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Resources for HOA & Condo Communities

Florida's building safety laws have changed significantly. Find the guidance your community needs. Organized around how you're involved in your building.

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Select your role above to see resources tailored specifically for you.

Resources for HOA Members

Understand your rights, your building’s inspection requirements, and what questions to ask your board and property manager.

Reference Guide

Glossary of Structural Inspection & Liability Terms

Plain-language definitions of the engineering and legal terms you’ll encounter during inspections, board meetings, and reserve discussions.

Law Quick- Reference

FL Condo & HOA Building Law Quick-Reference

Link to Florida legislation, including the new Binding Interpretation 318 covering Windows, Doors, and Sliding Doors

Member Guide

What to Expect During a Milestone Inspection

A simple PDF explaining milestone inspections, common structural issues, and what HOA members should ask their board or property manager. Link to Florida’s DBPR, which has a dedicated condo resource hub.

White Paper

How Florida Condo Owners Can Spot Early Structural Warning Signs

A helpful, non-alarmist and shareable white paper on recognizing early indicators before they become major structural issues.

Reference Sheet

Board Questions HOA/CAMs Should Be Ready to Answer

Focused on inspections, maintenance planning, and restoration timing – the key questions boards face and how to prepare confidently.

Inspection Guide

Threshold Inspection for Windows, Doors and Sliding Doors

A PDF explaining Florida’s Threshold Inspection process as it applies to the replacement of Windows, doors and sliding doors in condo communities.

Resources for Building Owner

Understand your rights, your building’s inspection requirements, and what questions to ask your board and property manager.

Reference Guide

Glossary of Structural Inspection & Liability Terms

Plain-language definitions of the engineering and legal terms you’ll encounter during inspections, board meetings, and reserve discussions.

Law Quick- Reference

FL Condo & HOA Building Law Quick-Reference

Link to Florida legislation, including the new Binding Interpretation 318 covering Windows, Doors, and Sliding Doors

Member Guide

What to Expect During a Milestone Inspection

A simple PDF explaining milestone inspections, common structural issues, and what HOA members should ask their board or property manager. Link to Florida’s DBPR, which has a dedicated condo resource hub.

White Paper

Protecting Long-Term Property Value

Structural Maintenance Priorities for Coastal Florida Buildings

Reference Sheet

Coastal Property Maintenance Guide

What to Watch Before Small Problems Become Major Repairs

Inspection Guide

Threshold Inspection for Windows, Doors and Sliding Doors

A PDF explaining Florida’s Threshold Inspection process as it applies to the replacement of Windows, doors and sliding doors in condo communities.

Resources for CAM Association

Understand your rights, your building’s inspection requirements, and what questions to ask your board and property manager.

Reference Guide

Glossary of Structural Inspection & Liability Terms

Plain-language definitions of the engineering and legal terms you’ll encounter during inspections, board meetings, and reserve discussions.

Law Quick- Reference

FL Condo & HOA Building Law Quick-Reference

Link to Florida legislation, including the new Binding Interpretation 318 covering Windows, Doors, and Sliding Doors

Member Guide

CAM Education Resource Sheet

A page compiling DBPR CAM licensing and continuing education resources, plus Biller Reinhart CE available topics.

White Paper

Helping Boards Make Better Building Decisions

A Practical Guide for CAMs in Florida. Explain when to call an engineer, how to scope a project, and how to communicate findings to boards and residents.

Reference Sheet

Board Questions HOA/CAMs Should Be Ready to Answer

Focused on inspections, maintenance planning, and restoration timing – the key questions boards face and how to prepare confidently.

Inspection Guide

Threshold Inspection for Windows, Doors and Sliding Doors

A PDF explaining Florida’s Threshold Inspection process as it applies to the replacement of Windows, doors and sliding doors in condo communities.

Resources for Property Manager

Understand your rights, your building’s inspection requirements, and what questions to ask your board and property manager.

Reference Guide

Glossary of Structural Inspection & Liability Terms

Plain-language definitions of the engineering and legal terms you’ll encounter during inspections, board meetings, and reserve discussions.

Law Quick- Reference

FL Condo & HOA Building Law Quick-Reference

Link to Florida legislation, including the new Binding Interpretation 318 covering Windows, Doors, and Sliding Doors

Member Guide

Property Managers Inspection Trigger List

when cracks, leaks, railing deterioration, ponding, concrete distress, or facade issues should prompt engineering review.

White Paper

Protecting Long-Term Property Value

Structural Maintenance Priorities for Coastal Florida Buildings

Reference Sheet

Coastal Property Maintenance Guide

What to Watch Before Small Problems Become Major Repairs

Inspection Guide

Threshold Inspection for Windows, Doors and Sliding Doors

A PDF explaining Florida’s Threshold Inspection process as it applies to the replacement of Windows, doors and sliding doors in condo communities.

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Aliquam erat volutpat. Nullam scelerisque auctor libero, id volutpat est dignissim vitae. Aliquam erat volutpat. Integer laoreet, nisi a tincidunt tincidunt, odio nisl commodo libero, id ultricies sapien purus non odio. Phasellus ac ultricies ex, vel scelerisque libero.

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Knowledge Center

FAQ Section for HOA & Condos

Answers to the questions Florida condo owners, board members, and property managers ask most. Click any question to expand

What is a milestone inspection in FL and who needs it

A Milestone Inspection is a structural integrity review of a condominium or cooperative building required under Florida law following the Surfside condo collapse in 2021. The purpose is to assess whether a building’s load-bearing structure is safe for continued occupancy.

Who is required to get one? Under Florida Statute 553.899, milestone inspections are required for:

  • Residential condominium and cooperative buildings three stories or taller
  • Buildings that have reached 30 years of age (or 25 years if located within three miles of a coastline)
  • Thereafter, inspections must be repeated every 10 years
  • What does it involve? Phase 1 is a visual assessment by a licensed architect or engineer. If Phase 1 reveals signs of substantial structural deterioration, a Phase 2 inspection is triggered, involving more detailed testing and analysis.

 
The inspection report must be submitted to the local building official, and a summary must be distributed to all unit owners and the association within 45 days of completion.

Coastal Florida buildings face some of the most aggressive conditions for concrete longevity in the country. The primary culprit is chloride-induced corrosion — salt from the ocean air, spray, and groundwater penetrates the concrete and attacks the steel reinforcing bars (rebar) inside.

Here is what happens step by step:

  • Salt and moisture penetrate the concrete through natural pores or cracks in the surface
  • Chlorides reach the rebar, disrupting the protective oxide layer that normally keeps steel from rusting
  • Corrosion begins — rust expands, occupying up to 6–10 times the volume of the original steel
  • This expansion cracks and eventually pushes off the surrounding concrete (spalling or delamination)
  • Additional contributing factors include high humidity and wind-driven rain, thermal cycling from Florida’s heat, carbonation lowering concrete’s pH, and inadequate concrete cover in older buildings where rebar was placed too close to the surface.

 
Early detection through regular visual inspections and sounding surveys — tapping the surface to find hollow areas — is the most cost-effective way to manage coastal concrete deterioration.

A Threshold Inspection is a construction-phase inspection required under Florida law (Florida Statute 553.79) for buildings classified as “threshold buildings.” It is performed by a special inspector — a licensed architect or engineer — who monitors and verifies that critical structural elements are built correctly during construction or significant renovation.

What qualifies as a threshold building?

  • Any building greater than three stories or 50 feet in height, or
  • Any building with an assembly occupancy that exceeds 5,000 square feet and is designed to accommodate 500 or more persons
  • Why does it matter for HOAs and condo communities? Threshold inspections are also required when replacing windows, doors, and sliding glass doors in qualifying buildings. Binding Interpretation 318 clarifies that this replacement work triggers threshold inspection requirements even during renovation, not just new construction.

 
The special inspector’s findings are documented in a signed and sealed report submitted to the building official, which becomes part of the permanent building record.

Water intrusion is one of the most damaging and commonly overlooked issues in Florida buildings. Because moisture travels, visible signs often appear far from the actual source.

On exterior surfaces:

  • Staining, streaking, or discoloration on concrete or stucco facades
  • Efflorescence — white or chalky mineral deposits left as water evaporates through concrete
  • Cracks in caulking or sealant around windows, doors, and expansion joints
  • Deteriorating or missing flashing at roof edges, parapets, and penetrations
  • Ponding water on flat or low-slope roofs and decks

 

On interior surfaces:

  • Water stains on ceilings, walls, or around window frames
  • Bubbling, peeling, or blistering paint
  • Musty odors, particularly in enclosed spaces or along exterior walls
  • Warped flooring, baseboards, or drywall near exterior walls
  • Visible mold or mildew growth

 

On balconies and common areas:

  • Rust stains running from railing posts or anchors — a sign that embedded steel is corroding
  • Cracks in balcony slab surfaces, especially near the drip edge
  • Soft, spalling, or hollow-sounding concrete when tapped
  • When multiple signs appear together, an engineering assessment is warranted. Early intervention is significantly less costly than deferred repair.

Rebar corrosion is one of the most common and serious structural issues affecting concrete balconies in Florida, particularly in coastal communities.

Here is what the restoration process typically involves:

How it starts:

Salt air, moisture, and carbonation gradually break down the protective concrete cover over the steel reinforcing bars. Once chlorides reach the rebar, corrosion begins. As rust forms, it expands — cracking and pushing off the concrete around it.

What a restoration project involves:

Sounding survey: Engineers tap the slab surface systematically to identify delaminated (hollow) areas not yet visibly cracked

Concrete removal: Deteriorated concrete is saw-cut and removed to expose corroded rebar beneath

Rebar treatment or replacement: Corroded steel is cleaned to bare metal or replaced if section loss is significant

Corrosion inhibitor application: A chemical treatment slows future corrosion on adjacent areas

Concrete patching: Structural repair mortars rebuild the section to its original profile

Waterproof coating or deck membrane: A protective coating is applied over the finished surface to prevent future water infiltration

Buildings that address rebar corrosion early — at the surface staining or hairline crack stage — typically face far smaller repair areas than those where spalling and delamination have developed across the full balcony deck.

These two terms are often used interchangeably, but they describe distinct stages of concrete deterioration. Understanding the difference helps boards and property managers communicate more accurately with engineers and contractors.

Concrete Delamination :

  • The separation of a concrete layer from the layer beneath it, often along the plane of the reinforcing steel
  • The concrete may still be in place — it hasn’t fallen yet — but has lost its bond to the substrate
  • Detected by sounding surveys: tapping produces a hollow or drum-like sound rather than a solid ring
  • Often caused by rebar corrosion expanding beneath the surface
  • Is a precursor to spalling — delamination that goes untreated will eventually become a falling hazard

 

Concrete Spalling:

  • Concrete that has actively broken away or fallen from the structure
  • Results in visible voids, exposed rebar, and rough, broken surfaces
  • Represents a more advanced stage of deterioration than delamination
  • Poses an immediate life-safety risk if occurring on overhead surfaces like soffits, balcony edges, or parking garage ceilings

 
In practice: delamination is what engineers find during inspection; spalling is what residents notice from the ground. If you can see it, delamination has likely been progressing underneath for some time.

The June 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida, fundamentally changed how the state approaches building safety inspections.

The 40-Year Inspection (Pre-Surfside)

  • Was a local ordinance requirement, not statewide — primarily enforced in Miami-Dade and Broward counties
  • Required a structural and electrical inspection when a building reached 40 years of age, then every 10 years after that
  • Applied to buildings four stories or taller, with some local variations
  • Most of Florida had no mandatory inspection program at all

 

The Milestone Inspection (Post-Surfside — Florida Statute 553.899)

  • Is a statewide requirement that applies uniformly across all Florida counties
  • Applies to residential condominiums and cooperatives with three stories or taller
  • Triggers at 30 years of age — or 25 years for buildings within three miles of a coastline
  • Must be performed by a licensed architect or engineer with a two-phase process
  • Results must be reported to the local building official and distributed to all unit owners
  • Accompanied by new Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS) requirements, mandating that associations fund reserves for major structural components

 
The Surfside collapse revealed that the previous patchwork of local ordinances left many Florida buildings with no inspection requirements at all. The Milestone Inspection law closed that gap — but has also created significant compliance deadlines that many associations are still working to meet.

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