Florida's mandatory structural inspection for aging condos: the law that reshaped the condo market.
Phase 1 is a visual examination of load-bearing elements and the primary structural system by a licensed engineer or architect, who either finds no signs of substantial structural deterioration — done until the next cycle — or refers the building to Phase 2: a deeper investigation that can include testing and destructive examination, producing repair recommendations and timelines.
The requirement covers condominium and cooperative buildings three stories or higher. The clock runs from the certificate of occupancy: initial inspection at 30 years, or 25 for buildings located within the statutory coastal proximity, then every 10 years. The 2022 law set an initial compliance wave with a statutory outside date at the end of 2026 for many older buildings — one reason inspection reports surged into the market.
Reports are association records buyers can and should obtain: a completed Phase 1 with no deterioration is meaningful reassurance; an open Phase 2 or unfunded repair recommendations foreshadow special assessments. Read them alongside the SIRS and reserve budget — our condo special-assessments guide lists the full document set and the statutory timeline.
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