What are Phase 1 and Phase 2?

Phase 1 is a visual inspection of the building's structural components by a licensed engineer or architect. If Phase 1 finds no substantial structural deterioration, the milestone inspection is complete. Phase 2 is required only if Phase 1 reveals substantial structural deterioration; it is a closer evaluation, which may include testing, that defines the extent of the problem and the repairs needed. Most buildings that pass Phase 1 never reach Phase 2.

What is a Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS)?

It is a study under section 718.112(2)(g) of the reserves a condominium or cooperative must set aside for major structural components — roof, load-bearing walls, floor, foundation, fireproofing and fire protection, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing and exterior painting, and windows and exterior doors. Required for buildings three or more habitable stories and updated at least every 10 years, it estimates each component's remaining life, replacement cost, and recommended reserve funding.

Can a Florida condo association still waive reserves?

Not for the SIRS structural components, generally. For budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024, an association that must obtain a SIRS generally may not vote to provide no reserves or less reserves for the SIRS structural items, unlike the traditional practice that allowed owners to waive reserves by vote. The 2025 amendments allow funding through regular or special assessments, lines of credit, or loans, and allow a limited two-budget-year pause tied to milestone repairs, but the structural reserves themselves generally cannot simply be waived away.

Which buildings are covered?

Both requirements apply to residential condominium buildings under Chapter 718 and cooperative buildings under Chapter 719 that are three or more habitable stories in height. The milestone inspection is triggered by the building's age — 30 years, or 25 where a local agency requires it — while the SIRS applies on a recurring 10-year cycle. Smaller buildings under three habitable stories fall outside these specific requirements.

Why do these matter to a buyer?

Because they reveal the building's structural health and financial preparedness. A condominium's milestone inspection report shows whether there are known structural problems, and its SIRS shows whether the association is funding future structural repairs. A Phase 2 finding or an underfunded reserve study can signal large special assessments ahead. Reviewing both, along with the association's budget and estoppel information, is essential due diligence before buying a Florida condominium.

Florida Condo Milestone Inspection & SIRS (553.899)

TL;DR

After the 2021 Surfside collapse, Florida created two linked requirements for older, taller condominium and cooperative buildings, and the exam tests how they fit together. The first is the milestone inspection under Florida Statute section 553.899: a structural inspection required for condominium and cooperative buildings that are three or more habitable stories in height. The first milestone inspection is due by December 31 of the year the building turns 30 years old, based on the certificate of occupancy — or age 25 where a local enforcement agency requires it, such as near the coast — and then every 10 years after that. It runs in two phases: a Phase 1 visual inspection by a licensed engineer or architect, and a Phase 2 inspection only if Phase 1 reveals substantial structural deterioration. The second requirement is the Structural Integrity Reserve Study, or SIRS, under Florida Statute section 718.112(2)(g): a study of the reserves a building must set aside for major structural components, also required for buildings three or more habitable stories and updated at least every 10 years. The critical financial rule is that for budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024, an association that must obtain a SIRS generally may not vote to provide no reserves or less reserves for the SIRS structural components, although 2025 amendments allow funding through regular assessments, special assessments, lines of credit, or loans, and allow a limited temporary pause in specific milestone-repair circumstances. The framework was created by Senate Bill 4-D in 2022 and refined by later legislation, so the current statute controls.

Why Florida created these requirements

The June 2021 collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside, which killed 98 people, exposed how deferred maintenance and underfunded reserves could endanger residents of aging condominium towers. In response, the Florida Legislature enacted Senate Bill 4-D in 2022, creating a statewide milestone inspection program and a mandatory structural reserve study. The Legislature refined the framework in later sessions — including Senate Bill 154 in 2023 and further legislation in 2025 — so the operative rules are those in the current statutes, not the original 2022 text. For the exam, the key is to understand the two requirements, what triggers each, and how they connect.

The milestone inspection answers the question "is the building structurally sound right now," while the SIRS answers "is the association setting aside enough money to maintain the building's structure over time." One is a physical inspection; the other is a financial study. Together they are meant to catch structural problems early and ensure the money exists to fix them.

The milestone inspection: section 553.899

The milestone inspection is a mandatory structural inspection under section 553.899 for buildings that are three or more habitable stories in height, as determined by the Florida Building Code — the 2025 amendments added the word "habitable" to the height threshold — and subject to the condominium form of ownership under Chapter 718 or the cooperative form under Chapter 719. The trigger is age: the first inspection must be completed by December 31 of the year the building reaches 30 years of age, measured from the certificate of occupancy. A local enforcement agency may require the first inspection earlier, at 25 years, where local conditions such as proximity to salt water justify it. After the first inspection, the building must be re-inspected every 10 years.

The inspection proceeds in two phases. In Phase 1, a Florida-licensed engineer or architect performs a visual examination of the building's structural components. If the Phase 1 inspector finds no signs of substantial structural deterioration, the milestone inspection is complete. If Phase 1 identifies substantial structural deterioration, a Phase 2 inspection follows — a more detailed evaluation that may involve testing and that specifies the extent of the problem and the repairs needed. The engineer or architect submits a milestone inspection report to the association and the local building official, and the association must share the findings with unit owners. Because a milestone finding can trigger significant repair obligations and assessments, it connects directly to how condominium associations levy costs, covered in our guide to Florida condominium and cooperative law.

The Structural Integrity Reserve Study: section 718.112(2)(g)

The Structural Integrity Reserve Study is a reserve-funding study required under section 718.112(2)(g) of the Condominium Act for residential condominium buildings that are three or more habitable stories in height, with a parallel requirement for cooperatives. It must be performed at least every 10 years and completed by a qualified provider, and it evaluates the reserves needed for the building's major structural components — items such as the roof, the load-bearing walls and primary structural members, the floor, the foundation, fireproofing and fire-protection systems, plumbing, electrical systems, waterproofing and exterior painting, and windows and exterior doors. For each component, the study estimates the remaining useful life, the estimated replacement cost, and the recommended annual reserve contribution.

The financial teeth of the SIRS is the reserve-funding rule. For budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024, an association that must obtain a SIRS generally may not vote to provide no reserves or less reserves for the SIRS structural components — a sharp change from the traditional Florida practice of allowing owners to waive reserves by vote. The 2025 amendments (House Bill 913) added flexibility: the reserves may be funded through regular assessments, special assessments, lines of credit, or loans; and for budgets adopted on or before December 31, 2028, an association that completed a milestone inspection within the prior two calendar years may, with majority approval, temporarily pause or reduce reserve contributions for the SIRS components for no more than two consecutive annual budgets to fund milestone-recommended repairs. The core principle stands: the money for structural reserves generally cannot simply be waived away. The 2025 law also set transition deadlines for existing unit-owner-controlled associations — the initial SIRS is generally due by December 31, 2025, with limited coordination for associations required to complete a milestone inspection by December 31, 2026, and in no event may it be completed after December 31, 2026. Because these reserve obligations affect a buyer's due diligence and the estoppel information a buyer receives, this ties to our guide to estoppel certificates.

How the two requirements work together

The milestone inspection and the SIRS are separate obligations with different triggers, but they are designed to reinforce each other. A milestone inspection identifies current structural problems; a SIRS ensures the association is funding the future replacement of the same kinds of structural components. A building can be required to have both, and the timing of one can influence the other. For a buyer or a licensee, the practical significance is that a condominium's milestone inspection report and its SIRS are essential due-diligence documents: they reveal whether the building has known structural issues and whether the association has the reserves to address them. A clean milestone report and a fully funded SIRS suggest a well-maintained building; a Phase 2 finding or an underfunded reserve study is a warning sign that large assessments may be coming. Because these documents disclose material facts about the property's condition, they connect to a seller's disclosure obligations, covered in our guide to seller property disclosure requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a milestone inspection in Florida?: It is a mandatory structural inspection under Florida Statute section 553.899 for condominium and cooperative buildings that are three or more habitable stories in height. The first inspection is due by December 31 of the year the building turns 30 years old (or age 25 where a local agency requires it), and then every 10 years. It is performed by a licensed engineer or architect and confirms whether the building's structure is sound.
What are Phase 1 and Phase 2?: Phase 1 is a visual inspection of the building's structural components by a licensed engineer or architect. If Phase 1 finds no substantial structural deterioration, the milestone inspection is complete. Phase 2 is required only if Phase 1 reveals substantial structural deterioration; it is a closer evaluation, which may include testing, that defines the extent of the problem and the repairs needed. Most buildings that pass Phase 1 never reach Phase 2.
What is a Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS)?: It is a study under section 718.112(2)(g) of the reserves a condominium or cooperative must set aside for major structural components — roof, load-bearing walls, floor, foundation, fireproofing and fire protection, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing and exterior painting, and windows and exterior doors. Required for buildings three or more habitable stories and updated at least every 10 years, it estimates each component's remaining life, replacement cost, and recommended reserve funding.
Can a Florida condo association still waive reserves?: Not for the SIRS structural components, generally. For budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024, an association that must obtain a SIRS generally may not vote to provide no reserves or less reserves for the SIRS structural items, unlike the traditional practice that allowed owners to waive reserves by vote. The 2025 amendments allow funding through regular or special assessments, lines of credit, or loans, and allow a limited two-budget-year pause tied to milestone repairs, but the structural reserves themselves generally cannot simply be waived away.
Which buildings are covered?: Both requirements apply to residential condominium buildings under Chapter 718 and cooperative buildings under Chapter 719 that are three or more habitable stories in height. The milestone inspection is triggered by the building's age — 30 years, or 25 where a local agency requires it — while the SIRS applies on a recurring 10-year cycle. Smaller buildings under three habitable stories fall outside these specific requirements.
Why do these matter to a buyer?: Because they reveal the building's structural health and financial preparedness. A condominium's milestone inspection report shows whether there are known structural problems, and its SIRS shows whether the association is funding future structural repairs. A Phase 2 finding or an underfunded reserve study can signal large special assessments ahead. Reviewing both, along with the association's budget and estoppel information, is essential due diligence before buying a Florida condominium.

Bottom Line

Florida's post-Surfside condominium safety framework has two linked parts. The milestone inspection under section 553.899 is a structural inspection for condominium and cooperative buildings three or more habitable stories tall, first due by December 31 of the year the building turns 30 (or 25 where a local agency requires it) and every 10 years after, run as a Phase 1 visual inspection followed by a Phase 2 evaluation only if substantial structural deterioration is found. The Structural Integrity Reserve Study under section 718.112(2)(g) requires those same buildings to study and fund reserves for major structural components at least every 10 years, and for budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024, an association that must obtain a SIRS generally may not vote to provide no reserves or less reserves for those structural components, though 2025 amendments permit funding via regular or special assessments, lines of credit, or loans and a limited milestone-repair pause. Created by Senate Bill 4-D in 2022 and refined by later legislation, the current statutes control. For related topics, see our guides to condominium and cooperative law, estoppel certificates, and seller property disclosure requirements.

Source: Florida Statutes § 553.899 (milestone inspections) and § 718.112(2)(g) (Structural Integrity Reserve Study), as created by SB 4-D (2022) and amended by SB 154 (2023) and HB 913 (2025). Fla. Stat. § 553.899 (flsenate.gov) · Fla. Stat. § 718.112 (flsenate.gov) · Florida DBPR — Division of Condominiums