40 Year Inspections for Condos in South Florida

What is a 40 Year Inspection, and as a Buyer, should you be concerned? 

If you are looking for a condo in South Florida, there is a good chance that the condos you will be looking at may be at least 40 years old, and if not, will be 40 years old someday… As a Buyer, you need to be aware that  40 Year Recertification of buildings is required by ordinance in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties.  These Recertification ordinances apply throughout the counties and their incorporated cities.  The purpose of these ordinances is to ensure that the buildings are structurally and electrically safe and intact. The repairs that could possibly be required can be costly, and you need to ask questions.. 

Some Background about  the 40/50 Recertification/Certification for Broward and Miami-Dade Counties…

For buildings approaching their 40 year anniversary, there may be county requirements for a  "40 year Recertification/Certification Inspection" and this inspection/certification will be enforced every 10 years after the 40 year anniversary.

For building and Condo owners, even if you have not yet received a "Notice of Required Inspection" by the code compliance section of your county or city, it is the property owner's responsibility to acquire the initial 40/50-year (re)certification and to recertify their building every 10 years thereafter. Because of this, the inspections must be done by or under the supervision of a qualified, Professional Engineer or Architect. This is a process which takes time and money. 

BROWARD COUNTY (Fort Lauderdale & Surrounding Cities) 

For Broward County, all buildings larger than 3,500 sq.ft. 
Exemptions for Broward County:

•          One (single family) and Two (duplex) Family Dwellings
•          Schools under the jurisdiction of the B.C. school board
•          All buildings with an area of 3,500 sq. ft. or less
•          U.S. Government, State of Florida buildings
•          Buildings built on an Indian Reservation

         MIAMI-DADE

For Miami-Dade County, all buildings that are larger than 2,500 sq. ft. and are non-single family homes need to comply.  
Exemptions for Miami Dade:

         Single Family Homes

•          Duplexes
•          Buildings with an occupant load of ten (10) or less and 2,000 sq. ft. or less

Most, if not all, condos are going to have to comply with this Certification…

What does the 40 Year Certification entail?
The Certification is a combination of both the structural integrity and the electrical safety of the building. (If you drive down A1A and you see balconies being worked on, there is a good possibility that the condo is complying with their 40 year Inspection.)

What does this mean for the building or condo owners? 
1.  Once the Notice is received, a Florida Registered Architect or Engineer MUST inspect the property and submit a sealed Building Safety Inspection Certification Form to the City within 90 days.  The experts will be looking at all applicable components to the: building including: foundation, roofing system, masonry bearing walls, steel framing system, floor and roof systems, concrete framing systems, windows, wood framing, loading, electric service, branch circuits, conduit raceways, & emergency lighting;

2.   The submittal must include the structural package, the electrical package, and a permit application.  A form must be completed by a licensed professional and must include the identification of "Repairs Required" or "No Repairs Needed";  The report must be dropped off at the City with a $200.00 payment;

3.   If the building is deemed safe, the association will not be required to have another Building Safety Inspection for ten years. If the report indicates there are structural or electrical deficiencies, the Owner will have 180 days to obtain the necessary permits and complete the identified repairs;

4.   If the Owner fails to submit the required recertification form, a Notice of Violation and a Notice of Hearing will be issued.  Penalties may ensue if the building owner is not making efforts to remediate the violations in a timely manner.

5.  Extensions can be granted and approved, however these are on a case-by-case basis.  The only exemption from the 40 year Building Safety Program would be a complete demolition and rebuild within the 40 year time period, interior renovations/upgrades do not make a building exempt.  The city's review is solely based on the engineers/architect's report; the engineer/architect's seal certifies the integrity of the report and any necessary repairs stated by the Engineer/Architect will be required by the city.

For more information regarding the requirements of BROWARD for 40 Year Recertification Inspections please visit:
http://www.broward.org/CodeAppeals/AboutUs/Pages/SafetyInspectionProgram.aspx

For more information regarding the requirements of MIAMI-DADE for 40 Year Recertification Inspections please visit:

http://www.miamidade.gov/pa/property_recertification.asp

If you have specific questions about a condo, please contact us at: 866 783 6011 or info@condo.net