What is a Milestone Inspection?

A “Milestone inspection” means a structural inspection of a building, including an inspection of load-bearing elements and the primary structural members and primary structural systems as those terms are defined in F.S. s. 627.706, by an architect licensed under chapter 481 or engineer licensed under chapter 471 authorized to practice in this state for the purposes of attesting to the life safety and adequacy of the structural components of the building and, to the extent reasonably possible, determining the general structural condition of the building as it affects the safety of such building, including a determination of any necessary maintenance, repair, or replacement of any structural component of the building. The purpose of such inspection is not to determine if the condition of an existing building is in compliance with the Florida Building Code or the fire safety code. The milestone inspection services may be provided by a team or professionals with an architect or engineer acting as a registered design professional in responsible charge with all work and reports signed and sealed by the appropriate qualified team member.

A milestone inspection consists of two phases:

1. For phase one of the milestone inspection, a licensed architect or engineer authorized to practice in this state shall perform a visual examination of habitable and non-habitable areas of a building, including the major structural components of a building, and provide a qualitative assessment of the structural conditions of the building. If the architect or engineer finds no signs of substantial structural deterioration to any building components under visual examination, phase two of the inspection, as provided in paragraph (b), is not required. An architect or engineer who completes a phase one milestone inspection shall prepare and submit an inspection report.
2. A phase two of the milestone inspection must be performed if any substantial structural deterioration is identified during phase one. A phase two inspection may involve destructive or nondestructive testing at the inspector’s direction. The inspection may be as extensive or as limited as necessary to fully assess areas of structural distress in order to confirm that the building is structurally sound and safe for its intended use and to recommend a program for fully assessing and repairing distressed and damaged portions of the building. When determining testing locations, the inspector must give preference to locations that are the least disruptive and most easily repairable while still being representative of the structure. If a phase two inspection is required, within 180 days after submitting a phase one inspection 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. An inspector who completes a phase two milestone inspection shall prepare and submit an inspection report