Our Services
Florida Structural Forensics provides a full range of structural inspection and investigation services. Our licensed professional engineers bring decades of experience to every project, delivering thorough, unbiased reports you can act on with confidence.
Milestone Inspections
Milestone Inspections for condominiums and cooperative buildings are now required by Florida Law Ch. 2023-203 which revises Florida Statute 553.899 (2022). The intent is to ensure a building is structurally sound and does not pose a threat to the public safety.
Milestone Inspections are mandatory for Florida condominium buildings three (3) or more stories in height. Selecting a Florida Special Inspector of Threshold Buildings to provide the Milestone Inspection on your condominium ensures your Professional Engineer has designed and inspected structural components on threshold buildings.
Phase One
The purpose of Phase One of the Milestone Inspection is to evaluate structural elements of your building and to make sure there is no substantial structural deterioration. Structural elements include load-bearing walls and primary structural members. This inspection must be done by a licensed engineer/architect.
Phase Two
The Phase Two Milestone Inspection may be required if suspicious issues are found during the Phase One Milestone Inspection. The goal of this step is to pinpoint the underlying issue facing your building and to provide comprehensive understanding of what needs to be done by your Condominium Association.
A condominium association is required to perform a Milestone Inspection for each building that is three or more stories in height. This inspection must occur by December 31 of the year in which the building turns 30 years old and must be conducted every 10 years thereafter.
Structural Integrity Reserve Studies (SIRS)
Florida requires all condominium associations with buildings 3+ stories to perform a Structural Integrity Reserve Study at least every 10 years to ensure there is money to pay for needed repairs. The structural portion of the SIRS must be conducted by a licensed engineer/architect.
A Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS) is a standard reserve study now required every ten years that requires the participation of a licensed engineer, who will provide a visual observation of the building. If any structural issues are found, the engineer will issue a report and an estimate of the cost to rehab.
Florida Structural Forensics will provide the Structural Integrity portion of the SIRS in conjunction with our affiliated reserve study provider, Staebler Appraisal. Patricia Staebler is the owner of Staebler Appraisal and has an extensive background in cost estimation and construction project management in civil engineering, with reserve studies for numerous condominium and homeowner associations in Florida since 2006.
Structural Forensic Investigations
Simply put, if there's a problem with a structure, we specialize in performing investigations to determine what happened and why. Those problems include a wide variety of issues in both commercial and residential structures.
- Wind Damage
- Hail Damage
- Storm and Flood Damage
- Fire Damage
- Tree Damage
- Building Component Failures
- Foundation Movement
- Vehicle Impacts
- Moisture Intrusions
- Construction Defects
Threshold Inspections
Building failures during construction are real and dangerous. In response to past tragic collapses or failures, the state of Florida requires that certain buildings defined as Threshold Buildings be inspected during construction. Our team is qualified to conduct these Threshold Inspections because of our licensed Special Inspector.
Chapter 553.71 of the Florida Statutes defines a threshold building as any structure 3+ stories or 50 feet in height, or has an assembly occupancy classification that exceeds 5,000 square feet, and an occupant content of greater than 500 persons.
The Special Inspector verifies that the construction is in compliance with the drawings provided by the design professionals and on record with the local building department.
Ready to get started?
Contact Florida Structural Forensics today to discuss your inspection or investigation needs.
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