Milestone inspections in Miami Beach

Milestone inspection rules in Miami Beach

• The county code behind the city program puts coastal condo and co-op buildings three stories or more, built from 1998 within three miles of the coast, on a 25-year first recertification. Miami Beach sits on barrier islands between the Atlantic and Biscayne Bay, so confirm on your notice which date the city applied.
• Reports go to the building department through the city's Citizen Self Service portal or by email.
• Miami-Dade County, which includes Miami Beach, reported 308 required Phase 2 milestone inspections in 2025.
• Threshold buildings, meaning more than three stories or 50 feet tall or large assembly buildings, need the structural certification from a Florida-licensed structural engineer and the electrical certification from a Florida-licensed electrical engineer. Smaller buildings may use any Florida-licensed design professional.
• After permitted repairs pass final inspection, the owner submits an updated report from a Florida-licensed design professional stating the building is structurally and electrically safe, and the Building Official then issues the recertification approval letter.

How we handle milestone inspections in Miami Beach

On Miami Beach the milestone inspection, the city recertification and the county's coastal schedule overlap. Threshold towers need a structural engineer and an electrical engineer, and the city wants an updated report after repairs before it issues the approval letter, so we scope the engineer's work once and keep the city's form set complete.[2][1][4]

Permits for milestone inspections in Miami Beach

• City of Miami Beach Building Department: Recertification and milestone filings, forms and repair permits in Miami Beach

When is a milestone inspection due?

By 31 December of the year the building reaches 30 years from its certificate of occupancy, and every 10 years after that. If the certificate date is not available, the building official's records of occupancy set the date. Buildings that turned 30 before 1 July 2022 were due before 31 December 2024, and those that turned 30 between 1 July 2022 and 31 December 2024 were due before 31 December 2025.[4]

Is it 25 years within 3 miles of the coast?

Not automatically any more. The 2022 law set 25 years for buildings within 3 miles of the coastline. The 2023 law (SB 154) replaced that with a local choice, so the local enforcement agency now decides whether local circumstances, such as proximity to salt water, require 25 years. Many South Florida departments chose to keep the 3-mile line; Tampa and Pinellas use 30 years. Check your own department.[4][5][6][7][8][9]

How do Phase 1 and Phase 2 work?

• The building department sends written notice by certified mail, return receipt requested.
• The association tells unit owners within 14 days, with the due date.
• Phase 1, a visual examination and qualitative assessment, is completed within 180 days of the notice, when the architect or engineer submits the report to the building department.
• Phase 2, with destructive or nondestructive testing, is required only if Phase 1 finds substantial structural deterioration. A progress report with a timeline is due within 180 days of the Phase 1 report.
• The association sends the inspector's summary to every owner within 45 days of receiving a report.
• Repairs for substantial structural deterioration must start within 365 days of the Phase 2 report.

Who performs the inspection?

An architect licensed under chapter 481 or an engineer licensed under chapter 471 who is authorized to practise in Florida. A team may do the work with an architect or engineer as the registered design professional in responsible charge, and all work and reports are signed and sealed by the qualified team member. We arrange and coordinate the inspection; the professional performs it and seals the report.[4]

Frequently asked questions