Condo Milestone Inspection vs. Home Inspection in Florida
Buyers of Florida condos often assume one inspection covers everything. It does not. The inspection of the unit you are buying and the structural inspection of the whole building are different jobs, done by different professionals, for different people. Knowing where one ends and the other begins helps you ask the right questions during your option period.
Key takeaways
- A home inspection looks at the unit and the parts of the building you can reasonably access. It is not a structural engineering review of the whole building.
- The milestone inspection is a separate structural inspection by a licensed engineer or architect, required by statute for older condo buildings of three or more stories.
- Your inspector can note visible signs worth asking about, then you can request the association’s engineering reports.
- A clean unit inspection does not tell you whether the roof, balconies or garage need major work.
What a home inspector covers in a condo
For a unit, our work follows the same logic as any Florida home: electrical panel and visible wiring, plumbing supply and drains, the air handler and ductwork, water heater, appliances, windows and doors, interior finishes, and signs of past or active moisture. We also check what is visible from inside the unit that affects the building envelope, such as stains near sliding doors or balcony thresholds. Many Central Florida condo units also have a washer connection or a water heater closet over finished flooring, which are common leak points.
What we do not do is certify the building’s structure. Structural elements such as the building frame, stairwells and parking structure are usually common property that the association maintains with its own engineer.
What the milestone inspection is
Florida’s section 553.899 requires a milestone inspection for condominium and cooperative buildings three habitable stories or taller by December 31 of the year they turn 30, then every 10 years. Phase one is a visual review by a licensed engineer or architect. Phase two adds testing if substantial structural deterioration is found. The statute says the purpose is not to check building code compliance, and the association must send owners the inspector’s summary within 45 days.
Alongside it, the structural integrity reserve study estimates the life and replacement cost of items such as the roof, waterproofing, plumbing and windows. It is a financial plan based on a visual inspection, not a repair report.
Signs to point out to your inspector
As you tour the building, a few observations are worth writing down and raising later. None of them proves a problem on its own, since many have simple causes:
- Rust stains or flaking concrete on balcony edges or ceilings below balconies
- Cracks in stucco or exterior walls that look wider than hairline
- Water stains in stairwells, hallways or the garage
- Railings that feel loose, or doors and windows that stick in the unit
- Roof or window repair notices posted around the property
Report what you see to your inspector and to your agent. They can ask the association whether an engineer has already reviewed it.
How to line up the right reports
Order your unit inspection inside your option period, and ask the seller for the milestone summary and reserve study at the same time. If either document mentions a repair plan, ask about its schedule and funding. If anything suggests structural concern, ask your agent to request the engineer’s full report, and consider whether a licensed engineer should review it, because a home inspection report cannot answer a structural question.
Insurance is the next piece. The Quality RE Insurance team explains how unit owner coverage and loss assessments work, so you know what a repair bill could mean.
Condo inspection questions
How long does a condo unit inspection take?
Plan on a few hours for a typical unit, depending on size and age. We will give you a window when you book.
Do you inspect the roof and common areas?
We note accessible and visible conditions and the unit’s own systems. Roof and structural evaluation of the building is the engineer’s scope.
If the building passed its milestone inspection, do I still need a unit inspection?
Yes. The milestone inspection is about structure. It does not review the wiring, plumbing, air conditioning or appliances inside your unit. See our pre-purchase inspection details for what a buyer’s inspection includes.
You can book your inspection online or call Quality Real Estate Inspections at 321-222-3116.