Coastal 25-year inspections in Palm Beach County
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 Palm Beach County, working to the rules of the Palm Beach County Building Division 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 Palm Beach County 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. Unincorporated Palm Beach County inspects buildings within three miles of a coastline at 25 years and others at 30. Palm Beach County buildings that reached the trigger age before 1 July 2022 were due by 31 December 2024.
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25 or 30 years in Palm Beach County
- Buildings that reached 25 or 30 years before 1 July 2022 were due by 31 December 2024, and those reaching that age between 1 July 2022 and 31 December 2024 were due by 31 December 2025. Later buildings are due by 31 December of the year they reach the trigger age.
- The county sends certified letters to associations in the year the inspection is due, and the inspection must be completed within 180 days of receiving the letter unless a fixed legacy deadline applies.
- The county page covers unincorporated Palm Beach County only. Cities with their own building departments, such as Boca Raton, apply their own rules.
- In the state's 2025 data, 17 of the 39 Palm Beach municipal building officials did not report milestone figures, the largest gap of the three South Florida counties.
- Palm Beach was one of the three counties, with Broward and Miami-Dade, that reported the most required Phase 2 inspections in 2024.
How we handle the 25-year coastal rule in Palm Beach County
The Palm Beach County filing is strict about who submits and how. Only the architect or engineer who prepared the report can upload it, one building and one report type at a time, on Form EB18-2024 with the building's Reference ID. We make sure the professional we arrange has the Reference ID and the county's form before the inspection starts, so the 180-day window is spent inspecting rather than chasing paperwork.[1]
Permits in Palm Beach County
- Palm Beach County Building Division: Milestone inspection notices and filings for unincorporated Palm Beach County
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 Palm Beach County | Source |
|---|---|---|
| First inspection | Unincorporated Palm Beach County inspects buildings within three miles of a coastline at 25 years and others at 30. | Palm Beach County |
| Filing | Reports use Form EB18-2024 and are uploaded through the county portal by the architect or engineer who prepared them. | Palm Beach County |
| Repairs | Repairs must start within 365 days of the county receiving the Phase 2 report. | Palm Beach County |
| Phase 2 | After repairs the original inspector files a Phase One Amended report on Form EB18-2024. | Palm Beach County |
| Contact | The county answers milestone questions at 561-233-5020. | Palm Beach County |
Frequently asked questions
Is Palm Beach County on a 25-year or a 30-year schedule?
In unincorporated Palm Beach County, condo and co-op buildings three stories or more that sit within three miles of a coastline get their first milestone inspection at 25 years; buildings farther inland wait until 30. Every building then repeats every 10 years. Your notice letter is the deciding document if anything on a website differs.
Does the county rule apply in West Palm Beach or Boca Raton?
The county page covers unincorporated Palm Beach County. Cities with their own building departments apply their own rules, so check your city.
When does the 180 days start in Palm Beach County?
From the county's certified letter, which goes out in the year the inspection is due, unless a fixed legacy deadline applies to your building.
Sources
- 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.
- 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.
- Recertification (Miami-Dade County Building), Miami-Dade County. Accessed October 28, 2026.
- Building Safety Inspection Program, City of Fort Lauderdale, City of Fort Lauderdale. 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.
- 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.
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