Phase 1 milestone inspection in Pinellas 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 Pinellas County sets for Phase 1

• Ordinance 24-18 sets the county process, and associations register on the Pinellas County Access Portal before reports can be filed.
• Notices go to the association and any non-association owner by certified mail, and the association tells unit owners within 14 days, by email or a website posting where owners have agreed to that.
• The county describes Phase 1 as a visual examination of the habitable and non-habitable areas of the building by a Florida architect or engineer, who decides whether Phase 2 testing is needed.
• The county uses the 30-year schedule with the state's legacy dates and no separate coastal rule, so a Gulf-front tower on Indian Rocks Beach has the same first deadline as an inland building.
• Buildings that reached 30 years before 1 July 2022 had to be inspected before 31 December 2024, those reaching 30 by 31 December 2024 before 31 December 2025, and later buildings by 31 December of the year they turn 30.

How we handle Phase 1 inspections in Pinellas County

Pinellas splits the filing by jurisdiction. If your building is in unincorporated Pinellas or one of the seven towns the county serves, the report goes through the county's Access Portal after registration; if it is in St. Petersburg, Clearwater or another city, it goes to that city. We confirm the right office before the inspection, so the sealed report lands where the clock is running.[1]

Permits in Pinellas County

• Pinellas County, Condo Milestone Inspections: Milestone inspection registration and reports through the Access Portal

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