Milestone inspections in Orlando

Orlando filing steps

1. Certified letter from the city starts the 180-day clock
2. Association notifies owners within 14 days (state law)
3. Phase 1 report submitted to the city
4. If Phase 2 is required, its reports are emailed to the building official
5. Repair permits pulled within 365 days of submitting

Check the trigger age with the city

The city page shows 30-year deadlines in one place and "25 or 30 years" in another. Ask the building official which applies before you plan around it.[1]

Milestone inspection rules in Orlando

• The city page lists 30-year deadlines in its steps but says 25 or 30 years in its FAQ, so confirm with the building official which trigger applies before relying on either.
• The city mails certified letters to associations whose inspection is due, and the inspection is due within 180 days of receiving the letter unless an earlier legacy date applies.
• In the state's data, Orange County had 1 building found unsafe or uninhabitable in 2025, and neighboring Osceola County had 10 in 2024, the most of any county that year.
• The Phase One report and forms are uploaded through the city's online form; the city aims to respond within one business day and then allows five business days for review.
• Orlando is an inland city, and its milestone page does not mention any coastal or salt water rule.
• After submitting, the association has 365 days to pull a repair permit.
• For noncompliance, the city says proceedings may be initiated as authorized by law.

How we handle milestone inspections in Orlando

Orlando's process is quick on paper. Phase One goes in through an online form with a response promised within one business day, and Phase Two forms go by email to the building official. The open question is the trigger, since the city page shows both 30 and 25 or 30 years, so we confirm the date with the building official before the board budgets.[1]

Permits for milestone inspections in Orlando

• City of Orlando Building Official: Milestone inspection notices, Phase 2 reports and repair permits in Orlando

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.[2]

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.[2][4][5][6][7][8]

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.[2]

Frequently asked questions