Condo Milestone Inspections in Indian River County

Condominium and co-op buildings of three or more stories in Indian River County fall under the state milestone inspection rule at age 30, with a repeat inspection each decade.

The Indian River County Building Division's Milestone Inspections FAQs page says the State now requires condominiums and residential cooperative (co-op) association buildings three stories or more to have structural inspections called Milestone Inspections (Indian River County Milestone Inspections FAQs). A building may need one if it is three stories or greater, as determined by the Florida Building Code, and owned partially or fully by a condominium association or cooperative association as a residential condominium under Chapter 718 or a residential cooperative under Chapter 719, and has reached 30 years of age.

The law behind the Indian River County requirement is section 553.899, Florida Statutes, Mandatory structural inspections for condominium and cooperative buildings. It defines a milestone inspection as a structural inspection of load-bearing elements and primary structural members and systems by an architect or engineer licensed in Florida, to attest to the life safety and adequacy of the structural components; it is not a check of compliance with the Florida Building Code or the firesafety code (section 553.899(2), Florida Statutes). The county FAQ adds that building age is based on the date the certificate of occupancy was issued, and that other official building records may be used if that date is not available (county FAQ, timing).

Last verified: October 22, 2026, with the county Milestone Inspections FAQs, the county Building Division page, the 2026 text of sections 553.899 and 718.112, and the Vero Beach Building-Related Resources page all fetched fresh.

For Indian River County buildings, section 553.899 requires the inspection by December 31 of the year a building reaches 30 years of age, based on its certificate of occupancy date, and every 10 years thereafter.

The statute's timing rules, as printed in subsection (3), are set out below (section 553.899(3), Florida Statutes). The Indian River County FAQ restates the subsection (3) timing for buildings it reviews, with building age based on the certificate of occupancy date (Indian River County FAQ timing section).

The 25 year option in subsection (3)(b) applies where the local enforcement agency determines that local circumstances, including environmental conditions such as proximity to salt water, require it (section 553.899(3)(b)). The Indian River County FAQ, for its part, lists the 30 year schedule with repeat inspections every 10 years (county FAQ). Subsection (10) separately lets a local enforcement agency prescribe timelines and penalties for compliance.

Small dwellings with three or fewer habitable stories are exempt, though the Indian River County FAQ and the statute word the list differently.

The Indian River County FAQ says the requirements do not apply to single-family homes, duplexes, or triplexes with three or fewer habitable stories above ground, and defines habitable space as areas for living, sleeping, eating, or cooking, with storage or utility spaces not counted (county FAQ, exemptions). Subsection (4) of the statute says the section does not apply to a single-family, two-family, three-family, or four-family dwelling with three or fewer habitable stories above ground (section 553.899(4)).

The statute's coverage test in subsection (3)(a) reads three habitable stories or more in height as determined by the Florida Building Code, and covers a building that is subject, in whole or in part, to the condominium or cooperative form of ownership (section 553.899(3)(a)). Under subsection (4), the association and any owner of a portion of the building outside the condominium or cooperative are each responsible for compliance, and the association pays the inspection costs for the portions it maintains.

For an Indian River County condo, phase one is a visual examination by a Florida licensed architect or engineer; phase two, which may involve testing, must be performed if any substantial structural deterioration is identified during phase one.

For a milestone inspection in Indian River County, subsection (7) says the phase one inspector examines habitable and nonhabitable areas and the major structural components and gives a qualitative assessment; if no signs of substantial structural deterioration are found, phase two is not required (section 553.899(7)). A phase two inspection may involve destructive or nondestructive testing, and within 180 days after the phase one report the architect or engineer performing the phase two inspection must submit a phase two progress report to the local enforcement agency with a timeline for completion of the phase two inspection.

Each report must bear the seal and signature of the licensed engineer or architect, identify any substantial structural deterioration and recommended repairs, state whether unsafe or dangerous conditions were observed, and identify items requiring further inspection (section 553.899(8)). The statute's definition of substantial structural deterioration does not include surface imperfections such as cracks, distortion, sagging, deflections, misalignment, signs of leakage, or peeling of finishes unless the licensed engineer or architect performing the phase one or phase two inspection determines that such surface imperfections are a sign of substantial structural deterioration. Under subsection (11), a board of county commissioners or municipal governing body shall adopt an ordinance requiring that repairs for substantial structural deterioration be scheduled or commenced within a specified timeframe, with repairs commenced within 365 days, and if proof of repairs is not submitted, the local enforcement agency must review whether the building is unsafe for human occupancy.

The county Building Division takes milestone reports by email, and its Vero Beach office (1801 27th Street) answers at (772) 226-1260.

On the county FAQ, the electronic route is the division's milestone email address, printed on the page, next to a printable PDF version of the FAQ (Indian River County Milestone Inspections FAQs). The Building Division page lists its location as 1801 27th Street, Vero Beach 32960, phone (772) 226-1260 and fax (772) 770-5333, and says the county uses MyGovernmentOnline (MGO) permitting and inspection software for permit applications and inspections (Indian River County Building Division).

Which office receives the report depends on where the building is. Vero Beach describes its Building Department as shared with the county and points to the county website for permits, while the city's Planning and Development Department gives site plan, historic preservation and code compliance approvals before a permit is issued (Vero Beach shared Building Department note). Under the statute, the report goes to the building official of the local government which has jurisdiction, and the association must also send it to any owner of a portion of the building outside the condominium or cooperative (section 553.899(8)). For Indian River Shores, see the Indian River Shores building department guide.

Indian River County condominium associations also face a second state rule: section 718.112 calls for a structural integrity reserve study, and a recent milestone inspection can replace its visual inspection portion.

For Indian River County condominium associations, section 718.112(2)(g) says a residential condominium association must have a structural integrity reserve study completed at least every 10 years after the condominium's creation for each building on the condominium property that is three habitable stories or higher in height, with the items studied running from the roof and structure through plumbing and electrical systems to windows and exterior doors (section 718.112, Florida Statutes). The study is based on a visual inspection and must be performed or verified by a licensed engineer or architect or a certified reserve specialist or professional reserve analyst.

The two requirements connect in the statute text. If a milestone inspection required by s. 553.899 was performed within the past 5 years and meets the reserve study requirements, it may be used in place of the visual inspection portion of the structural integrity reserve study, and an association that completes a milestone inspection may delay a required reserve study for no more than the 2 consecutive budget years immediately following it (section 718.112(2)(g)). For an Indian River County association, section 553.899(8) sends the milestone report to the building official of the local government which has jurisdiction, while the reserve study requirement sits in Chapter 718 among the association's budget and reserve rules.