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What are engineers looking for in Florida’s new apartment inspection process?

Harry October 29, 2024

COCOA BEACH — For Jim Emory, strengthened state laws regarding condo inspections and repairs have made his busy inspection job even busier.

Emory is the company’s president and chief engineer. Keystone Engineering and ConsultingIt has offices in two prominent Atlantic coastal communities: Cocoa Beach and Daytona Beach. Company, St. He performs apartment inspections on Florida’s east coast from St. Augustine to Fort Pierce, completing 200 to 300 inspections a year.

He said the state’s new inspection regulations are having a “huge impact on our industry” and insurance industry demands for more proactive inspections and structural repairs at apartment complexes following the 2021 crash. South Champlain Towers in Surfside He killed 98 people.

“They make it a prerequisite for (insurance) coverage,” Emory said, referring to inspections and necessary repairs.

The content of the process and the outcome of the audit may vary depending on complexity.

“Apartments are like people,” Emory said. “They have different personalities.”

How Florida’s condo inspection process works: There are two stages

State regulations now require inspections of apartments that are at least 30 years old and at least three stories high.

The first “Phase One” inspections for these condos must be completed by the end of 2024. In this case, buildings with structural issues are required to undergo a more comprehensive “Phase Two” structural milestone inspection report.

Phase Two reports usually include a visual, acoustic, and hands-on inspection of the apartment building supervised by a licensed professional engineer or architect.

Emory said a Phase One inspection by his company will typically cost $50 to $100 per housing unit, while a Phase Two inspection will cost $100 to $150 per unit. There is a $3,500 minimum fee for smaller apartment complexes.

Generally, the inspection of a coastal condominium focuses on the potential for current and future concrete damage due to reinforcing steel corrosion caused by chloride. This electrochemical phenomenon normally drives coastal building maintenance and repair efforts.

As a result of actual and potential concrete damage, affected building components such as floor coverings, railings, glass doors, windows and shutters are also evaluated.

“It’s a bit of a challenge,” Emory said. “People want to verify that their building is safe.”

Apartment balconies are a big concern for inspections

Emory said apartment balconies are typically a key area of focus, and there is particular concern about structural deterioration over time, especially in buildings near the ocean. Balcony problems can also cause problems with railings, sliding glass doors and shutters.

A big problem is “keeping salt water out of the concrete,” Emory said.

“As part of that audit, we provide budgets for what we think the repairs will cost, and then the state requests that those budgets be funded through the condominium reserve process,” Emory said.

Initial inspection reports should be completed by the end of this year and repairs should be budgeted by the end of 2025.

Keystone also manages follow-on construction projects for necessary structural repairs for apartments requiring service. Emory said his company has overseen nearly 600 apartment restoration projects over the past 20 years.

Emory said his company has also added a consulting team of roofing experts to its staff because insurance companies are requiring more frequent roof repairs or replacements to gain coverage.

How do new condo inspection rules affect Florida’s property insurance costs?

An additional financial burden for many condominiums is rising property insurance costs. Many condominiums have experienced a 50 percent to 100 percent increase in insurance premiums in the past few years, attributed to impacts from both new inspection regulations and hurricane-related damage claims in Florida and elsewhere in recent years, Emory said.

“They are seeing tremendous increases in premiums,” Emory said.

Emory said often needed condo repairs require a special assessment that can run into tens of thousands of dollars per condo owner.

Typically, “the initial reaction is negative to the numbers,” Emory said.

Water poured into garage minutes before collapse at Surfside condo

Water was seen pouring into the basement garage of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida, minutes before the partial collapse on June 24.

USA TODAY, With Story

But condominium boards are generally eventually convinced that timely repair work is the way to go.

“This is really about education,” Emory said. “This is an investment in the life of the building – being proactive, making structural repairs as early as possible.”

Once repairs began, the focus of condos and other residents shifted mostly to aesthetics, Emory said.

“It’s all about money until you get started,” Emory said. “Then they start getting engaged and they start saying, ‘Let’s do more.'”

Another impact of state laws on inspections is that some companies have difficulty hiring engineers with extensive experience in apartment inspections, a specialized skill, Emory said. As a result, Emory said, some companies’ condo inspection reports fall short of the mark in terms of comprehensiveness.

Florida legislator: ‘Financial hardship’ is worth making needed repairs

Florida Representative Tyler SiroisRepresentative, R-Merritt Island, who chairs the House Regulatory Reform and Economic Development Subcommittee, supports increased state oversight of apartment inspections.

“These inspections are necessary,” said Sirois, whose House district includes the Brevard County beach communities of Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach and Satellite Beach. “It’s important to remember what prompted this law: a structural collapse that killed 98 people. Champlain Towers was built in 1981. My understanding is that cracks and crumbling concrete were detected but were not fixed in a timely manner and the building collapsed. These inspections had to be proactive.”

Sirois said he recognizes that costs associated with condo repairs “create financial hardship for a lot of people.”

“Requirements and structural integrity inspections are costly for many apartment owners, especially those on fixed incomes,” Sirois said. he said. “Resident safety depends on associations having the funds to complete inspections and make structural repairs. I know this is a challenge for older buildings with high maintenance costs.”

Sirois said he is open to considering “ways to alleviate the financial challenges the new requirements create for apartment owners.”

“Perhaps there are ways to ease fully funded reserve requirements for some buildings that appear to be less prone to structural problems,” Sirois said. “But when you’re talking about a 30-40-year-old building, these inspections are a matter of life safety. We need to find the balance.”

Dave Berman is business editor TODAY FLORIDA. Contact Berman at: [email protected]in x @bydaveberman and on Facebook www.facebook.com/dave.berman.54