4o years inspection & Certification

The fundamental purpose…

The required inspection and report for the Recertification is to confirm in reasonable fashion that the structure under consideration is safe for continued use under the present occupancy.

The 40 Year Building Recertification of Real Estate Property is a requirement, under Section 8-11 (f) of the County Code, for buildings that have been in existence for more than 40 years and every 10 years thereafter, to be inspected for the purpose of determining the general structural and electrical safety condition.

40/50/10 Year Recertification Homestead, Doral, Kendall, Town of Surfside, Cutler Bay, Opa-Locka, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Dania, Pompano, Hallandale Beach, Pembroke Pines, Miramar, Weston, West Oakland Park, Coral Springs, Tamarac, Coconut Creek, South Florida / Building Code.

40 Year Inspection of Real Estate property is performed following the County or City local governments minimum inspection procedural for building guidelines or inspection checklist (known as Building Safety Inspection Program in Broward County – Board of Rules and Appeals Policy #05-05) and might need the following:

• Electrical Engineer Inspection and Structural inspection.

• Level of illumination in the parking lot (Chapter 8C of the Miami-Dade Code relating to parking illumination. In accordance with Section 8C-2, the minimum prescribed standards for parking illumination contained in Section 8C-3 were made retroactive upon adoption of the original ordinance. As part of the submission, it is required to submit a form certifying compliance with the parking illumination standards signed and sealed by a professional engineer).

• Compliance with guardrail for areas adjacent or abutting a canal, lake or other body of water in the parking spaces.

Destructive tests will not be performed during the Inspection.

We perform  40-Year Inspection  for safety in residential and commercial properties.

Which properties are exempted?

In Miami-Dade, Miami Beach, single family homes residences, duplex and minor structures, townhouses and other structures buildings with an occupant load of ten (10) or less and 2,000 square feet or less are exempted. Also non-residential buildings on farms are exempted.

Who can sign off the 40-Year Recertification report ?

An Engineer or Architect.

• Professional Engineers (any structure).

• Registered Architects (limited scope).

A Florida State registered engineer is required to prepare an Electrical Recertification Report for services of 600 amperes (240 volts-single phase) or more on residential projects, or services of 800 amperes (240 volts-single phase) on commercial projects, and which costs more than $50,000 as per Chapter 471 of the Florida Statutes.

Report format and text based on the local government guidelines. Professionals preparing report may use their own form if it contains the same information found in this package.

Each individual page of report must be signed and sealed by a registered engineer.

The engineer must have proven qualifications by training and experience in the specific technical field covered in the building safety inspection report (structural or electrical recertification) as per Section No. 8-11(f) of the Code.

What is the process?

• Engineer will attest the results in a report to the best of their knowledge, belief and professional judgment and based on the conditions observed.

• The report will state if the building or structure under consideration is safe for the specified use and continue occupancy.

• The report is required to be submitted to the Local Government with a permit application, property owner has 90 days or a notice of code violations might be issued without further notice and property can be reported as unsafe structures for initiation of condemnation process. You might be liable for a maximum fine of $10,510 and all enforcement costs. Local government Code compliance enforcement unit might vacate and demolish the structure.

40 Year Certification Inspection General Considerations – Miami-Dade County Minimum guidelines.

(Broward County has similar requirements)

Under no circumstances are these minimum recommendations intended to supplant proper professional judgment.

In general, unless there is obvious overloading, or significant deterioration of important structure elements there is little need to verify the original design.

Scope of the Electrical and Structural Inspection.

Structural Engineer Inspection.

• Condition of the Structure (general alignment (bulging, settlement, deflection, expansion, contraction), distress (beams, columns, etc), surface condition (finishes, spalling, cracks, peeling, moisture penetration, etc), cracks in significant members, deterioration.

• Masonry bearing walls (masonry units, Clay Tile or Terracotta units, Concrete tile columns, Concrete tile beams, lintel).

• Exterior finishes.

• Interior finishes (Cracks, Spalling, Corrosion).

• Floor and Roof Systems (Roof (slope, deck type, covering), Floor (framing, span, material).

• Steel Framing System.

• Concrete Framing System.

• Windows (Type, Anchorage, Sealant).

• Wood Framing (Type, Fittings, Joints, Drainage, Ventilation) .

Scope of Electrical Inspection Report.

• Electric Service (Size, Phases).

• Meter and Electrical Room (Clearance).

• Gutters (Location, Taps and fill).

• Electrical Panels.

• Branch Circuits (Identification, Conductors).

• Grounding.

• Service Conduit Raceways.

• Service Conductors and Cables.

• Wiring Methods.

• Feeder Conductors.

• Emergency Lighting.

• Egress Illumination.

• Fire Alarm.

• Smoke Detectors.

• Exit Lights.

• Emergency Generator.

• Wiring in Parking Areas.

• Lighting in Parking Areas.

• Swimming Pool Wiring.

• Wiring of Mechanical Equipment.

Required Evaluation

Each report shall include a statement to the effect that the building is structurally safe, unsafe, safe with qualifications, or has been deemed safe by restrictive interpretation of such statements.

It is suggested that each report also include the following information indicating the actual scope of the report and limits of liability.

This paragraph may be used: “As a routine matter, to avoid possible misunderstanding, nothing in this report should be construed directly or indirectly as a guarantee for any portion of the structure. To the best of my knowledge and ability, this report represents and accurate appraisal of the present condition of the building based upon careful evaluation of observed conditions, to the extent reasonably possible.”

Service Areas.

40/50 Year Recertification Kendall Lakes, The Hammocks, Pinecrest, Sunny Isles, Davie, Deerfield Beach, Margate, Sunrise, Plantation, Palmetto Bay, Aventura, Shores, Sweetwater, Westchester, Ball Harbour, Bay Harbor Islands, Indian Creek Village, Springs, Shores, Medley, Key Biscayne Park, El Portal, Southwest Ranches, Hillsboro, Lauderhill, Parkland, Cooper City, Virginia Gardens, Calusa Club, Allapattah, Coconut Grove, Liberty City, Little Havana, Wynwood, Kendall Lakes, Olympia Heights, West Palm Beach, Florida City, Country Club, Fontainebleau, Glenvar Hights, Goulds, Leisure City, Princeton, Richmond West, Tamiami. Broward. The Crossings, Westview. City of Hialeah, Florida.

County Department forms.

Letter of Compliance to Building Official – sample.

Notice of Inspection.

Above you can search in Miami-Dade County public records (including Miami Beach and all municipalities).

For a 40 year building or older in need of inspections, find the age in. Property Search.

You can also search in Broward.