Florida Condo Milestone Inspections & Reserves

After the 2021 Surfside collapse, Florida enacted sweeping condominium safety laws — SB 4-D (2022), SB 154 (2023), and further changes in 2024 — that reshaped how condo and cooperative buildings are inspected and funded. If you own or are buying a condo, these rules directly affect your safety and your wallet.

Milestone structural inspections

A milestone inspection is a structural assessment of a building's load-bearing elements by a licensed engineer or architect.

• Applies to condominium and cooperative buildings that are three stories or more in height.
• The first inspection is required at 30 years of age — or 25 years if the building is within about three miles of the coastline.
• Inspections then repeat on a set schedule (generally every 10 years).
• Phase 1 is a visual inspection. If substantial structural deterioration is found, a more detailed Phase 2 inspection follows.

The association must provide inspection summaries to owners and, in many cases, the local building official.

Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS)

A SIRS is a specialized reserve study that determines how much money the association must set aside for major structural components, including:

• Roof
• Load-bearing walls and primary structural systems
• Floor and foundation
• Fireproofing and fire protection systems
• Plumbing, electrical systems, waterproofing, and exterior painting
• Windows and exterior doors

Associations must complete a SIRS on a recurring basis (generally every 10 years) for covered buildings three stories or taller.

Reserves can no longer be waived

This is the biggest financial change. Historically, condo boards could vote each year to waive or underfund reserves. For SIRS components, that option has effectively ended — associations must fully fund those structural reserves and can no longer vote them away.

The practical result: many condos have raised dues or levied special assessments to catch up on years of underfunded reserves. That's painful short-term, but it's designed to prevent deferred maintenance from becoming a safety crisis.

What buyers should ask

Before buying a Florida condo, request and review:

1. The most recent milestone inspection report (if the building is old enough to require one).
2. The SIRS and current reserve balances.
3. The budget and minutes for any approved or pending special assessments.
4. The estoppel certificate (see our estoppel guide) for amounts owed on the specific unit.

A well-funded, recently inspected building is worth more — and far less risky — than a cheaper unit in a building facing a large deferred-maintenance bill.

Learn more

• Florida Statute 553.899 — Mandatory structural inspections
• Florida Statute 718.112 — Bylaws; reserves (Condo)