Building Safety Inspection Program (effective 9 August 2024), Broward County Board of Rules and Appeals (copy linked from the City of Fort Lauderdale BSIP page). Accessed October 28, 2026.
- Milestone Inspection Reporting Data 2024 and 2025, Report 26-04, July 2026, Florida Legislature, OPPAGA. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- s. 553.899, Florida Statutes, Online Sunshine, Florida Legislature. Accessed October 28, 2026.
- Chapter 2023-203, Laws of Florida (CS/CS/SB 154), approved June 9 2023, Laws of Florida. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Chapter 2022-269, Laws of Florida (SB 4-D), approved May 26 2022, Florida Department of State / Laws of Florida. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Mandatory Milestone Inspections, Palm Beach County Building Division, Palm Beach County. Accessed October 28, 2026.
- Building Recertification Inspection Program, City of Boca Raton, City of Boca Raton. Accessed October 28, 2026.
- Recertification (Miami-Dade County Building), Miami-Dade County. Accessed October 28, 2026.
- Condominium Inspections FAQ, City of Cape Coral, City of Cape Coral. Accessed October 28, 2026.
- Condo milestone inspections, City of Tampa Construction Services, City of Tampa. Accessed October 28, 2026.
- Condo Milestone Inspections, Pinellas County, Pinellas County. Accessed October 28, 2026.
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