Condo Safety Florida

Waterproofing and sealants in Miami-Dade County

Keep water out of the concrete, and budget for it in your SIRS.

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Tell us about your building and any notice or deadline you have. We will respond right away with next steps and a proposal.

Your building department decides if salt water means a 25-year inspection.

We arrange and coordinate waterproofing and sealants for condo and co-op associations in Miami-Dade County, working to the rules of the Miami-Dade County Building Department 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

Waterproofing and sealants keep water and salt out of Miami-Dade County concrete, and the SIRS treats waterproofing and exterior painting as a reserve item. Coastal condo and co-op buildings built in 1998 or later recertify at 25 years, other buildings built from 1993 at 30, then every 10 years. The county maps which condo buildings sit within three miles of the coast through a GIS project.

Last updated

Waterproofing work in Miami-Dade County

Aerial view of tall oceanfront condominium towers along a northern Miami-Dade County beach
  • The county schedule turns on the year built. Coastal condo and co-op buildings three stories or more within three miles of the coastline and built in 1998 or later recertify at 25 years; other buildings built in 1993 or later at 30 years; every building then recertifies every 10 years.
  • The county identifies the coastal condo and co-op buildings that fall under the three-mile rule through a GIS mapping project, so the county's notice, not a tape measure, settles which schedule applies.
  • Parking lot illumination must meet County Code s. 8C-3, and guardrails must meet s. 8C-6 where a parking lot abuts a canal, lake or other body of water. If guardrails are missing, a permit to install them comes first, and both certificates go in the recertification packet.
  • Where the reports call for repairs, the county requires the work to go through proper permitting before it will recertify the building.
  • Threshold buildings with structural glazing also need a facade inspection of the glazing adhesive every five years, filed within 90 days of notice with every page signed and sealed. The processing fee is $380.90.
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How we handle waterproofing and sealants in Miami-Dade County

Repairs that come out of a Miami-Dade recertification have to be permitted before the building can be recertified, and the county's 2025 numbers, 308 required Phase 2 inspections and 23 of the state's 24 unsafe or uninhabitable findings, show why the repair scope should be priced as soon as the engineer's findings arrive. We line up the scope, the permit and the contractor so the recertification can close.[1][2]

High-rise condominium roof half stripped to the deck and half covered with new white membrane, with rolls of membrane on pallets

Permits in Miami-Dade County

  • Miami-Dade County Building, Recertification: Recertification notices, filings and fees for unincorporated Miami-Dade, and the county code every city follows
  • City building departments (for example City of Miami, Miami Beach): Run recertification and milestone filings inside their own city limits

Where waterproofing matters most

Condo balcony deck with a fresh grey waterproof coating and glass railing overlooking the ocean
  • Balcony and walkway traffic coatings
  • Sealant at windows, doors, railing posts and expansion joints
  • Garage deck membranes and drains
  • Facade coatings and painting
  • Roof membranes, which are a separate SIRS item
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Planning it with restoration

Waterproofing is usually cheapest done straight after concrete repairs, while scaffolds and swing stages are already up. Ask the engineer to include coating and sealant specifications in the repair documents.

Impact-resistant sliding glass doors and windows opening onto a condo balcony above the ocean
Waterproofing and sealants in Miami-Dade County: the local rules at a glance
TopicRule in Miami-Dade CountySource
Repairs23 of the 24 buildings found unsafe or uninhabitable in Florida in 2025 were in Miami-Dade.OPPAGA 26-04
NoticeReports are due within 90 days of the county's notice, after courtesy notices two years and one year ahead.Miami-Dade County
FeesThe county's initial recertification review fee is $403.13, and a late submission costs $453.52.Miami-Dade County
Buildings coveredThe county files for unincorporated areas, while cities such as Miami and Miami Beach run their own desks under the same code.Miami-Dade County
From the official pages, read 28 October 2026. Confirm dates with the Miami-Dade County Building Department. Sources: Miami-Dade County, Recertification (Miami-Dade County Building); Florida Legislature, OPPAGA, Milestone Inspection Reporting Data 2024 and 2025, Report 26-04, July 2026; City of Miami, Get a Building Recertification (City of Miami); City of Miami Beach, Building Recertification, City of Miami Beach. Last updated October 28, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Does waterproofing belong in the reserve plan in Miami-Dade County?

The county schedule turns on the year built. Coastal condo and co-op buildings three stories or more within three miles of the coastline and built in 1998 or later recertify at 25 years; other buildings built in 1993 or later at 30 years; every building then recertifies every 10 years. Waterproofing and exterior painting are SIRS items under s. 718.112(2)(g), so the work belongs in the reserve schedule.

Which Miami-Dade buildings were due by 31 December 2024?

Coastal condo and co-op buildings three stories or more within three miles of the coast built from 1983 to 1997, and other buildings built from 1983 to 1992. Buildings built before 1983 keep their established schedule.

How much warning does Miami-Dade give before recertification is due?

The county sends courtesy notices two years and one year before the due year. Once the Notice of Building Recertification arrives, the reports are due within 90 days.

Sources

  1. Recertification (Miami-Dade County Building), Miami-Dade County. Accessed October 28, 2026.
  2. Milestone Inspection Reporting Data 2024 and 2025, Report 26-04, July 2026, Florida Legislature, OPPAGA. Accessed October 27, 2026.
  3. Get a Building Recertification (City of Miami), City of Miami. Accessed October 27, 2026.
  4. Building Recertification, City of Miami Beach, City of Miami Beach. Accessed October 28, 2026.
  5. s. 718.112, Florida Statutes (2026): Bylaws, including (2)(f) budget and reserves, (2)(g) SIRS, (2)(h) milestone inspections, The Florida Senate. Accessed October 28, 2026.

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