If you own a building in either Miami-Dade or Broward county, a 40 year recertification is something you’ll need mandatorily. And that holds for both residential and commercial structures, barring some individual family homes.
You see, since buildings in these counties are exposed to a harsh coastal climate, a comprehensive safety inspection and recertification makes sense.
More so in the aftermath of the Surfside condo collapse, it’s even more critical to ensure full-proof building safety.
As we’ve learned from the Champlain Towers tragedy, it’s the very structure of a building that gets degraded over time. So by ignoring a timely structural engineer inspection, you’ll be only risking the safety of building residents, among others.
No matter how sturdy you build your home, it will decay with time if you neglect inspections and necessary maintenance. That’s exactly why you should ensure that your building undergoes its 40 year inspection timely and gets the required fixes.
We all want to avert another Surfside condo-like tragedy, and 40 year recertification inspections are the best remedy we have.
However, as a building-owner, you may find the recertification process complicated and even confusing. But, you’ll be surprised to know that 40 year structural inspections and the post-inspection recertification process are quite simple.
And to make the process even simpler, we’ve compiled this comprehensive guide detailing everything about a 40 year structural inspection. So let’s dive in.
Table of Contents
#1. 40 year recertification: What is it all about?
A 40 year recertification inspection is the most vital of all building safety requirements in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
Herein, as the property owner, you’re legally required to hire a licensed engineer to carry out a thorough inspection of your building. And as the name suggests, you need to do this when your building is about to turn 40 years old.
The local laws require you to hire only such engineers/inspectors who’re licensed to carry out home/building inspections in Florida. That’s because such engineers have the best know-how of local building codes pertaining to structural or home foundation inspection.
The structural engineer/s or building inspector/s you hire will evaluate if your structure is safe. And if they find any structural concerns like vulnerabilities or failure of structural integrity, they’ll document these in detail.
Thereafter, you’ll get a post-inspection report detailing the findings and the concerns you need to address. That means if there are some problem areas in your building, the report will flag them so that you can get them fixed.
You see, the very purpose of a 40 year structural inspection and recertification is to make sure that your aging building doesn’t pose safety risks to you and other inhabitants. And to that end, structure inspections help you understand your building’s upkeep requirements and the best ways you can fulfill them.
Is 50 year recertification the same thing?
When you come across the term 50 year recertification, you’re sure to confuse it with 40 year recertification. And even as both 40 and 50 year recertifications are similar sounding and work the same way, they’re still different.
How you may ask?
Simply put, after a successful 40 year structural inspection and recertification of your building, the same process will be repeated every ten years. That means you will need to get your building inspected and recertified in its 50th year, 60th year, and so forth.
So a 50 year recertification is all about the safety inspection/accreditation that will be carried out in the 50th year.
#2. 40 year structural inspection: What does it include?
During the 40 year recertification inspection, the engineer or inspector you hire will carry out an all-inclusive, in-depth survey. Meaning, the inspection will not be confined to the building’s structure or foundation and will include lighting, electrical wiring, etc. The idea here is to ensure that nothing is left to chase and each element of your building is safe.
If you’re wondering what the engineer will inspect, a 40 year structural inspection will review the following:
- The foundation of your building
- Both the exterior and interior walls
- Your building’s steel frame
- Roofing
- Lighting (including emergency lights)
- Wood frames for their strength
- Windows and doors
Apart from these basic safety aspects, there are other elements too that the engineer will look at during structure inspections. And finally, based on the findings of the inspection, the structural engineer will make recommendations for maintenance and repair.
#3. What is the process of 40 year recertification?
As your building enters its 40th year, the building code compliance officials or your respective county will send you an inspection notification, also called the ‘Notice of Required Inspection.’
The timeline of this notification will depend on your building’s Certificate of Occupancy, which denotes the year of construction.
Both Miami-Dade and Broward counties, by law, specify a 90 days time period for inspection from the date of notification. So you should complete the inspection and submit the post-inspection report to your county within this time.
You see, the post-inspection report prepared by your structural engineer will decide if your building will get recertification. And that’s precisely why we suggest you carry out a pre-inspection much before the 40 year timeline. That way, you can carry out the necessary fixes well before receiving the inspection notification and have hassle-free recertification.
What to do if your engineer flags problems in the post-inspection report?
As a 40 year old structure, it is only natural for your building to develop problems and have maintenance requirements. So the engineer may find problems like cracking concrete, water leakages, redundant wiring, etc., during the 40 year structural inspection.
After the 40 year recertification inspection is over, the engineer will flag these problems in the post-inspection report.
Thankfully, both Miami-Dade and Broward counties allow you 180 days’ time to carry out necessary repairs and fix the problems. And after you’ve addressed the problem areas and carried out improvements like concrete repair, concrete restoration, waterproofing, etc., your home will be all set for recertification.
What happens when you don’t comply with recertification requirements?
As a building owner or association member, the onus is on you to complete the 40 year recertification on time.
In case you don’t get a timely building inspection and recertification, the county will issue a Civil Violation Notice against you. And that can attract penalties of up to $10,510, along with the cost of enforcement incurred by the county.
Also, the county can, by law, evacuate your building and even demolish it, if you fail to carry a time-bound 40 year recertification inspection.
You don’t want to be in such a troublesome situation, right?
That’s exactly why you shouldn’t ignore 40 year recertification inspections and also the local codes for building upkeep and maintenance.
What should you do if you don’t get the inspection notification?
It is possible that the county may not send you the inspection notification upon your building turning forty.
Nevertheless, you’re still required to carry out the inspection on time, fix the issues your engineer might flag, and get your property recertified.
No matter whether you get a notice or not, you’ll still be liable for penalties if you fail to recertify. Also, in the event of 40 year recertification failure, you’ll even be held accountable for accidents relating to building safety. So it’s better not to wait for the county to send you an inspection notification.
In fact, with timely recertification, you can rest easy for the next ten years.
#4. Do all buildings need to be recertified?
Both Miami-Dade and Broward counties require commercial and residential buildings to carry out a 40 year recertification inspection.
But, there are some building categories that are exempted from this requirement.
For example, all single-family homes in Miami-Dade sized 2000 square feet or less and with ten or fewer residents are exempted. At the same time, Broward county exempts single-family homes, and duplexes sized less than 3500 square feet from inspection.
So if your home falls in these categories, you don’t need to carry out inspections or apply for recertification when your property turns forty.
However, it’s still a good idea to go for generic or advanced structure inspections for your safety.
#5. Should you prepare your building for 40 year recertification in advance?
The worst thing building owners and association members do is wait for the inspection notice from the county. That’s because once the notice is served, they have only 90 days to carry out necessary repairs and complete the inspection.
There are many time-consuming repairs and fixes which can’t be completed within this short window of opportunity. So there are chances for the structural engineer to find and flag problems in the post-inspection report.
And even though the counties allow 180 days to comply with post-inspection requirements, a report flagging concerns will only delay the 40 year recertification.
So what’s the remedy?
We suggest you carry out a thorough pre-inspection of your building and address its maintenance needs much before the county serves you a notice.
You can hire an engineer 2-3 years before your building turns forty and learn about possible safety issues in advance. That way, you will have enough time to complete repairs and restorations, as may be required.
As such, your property will be ready for the actual 40 year structural inspection, and you can rest assured of smooth recertification.
#6. How can you prepare your building for inspection?
A 40 year recertification inspection is the most critical safety test of your building, something you don’t want it to fail.
Complicated as it may sound, preparing your building for inspection is simple. All you need to do is follow some basics.
And in case you’re wondering, here’s how you can prep up your building for recertification inspection:
- Ensure that your electrical outlets near wet areas like sinks and bathrooms are GFCI protected.
- Label your electrical panels properly and make sure that slots aren’t left open.
- Carry out annual roofing inspections along with the repairs required.
- Get your building painted every 7-10 years and pressure-washed every two years. Also, if your property is near the coastline, you need more frequent painting and pressure washing.
- Make sure that the parking area in your building is well lit. That’s because a lack of proper parking lights can be dangerous for inhabitants and can even prompt the inspection engineer to mark your property as unsafe.
Here’s how building inspection and recertification programs are changing pan-Florida
The 40 year recertification inspections are all set to change across Florida, and for good.
You see, there have been strong demands for stricter building safety laws ever since the Champlain Towers Surfside condo collapse. And these demands prompted the Florida Legislature to bring about the strongest ever changes to its milestone inspections scheme.
Similarly, Miami-Dade county has also followed suit and proposed to change its 40 year structural inspection rules.
Let’s have a look at how building inspection and recertification laws are changing at both levels.
Changes to Florida’s milestone structural inspections
Signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida’s Senate Bill 4D changes the milestone inspection program and includes the following:
- All buildings in Florida that are three stories or taller need to be inspected by a licensed structural engineer in their 30th year instead of their 40th year.
- For structures built within three miles of the coastline, milestone inspections need to be carried out in the 25th year.
- For buildings with occupancy certificates dating from July 1st, 1992, or earlier, property owners should carry out milestone inspections before the end of December 2024.
Changes to 40 year recertification inspections in Miami-Dade
Taking a cue from Florida Legislature’s initiative, Miami-Dade county too has proposed changes to its 40 year recertification program.
Here’s what the new recertification rules include:
- A 30 year recertification inspection will now replace the present 40 year scheme. And buildings will then require recertification after every ten years, that is, in the 40th year, 50th year, and so on.
- The county will send the ‘Notice of Required Inspection’ two years in advance. So as a property owner or building association member, you will have enough time to get the inspection done and carry out required repairs.
- Your building may have electrical systems that operate at 400 amps or higher. And in that case, you need to hire a certified Level II or higher infrared thermographer for an infrared thermography inspection of your electrical systems.
- If you don’t fulfill the post-inspection requirements and your building continues to be unsafe, the county can disconnect your electricity.
Wrapping it up
As you can see, the 40 year recertification inspection scheme is the most important building safety tool in South Florida.
However, the need to strengthen this recertification program has been felt for a long time, more so since the collapse of the Surfside condo.
As a matter of fact, the Surfside condominium building collapsed while undergoing its 40 year structural inspection. And that underscores how important the new 30 year recertification is for buildings in South Florida.
While the new program may seem hectic and unwarranted to you as a building owner, an early building inspection and recertification will only make you worry-free about potential safety risks.
