Phase 1 milestone inspection in Palm Beach County

Who this is for

Associations that have received, or expect, the building department's certified letter, and managers who need the 180-day clock and owner notices handled.

What Palm Beach County sets for Phase 1

• 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.
• Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase One Amended reports all use Form EB18-2024 and are uploaded through the county's Milestone Inspection Form Submission portal with the building's Reference ID, one building and one report type at a time, and only by the architect or engineer who prepared the report.
• The county page covers unincorporated Palm Beach County only. Cities with their own building departments, such as Boca Raton, apply their own rules.
• A 60-day Phase 1 extension needs a written request from the architect or engineer, good cause from the owner, no evidence of unsafe conditions and a sealed statement that the building may stay occupied; a Phase 2 extension needs the request and the sealed statement.
• 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.

How we handle Phase 1 inspections 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 happens in a Phase 1 inspection?

• Review of available drawings, prior reports and repair records
• Walk-through of common areas, garages, roofs, balconies, walkways and a sample of units
• Visual assessment of load-bearing elements and primary structural members and systems
• A sealed report with a separate summary of material findings and recommendations

What must the Phase 1 report say?

• The seal and signature of the engineer or architect
• The manner and type of inspection
• Any substantial structural deterioration, its extent and recommended repairs
• Whether unsafe or dangerous conditions, as the Florida Building Code defines them, were observed
• Recommended remedial or preventive repairs for damaged items that are not substantial deterioration
• Items requiring further inspection

Timeline from notice to owner summary

• Day 0: certified letter from the building department
• By day 14: association notifies unit owners of the inspection and due date
• By day 180: Phase 1 report submitted to the building department
• Within 45 days of receiving the report: inspector summary to every owner, posted on the property and on the association website if one is required

Frequently asked questions