Facility Condition Assessments

Florida Milestone Inspections
Condominiums & Cooperative Buildings
(Florida SB 4-D, SB 154, Statute 2023-203)

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We provide Florida milestone inspection services for condominiums and cooperative buildings, including building assessments, financial reserve studies, and consulting on repairs and remediation.

Our experts leverage experience in some of the world's most complex matters to deliver comprehensive, localized solutions that address the requirements of Florida SB 4-D and its companion bills.

We combine technical, scientific, and financial expertise to conduct initial inspections to determine if there is “substantial structural deterioration” as defined by Florida law; perform necessary Structural Integrity Reserve Studies (SIRS) and financial analysis for condominiums and cooperative associations; and provide guidance and project monitoring in the maintenance, replacement, and repair of any critical areas of concern.

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Milestone Inspection Services
  • Building Envelope Assessments
  • Code Upgrade & Compliance Analysis
  • Drone Services
  • Due Diligence Property Investigations
  • Exposure & Vulnerability Assessments
  • Facility Condition Assessments
  • Ground Movement & Failure Analysis
  • High-Angle Inspection Services
  • Infrared Thermal Imaging
  • Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing (MEP) Services
  • Moisture Surveys
  • Premised Liability Investigations
  • Property & Infrastructure Damage Assessments
  • Roof Evaluations
  • Seismic Evaluations
  • Structural Integrity Reserve Studies (SIRS)
  • Vibration Studies & Assessments
  • Water Intrusion Investigations
Additional Construction Consulting Services
  • Construction Estimating
  • Construction Insurance Claims Services
  • Construction Scheduling & Planning
  • Contents & Inventory Services
  • Design Team Solicitation, Interview, Negotiation & Award (AEC)
  • Dispute Resolution & International Arbitration
  • Drying & Remediation Plan Preparation
  • Mitigation & Remediation Monitoring
  • Project & Program Management / Owner’s Representation
  • RCV & ACV Determinations
Florida Milestone Inspection Legislation

What is Florida SB 4-D?

In response to the 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida, state legislators passed the Florida Building Safety Law (SB 4-D) to impose stricter regulations regarding structural inspections for condominium and cooperative association buildings. These regulations sought to build upon the mandatory 40-year inspections that were instituted after the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Miami Field Division office collapsed in 1974.

With the passing of SB 4-D, Florida state legislation requires milestone inspections for condominiums and cooperative associations that meet the following criteria:

  • Three stories or taller
  • Were built 30 years ago or more
  • Reside within three miles of the coast and were built 25 years ago or more

Several cities and counties within Florida, including Miami-Dade and Broward counties, have already approved requirements for milestone inspections that are even stricter than what is mandated by the state. Other localities are expected to follow suit and have either already approved or are considering similar requirements. Our experts help condominium and cooperative building owners navigate the evolving local requirements for milestone inspection compliance throughout Florida.

What is Florida SB 154 & Florida Statute 2023-203?

SB 154 and Statute 2023-203 are known as “clean-up” bills, and seek to further define and improve upon the regulations laid out in SB 4-D. Highlights of these bills include:

  • Revising the definitions of “milestone inspections” and “substantial structural deterioration”
  • Giving additional latitude for local enforcement agencies to make determinations on inspection deadlines, specific inspection reports, and milestone inspections after a building reaches a certain age
  • Revising the costs that condominium and cooperative associations are responsible for, condominium association reserve amount requirements, and regulations on the use of reserve funds

To read more about the provisions laid out in Florida Statute 2023-203 and how our experts help building owners achieve compliance, click the link below:

> Article | Florida Statute 2023-203: Ensuring Building Safety in the Wake of Tragedies

Our Subject Matter Experts
  • Architects
  • Building Envelope Experts
  • Certified Floodplain Managers
  • Certified Industrial Hygienists
  • Civil & Structural Engineers
  • Code Experts
  • Construction Experts
  • Cost Analysts / Estimators
  • CPM Construction Schedulers
  • Environmental Scientists
  • Forensic Accountants
  • Geologists
  • MEP Engineers & Consultants
  • Project Controls Specialists
Our Process – Milestone Inspection & Structural Assessment

Our local team of architects and engineers perform Phase I milestone inspections in order to assess if there is “substantial structural deterioration” as defined by Florida law and perform a Phase II inspection if deemed necessary.

We leverage extensive technical expertise to perform comprehensive inspections that help identify potential structural defects. If critical areas of concern are present, we deliver specialized guidance to address the structural components that require maintenance, repair, or replacement.

Our experts serve as independent advisors in determining cause, extent, and duration of damage; repairability; ACV/RCV; delay; period of restoration; and analyzing damages, schedules, and all associated costs. From initial assessment through project closure, we help to coordinate, plan, and monitor all design and construction stages.

Once the milestone inspection has been completed, our experts can file the inspection report on clients’ behalf with the state of Florida, as well as provide copies to relevant building stakeholders, as requested.

Our Process - Financial Expertise

In addition to structural inspections, our forensic accounting experts perform the required Structural Integrity Reserve Studies to ensure that condominium and cooperative building reserves are properly funded.

Following the assessment, our experts determine the estimated useful life of components that were inspected, including roofs, load-bearing walls, primary structural members, floors, foundations, fire protection systems, plumbing, electrical systems, waterproofing, exterior paint, and windows, among other elements. We also provide repair/replacement cost estimates and deliver recommendations regarding the reserve funds needed for major repairs or replacements to building elements identified during the inspection.

Further, our experts also opine and provide guidance regarding compliance with the financial requirements of SB 4-D and its companion bills, as well as the overall manner in which the association’s reserve funds are being utilized.

Our Process - Project Monitoring & Support

Our experts serve as trusted advisors to clients in some of the world’s most complex forensic engineering matters, allowing us to quickly determine the proper course of action in issue remediation, as well as provide guidance to maintain ongoing compliance with the requirements of SD 4-D and its companion bills.

Our local forensic architecture and engineering team has decades of experience working with buildings throughout Florida and leverage deep expertise in building assessments and best practices for building repairs, maintenance, and component replacement.

Our construction advisory team provides strategic direction to help keep projects on time and within budget by effectively integrating project teams and implementing project management protocols.

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J.S. Held

Headquarters

50 Jericho Quadrangle
Suite 117
Jericho, N.Y. 11753
+1 516 621 2900
[email protected]

Media Relations

Contact: [email protected]

Subsidiary Firms

Contract Administration Associates, a J.S. Held Company

DBSConsult, a J.S. Held Company 
 

JS Held Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. | Registration No. 202001033278 (1389599-P)

J.S. Held Engineering Services PLLC

J.S. Held Singapore Pte. Ltd. | Registration No. 202032700W

J.S. Held UK Limited

J.S. Held India Private Limited

Ocean Tomo, a part of J.S. Held
 

California Architecture & Engineering services are provided by J.S. Held Engineering and Architecture, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of J.S. Held LLC

J.S. Held, its affiliates and subsidiaries are not certified public accounting firm(s) and do not provide audit, attest, or any other public accounting services. J.S. Held is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Securities offered through PM Securities, LLC, d/b/a Phoenix IB, a part of J.S. Held, member FINRA/ SIPC or Ocean Tomo Investment Group, LLC, a part of J.S. Held, member FINRA/ SIPC. All rights reserved.

Member FINRA | SIPC
J.S. Held

Headquarters

50 Jericho Quadrangle
Suite 117
Jericho, N.Y. 11753
+1 516 621 2900
[email protected]

Media Relations

Contact: [email protected]

Subsidiary Firms

Contract Administration Associates, a J.S. Held Company

DBSConsult, a J.S. Held Company 
 

JS Held Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. | Registration No. 202001033278 (1389599-P)

J.S. Held Engineering Services PLLC

J.S. Held Singapore Pte. Ltd. | Registration No. 202032700W

J.S. Held UK Limited

J.S. Held India Private Limited

Ocean Tomo, a part of J.S. Held
 

California Architecture & Engineering services are provided by J.S. Held Engineering and Architecture, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of J.S. Held LLC

J.S. Held, its affiliates and subsidiaries are not certified public accounting firm(s) and do not provide audit, attest, or any other public accounting services. J.S. Held is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Securities offered through PM Securities, LLC, d/b/a Phoenix IB, a part of J.S. Held, member FINRA/ SIPC or Ocean Tomo Investment Group, LLC, a part of J.S. Held, member FINRA/ SIPC. All rights reserved.

Member FINRA | SIPC
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