Is your Florida condo building at risk of a special assessment? Check it.
The milestone inspection deadline for many older buildings is December 31, 2026, reserves now have to be funded, and assessments have run from $20,000 to well past $400,000 a unit. Answer a few questions about your building and see where it stands, before a surprise bill or a stalled sale.
This is an educational self-assessment, not legal, engineering, or insurance advice, and it does not access your building's records. The milestone inspection thresholds (three stories or taller, 30 years of age, or 25 years within about three miles of the coast) and the structural integrity reserve study and reserve-funding rules come from Florida condominium law; exact deadlines depend on your certificate of occupancy date and coastal proximity. The assessment range is a reported range, not an estimate for your building. Confirm your status with your association's milestone report and SIRS (which owners have a right to access), your local building official, and a licensed engineer or attorney. Weighing whether to keep the unit? See the sell-or-hold study. Pair this with our True Cost of Ownership, CDD carrying cost, and flood insurance tools.
Which Florida condos need a milestone inspection, and when?
Florida law requires a milestone structural inspection for condominium and cooperative buildings that are three stories or more in height once they reach 30 years of age, measured from the certificate of occupancy, or 25 years if the building is within about three miles of the coastline. Buildings that crossed those ages have phased deadlines, and a large group of 25-to-30-plus-year buildings face a December 31, 2026 deadline. Your exact deadline depends on your building's certificate of occupancy date and coastal proximity, so confirm it with your local building official and your association.
What is a SIRS and why does it cause special assessments?
A Structural Integrity Reserve Study, or SIRS, is a required study of the major structural components of a building (roof, load-bearing walls, foundation, fireproofing, plumbing, and similar) that sets the reserves an association must hold to maintain them. Associations were required to complete a SIRS and, going forward, to fully fund those reserves rather than waive or underfund them. When a building has been running on thin reserves and a milestone inspection or SIRS finds work that must be done, the board often has to pass a special assessment to cover the gap, because the money was never set aside.
How large are Florida condo special assessments?
They vary widely with the building's size, age, and the scope of work an engineer requires. Reported assessments have ranged from about $20,000 to more than $400,000 per unit for major structural or concrete-restoration projects, though many are smaller. The figure shown here is a reported range to set expectations, not an estimate for your specific building. The only reliable number comes from your building's milestone report, SIRS, and the board's funding plan.
Can a condo building's inspection status affect insurance?
It can. Beyond the assessment risk, a building that misses its milestone inspection or fails to complete required studies can face pressure on its insurance, and there have been legislative proposals that would bar the state-backed insurer from writing or renewing policies for non-compliant condo associations. Treat the insurability angle as a moving target, confirm the current rule, and ask the association for its inspection and reserve status before you buy.