25-year milestone inspections near salt water

Your building department, not a fixed 3-mile line, decides.

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Milestone, SIRS and recertification deadlines

The short answer

Since 2023 there is no automatic 25-year rule for buildings within 3 miles of the coast. The local enforcement agency may decide that local circumstances, such as proximity to salt water, require the first milestone inspection by 31 December of the year the building turns 25, then every 10 years (s. 553.899(3)(b)). Several South Florida departments kept a 3-mile line, while Tampa and Pinellas County use 30 years, and Cape Coral says none of its buildings is within 3 miles of the coastline.

Last updated October 28, 2026

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.[2][3][1]

Aerial view of a long Florida barrier island lined with condominium buildings between the Gulf and a bay

First milestone or safety inspection age, by local program
Building department	First inspection	Notes
Unincorporated Palm Beach County	25 years within 3 miles of a coastline, otherwise 30	County milestone page
Boca Raton	25 years within 3 miles of the coast, otherwise 30; threshold buildings at 30	Ordinance 5589
Miami-Dade County recertification	25 years for coastal condo and co-op buildings 3 stories or more built 1998 or later, within 3 miles	County Code 8-11(f)
Fort Lauderdale (Broward program)	25 years for buildings covered by the program	Building Safety Inspection Program
Cape Coral	30 years; the city says no building in Cape Coral is within three miles of the coastline	City FAQ
Tampa	30 years	City Code 5-110.9
Pinellas County	30 years	Ordinance 24-18

Checked on each department's own page. Rules can change, so confirm with your building department. Sources: Palm Beach County, Mandatory Milestone Inspections, Palm Beach County Building Division; City of Boca Raton, Building Recertification Inspection Program, City of Boca Raton; Miami-Dade County, Recertification (Miami-Dade County Building); City of Fort Lauderdale, Building Safety Inspection Program, City of Fort Lauderdale; City of Cape Coral, Condominium Inspections FAQ, City of Cape Coral; City of Tampa, Condo milestone inspections, City of Tampa Construction Services; Pinellas County, Condo Milestone Inspections, Pinellas County. Last updated October 28, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Our building is 26 years old and on the beach. Are we late?

It depends on your building department. Where it has chosen 25 years for buildings near salt water, the inspection was due by 31 December of the year the building turned 25. Where it has not, the 30-year date applies. Your department's notice letter is the deciding document.

What does salt water mean here?

The statute points to the definition of salt water in s. 379.101. Each local agency applies it to its own area.

Sources

s. 553.899, Florida Statutes, Online Sunshine, Florida Legislature. Accessed October 28, 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.
Chapter 2023-203, Laws of Florida (CS/CS/SB 154), approved June 9 2023, Laws of Florida. Accessed October 27, 2026.
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.
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.
Milestone Inspection Reporting Data 2024 and 2025, Report 26-04, July 2026, Florida Legislature, OPPAGA. Accessed October 27, 2026.

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