For Florida condominium associations, the new building safety laws have introduced an alphabet soup of new acronyms and requirements. The two most common terms you will hear are the Milestone Inspection and the Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS).
A common misconception we hear from board members is, “We did the Milestone Inspection, so we don’t need the SIRS,” or vice versa. This is a dangerous mistake. When comparing the milestone inspection vs sirs, it is vital to understand that they are two completely separate legal mandates with different goals, different deadlines, and different outcomes.
This guide will break down the critical differences, explain how they work together, and help your board ensure full compliance with Florida law.
Table of Contents
The Core Difference: Safety vs. Finance
If you only remember one thing about the milestone inspection vs sirs debate, let it be this:
- The Milestone Inspection is about SAFETY (The “Now”).
- The SIRS is about FINANCE (The “Future”).
1. The Milestone Inspection: Is the Building Safe Today?
The Milestone Inspection is a structural and electrical safety audit. Its sole purpose is to determine if the building is safe to occupy right now.
A licensed engineer looks for “substantial structural deterioration”—evidence that the building’s bones are failing. If the building passes, you get a certificate of occupancy. If it fails, you must repair it immediately. It does not care about the cost of future roof replacements; it only cares if the roof is collapsing today.
2. The SIRS: Can We Afford the Building Tomorrow?
The Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS) is a financial planning tool. It assumes the building is safe today but asks, “Do we have enough money saved to replace the roof, painting, and waterproofing when they expire in 5, 10, or 15 years?”
The SIRS requires a visual inspection, but the output is a funding schedule. It forces the association to collect reserves so that when a component reaches the end of its useful life, the cash is available to replace it without a massive special assessment.
Detailed Comparison: Milestone Inspection vs SIRS
To help your board visualize the requirements, here is a breakdown of the key specifics for each mandate.
What Components Are Checked?
- Milestone: Load-bearing walls, columns, beams, and primary electrical systems.
- SIRS: A specific list of items defined by the state, including the roof, load-bearing walls, fireproofing, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing, windows, and any item with a replacement cost over $10,000.
Who Can Perform It?
- Milestone: Must be performed by a licensed professional engineer or architect.
- SIRS: The visual portion must be performed by a licensed engineer or architect. Other professionals can assist with the financial calculations, but the structural data comes from a licensed pro.
The Consequence of “Failure”
- Milestone: If you “fail” (deficiencies are found), you enter a mandatory repair phase (Phase 2) and must fix the issues to keep your building open.
- SIRS: You cannot “fail” a SIRS in the traditional sense. However, if the study shows you are underfunded, the law now prohibits associations from waiving the funding of these specific reserves. You must budget for them.
Why You Need Both Reports
The state legislature designed these two laws to work in tandem. The milestone inspection vs sirs isn’t an “either/or” choice; it’s a two-part system to prevent another Surfside tragedy.
The Milestone Inspection ensures the building isn’t falling down. The SIRS ensures the association isn’t going broke.
Ideally, you should hire the same engineering firm to perform both. Why? Because the data overlaps. If our engineer is on-site inspecting your roof for the Milestone report, they are simultaneously gathering the data needed to estimate the “remaining useful life” for the SIRS report. Combining these services saves the association time and money.
The “Double Jeopardy” of Ignoring the Laws
Associations that try to delay or ignore these requirements face a double threat.
First, local building departments are aggressively enforcing the Milestone deadlines with fines and notices of violation. Second, savvy buyers and mortgage lenders are now demanding to see both the Milestone Report and the SIRS before closing a deal. A condo without these two documents is becoming virtually unsellable in the current Florida market.
For the exact legal text governing these requirements, you can refer to Florida Senate Bill 4-D.
Get a Comprehensive Proposal
Don’t let the confusion of milestone inspection vs sirs delay your compliance. Our team of licensed engineers specializes in both services. We can provide a unified proposal that covers your mandatory safety inspection and your financial reserve study.
Contact us today to clarify your building’s needs and get a clear path to compliance.
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