The milestone inspection is the diagnosis. The SIRS is the prescription. We execute the treatment.
SB-4D milestone inspections — due by year 30, or year 25 where the local enforcement agency requires it — paired with Structural Integrity Reserve Studies, are reshaping Florida condominium economics. We translate the findings into executable capital programs.
Request SIRS Implementation ReviewFrom the SIRS reality check.
Reserve studies done before 2022 underestimated waterproofing, roofing, and structural reserves by 30 to 60 percent. Capital plans need to be rebuilt against current South Florida pricing, code, and carrier expectations.
Reserve Versus Reality
Your reserve study is a snapshot. Your building is a moving target.
The rules are not negotiable anymore.
Florida law now requires milestone inspections for buildings three habitable stories or more, on a defined timeline, with a Phase I visual inspection and a Phase II destructive or nondestructive testing requirement if substantial structural deterioration is identified.
SIRS is required on a 10-year cycle and removes the association’s historical ability to waive reserves on structural components. The result: every Florida condo board is now operating under a structural and financial framework that did not exist five years ago. Our broader framework for translating these mandates into executable construction is documented in the Academia Method.
Inspections name the problem. We solve it.
Pre-inspection positioning
Walk the building before the engineer does. Identify obvious failures, document conditions, scope likely findings. Reduces surprises and budget shocks.
Phase II execution
When destructive or nondestructive testing is triggered, we coordinate the testing, interpret the structural engineer’s findings, and convert them into repair scope.
SIRS-driven capital plan
Translate the 10-year reserve component list into a phased, sequenced, financeable construction program tied to actual building condition.
“Earth, of all the solids, is the most immovable.”
After Plato · Timaeus — the structure beneath the reportThe 8 components Florida boards can no longer ignore.
- Roof
- Structure, including load-bearing walls and other primary structural members and primary structural systems
- Fireproofing and fire protection systems
- Plumbing
- Electrical systems
- Waterproofing and exterior painting
- Windows and exterior doors
- Any other item with a deferred maintenance or replacement cost over $25,000 whose failure would affect the items above
6 of the 7 enumerated SIRS components live inside our license stack.
Roof, structure, plumbing, electrical systems, waterproofing and exterior painting, and windows and exterior doors — six of the seven components enumerated in F.S. 718.112(2)(g) — are directly inside Academia’s in-house capabilities. Structural restoration we self-perform to the engineer of record’s sealed design. Fire protection is the one enumerated component we place with a licensed fire protection contractor. No subcontractor fragmentation. No coordination gaps.
Boards are being asked to make construction decisions they were never trained to make.
A volunteer board now has to interpret a structural engineer’s report, evaluate contractor bids, model special assessments against unit owner tolerance, sequence work around occupied units, and defend decisions against litigation exposure. Without an owner’s representative who speaks all three languages — engineering, construction, and association governance — boards default to lowest-bid contractor selection and end up with worse outcomes.
Board-level questions on milestone inspections and SIRS.
When is our milestone inspection due?
Buildings three habitable stories or more, by their 30th year — or 25th year where the local enforcement agency requires it. Re-inspections every 10 years thereafter. Specific deadlines depend on your CO date.
What’s the difference between Phase I and Phase II?
Phase I is visual inspection by a licensed engineer or architect. If they identify substantial structural deterioration, Phase II destructive or nondestructive testing is required to determine extent. Phase II is where most boards get their budget shock.
Can SIRS reserves still be waived?
Not waived, but since HB 913 they can be paused. For budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024, members may no longer vote to provide no reserves or reduced reserves for the components listed in F.S. 718.112(2)(g). HB 913, effective July 1, 2025, added a narrow exception: if the association completed a milestone inspection within the previous 2 calendar years, a majority of the total voting interests may temporarily pause or reduce reserve contributions for no more than two consecutive annual budgets, and only to fund the repairs that inspection recommended. Associations may also secure a loan or line of credit for milestone-required capital work. Reserves on non-SIRS components can still be waived per association documents and statute.
How do we fund a multi-million-dollar structural repair program?
Combinations of reserves, special assessments, association loans, and phased capital programs. We model funding scenarios alongside scope so the board can vote with full visibility.
What happens if we don’t comply?
Building safety citations, possible condemnation in extreme cases, insurance carrier non-renewal, lender questionnaire flags affecting unit sales, and personal director liability exposure.
Deeper reading on this topic.
Florida SB-4D Milestone Inspection: When Phase II Is Triggered
The conditions that trigger Phase II, the cost shift it represents, and how boards should prepare.
Read field report →Recertification40-Year Recertification in Miami: Cost, Scope, and Timeline
Defensible budget ranges by building profile and the line items boards consistently underestimate.
Read field report →Get ahead of the inspection. Not behind it.
Whether you’re approaching year 25, preparing for SIRS, or already in Phase II — earlier engagement equals smaller assessments, cleaner sequencing, and protected insurance.
Schedule SIRS & Milestone Strategy SessionSend us the report. Get a path forward.
Share the engineer’s milestone findings or just your questions — we respond within one business day. No sales scripts.
Prefer to talk? Call (786) 761-9641.