Inspection for 40-Year Old Buildings in Florida

Inspection for 40-Year Old Buildings in Florida

Is your building about to be 40 years old?

If yes, then you might be hearing from the City/County Building Department of the Building Safety Inspection Program. Broward County created this program in 2005 following the lead of Miami-Dade County which adopted the program back in 1970s.

This program mandates building owners or managers to have an engineer or architect professionally evaluate the structure and electrical systems. These inspections aim to identify any structural or electrical deficiencies that would threaten life safety or where failure of a critical component is imminent.

The architect or engineer hired to perform the inspection is obligated to look for any cracks, rebar corrosion in masonry walls or balconies. The windows, floors, exterior finishes and roofs are also checked for any deficiencies or damages which could put the building’s residents at risk for injury. They will also be required to check on the condition of the electrical panels, meter rooms, lighting, emergency exit signs, fire alarm systems and smoke detectors.

The Florida Building Code requires all buildings and structures to be maintained in a safe condition, regardless of the age of the building. Building Officials may choose when to notify building owners and managers of the inspection. To be fair, if repairs are required, building owners are given 180 days to complete the repairs unless the Building Official grants an extension upon receipt of a plan for corrective action approved by the architect or engineer working with the property owner.

If this applies to you, remember the GreatFloridaHomes Team as a reference. We work with many reputable Architects and Engineers.