Florida's Milestone Inspection and SIRS Requirements: What Boards Need to Know

Florida's milestone inspection requirement applies to condominium and cooperative buildings of three stories or more in height, requiring a licensed engineer or architect to perform a phase one visual inspection, followed by a more invasive phase two inspection if phase one identifies signs of substantial structural deterioration. The inspection cycle is generally tied to a building's age, with different timing for buildings near the coast versus elsewhere in the state.

Separately, associations subject to the law must obtain a structural integrity reserve study (SIRS) covering specific building components — items like the roof, load-bearing walls, primary structural members, floor, foundation, fireproofing and fire protection systems, plumbing, and electrical systems, among others listed in the statute — and can no longer fully waive or reduce reserve funding for those specific components the way many associations historically did to keep assessments lower.

The Legislature has amended timelines and compliance dates for both milestone inspections and SIRS more than once since the original 2022 law, including relief provisions and phased deadlines for associations working through the process. Because these dates have changed and could be adjusted again, this guide will not state a specific compliance date as current; boards should confirm the applicable deadline for their building directly with a licensed Florida engineer, association counsel, or the Department of Business and Professional Regulation rather than relying on an older article or a neighboring association's timeline.

Carriers writing condominium and cooperative property risk in Florida increasingly ask for milestone inspection status and SIRS documentation as part of underwriting, not as an afterthought. A building that is overdue for its milestone inspection, or that shows deferred structural issues without a documented repair plan, is likely to see fewer carriers willing to quote, higher scrutiny on limits and deductibles, or exclusions tied to known deficiencies until they're addressed.

Conversely, associations that can produce a current milestone inspection report and a SIRS showing adequately funded reserves for the listed components tend to present a materially better underwriting story, because it signals the building is being maintained proactively rather than deferring costly structural work.

Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and FHA project review for Florida condominiums generally asks about the building's structural inspection and reserve status as part of overall project eligibility, alongside the association's insurance program. A project flagged for unresolved structural concerns, deferred milestone inspection, or reserve underfunding for the SIRS-listed components can be found ineligible for financing, which affects every unit sale and refinance in the building until the deficiency is resolved.

Because SIRS reserve funding is no longer optional for the listed components, associations that previously kept assessments low by underfunding reserves are, in many cases, now facing a choice between phasing in higher regular assessments or issuing a special assessment to catch reserves up and fund needed repairs identified in a milestone inspection.

Boards can prepare by getting ahead of the inspection and study timeline rather than waiting for a deadline to force the issue, obtaining updated engineering and reserve documentation before their next insurance renewal so the underwriting conversation starts from a position of demonstrated compliance, and communicating early and transparently with owners about the funding gap so a special assessment, if needed, isn't a surprise.