Side by side
| Topic | Milestone inspection | SIRS |
|---|---|---|
| Question it answers | Is the structure safe to occupy? | What will the big items cost, and when? |
| Buildings | Condo and co-op, three habitable stories or more | Condo and co-op, three habitable stories or more |
| First due | At age 30, or age 25 where the local agency opts for it | By Dec 31, 2025 for existing condo associations |
| Repeats | Every 10 years | At least every 10 years |
| Who performs it | Florida-licensed architect or engineer only | Engineer, architect, RS or PRA |
| Scope | Phase one visual; phase two testing if deterioration is found | Visual inspection of items a to h, then life, cost and funding plan |
| Goes to | The local building official and the board | The board, owners and the state division |
| Money it drives | Repairs, started within 365 days of a phase two report | Mandatory reserves that owners cannot waive |
The milestone inspection in brief
Section 553.899 requires a milestone inspection by December 31 of the year a building reaches 30 years from its certificate of occupancy, and every 10 years after. A local enforcement agency may set 25 years instead, for local reasons such as a coastal location. Only a Florida-licensed architect or engineer may perform it.
Phase one is a visual examination of habitable and non-habitable areas. If it finds substantial structural deterioration, phase two follows, which may involve destructive or non-destructive testing. Once a phase two report arrives, repairs must begin within 365 days. The association must notify owners within 14 days of the agency's notice and share the inspector's summary within 45 days of the report.
How one feeds the other
Paragraph (g)8 lets a milestone inspection, or a similar local inspection, completed in the past five years replace the visual inspection part of the SIRS, provided it covers what the SIRS visual inspection needs. The provider still has to estimate remaining lives, replacement costs and the funding plan. Paragraph (g)9 lets an association that has just completed a milestone inspection delay its SIRS for up to two consecutive budget years, so the repairs can be scoped first.
In practice: give the SIRS provider the full milestone report, not only the summary. Phase two findings belong in the SIRS as deferred maintenance under items b and f, with the 365-day repair clock reflected in the funding plan.
Local programs that run alongside
Several counties had their own inspections before the state acted, or set the earlier 25-year trigger. The county pages cover the local rule in each of the main condo markets: