Facebook
X
Pinterest
Copy Link
Florida condominium buildings three stories or taller must complete a structural milestone inspection at 30 years of age (25 years in some coastal jurisdictions) and maintain a fully funded Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS) under state law. For a New York or New Jersey buyer evaluating a Delray Beach condo, this means one thing above all: the building’s inspection and reserve status matters as much as the unit’s square footage. House Bill 913, effective July 1, 2025, updated these requirements and added new financial disclosure rules that directly affect what you’ll pay in dues, insurance, and potential special assessments.
What is HB 913 and why does it matter to relocators?
HB 913 is a 2025 Florida law (Chapter 2025-175, Laws of Florida) that refined the state’s post-Surfside condo safety framework. It clarified inspection thresholds, extended a key reserve-study deadline, raised the dollar amount that triggers mandatory reserve funding, and added new conflict-of-interest protections for owners. For relocators, it changes how much diligence is required before signing a contract on a Florida condo — and how confident you can be that the association’s finances are stable.
Signed by Governor Ron DeSantis on June 23, 2025, HB 913 built on the original 2022 Senate Bill 4-D, the law passed after the Champlain Towers South collapse in Surfside. SB 4-D created two parallel requirements that still govern every qualifying building today: a recurring structural inspection (the milestone inspection) and a financial mandate to fund repairs before they’re needed (the SIRS).
What triggers a milestone inspection in Florida?
A milestone inspection is required for any condominium or cooperative building with three or more habitable stories once it reaches 30 years of age, measured from its certificate of occupancy date. Local building officials in coastal jurisdictions — generally within three miles of the shoreline — may require the first inspection at 25 years instead. Re-inspection is required every 10 years after that.
• Applies to buildings under Chapter 718 (condominiums) or Chapter 719 (cooperatives)
• Parking, storage, and mechanical floors don’t count toward the three-story threshold under HB 913’s “habitable stories” clarification
• Phase 1 is a visual inspection by a licensed engineer or architect
• Phase 2 — a more invasive structural evaluation — is only triggered if Phase 1 finds substantial deterioration
• Findings must be reported to the local building official and disclosed to unit owners
For a relocator, this means: ask directly whether the building has completed its milestone inspection, and if so, request the Phase 1 (and Phase 2, if applicable) report before you write an offer.
What is a Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS), and has the deadline changed?
A SIRS is a mandatory financial study that determines how much a condo association must reserve for eight structural categories — roof, load-bearing walls, primary structure, fire protection, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing, and windows/exterior doors. HB 913 extended the completion deadline: associations with a milestone inspection due on or before December 31, 2026 can complete the SIRS on the same timeline, but no later.
Practically, this means associations that were previously scrambling to hit a 2024 deadline now have more room to sequence their SIRS alongside the milestone inspection, which reduces duplicate engineering costs — a detail worth noting when a listing agent tells you a building is “still finalizing” its reserve study.
What changed with reserve funding thresholds in 2026?
HB 913 raised the dollar threshold that triggers mandatory reserve-line funding from $10,000 to a base of $25,000, with annual inflation adjustments starting in 2026. The Florida Division of Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes (DBPR) set the official 2026 threshold at $25,675. Items below that amount are no longer automatically required to carry a dedicated reserve line — though boards can still choose to reserve for them.
This is a genuinely relocator-relevant detail: a lower reserve threshold historically meant more line items, more contributions, and higher monthly dues. The higher 2026 threshold gives some associations room to reduce assessment pressure on smaller components, though it can also mean less padding if several small-ticket items fail around the same time.
Can a condo association pause reserve contributions after a milestone inspection?
Yes. Under HB 913, an association that completes a milestone inspection identifying necessary repairs may vote to pause regular reserve contributions for up to two consecutive budget years, redirecting that money toward the identified repair work. Once repairs are finished or the two-year window expires, the SIRS must be updated and standard reserve funding resumes.
For a buyer, a “paused reserves” line in a building’s financials isn’t automatically a red flag — it can reflect a board actively funding known repairs rather than deferring them. But it’s a detail your closing attorney or agent should walk through the estoppel and reserve documents to confirm.
What conflict-of-interest protections did HB 913 add?
Any architect, engineer, or licensed contractor hired to perform a SIRS or milestone inspection must now disclose in writing if they intend to bid on the repair work their own inspection identifies. This closes a gap where the same firm that “finds” a problem could also profit from “fixing” it — a dynamic that previously drove distrust (and sometimes inflated special assessments) in post-Surfside associations.
• Disclosure must be in writing before the inspection or study proceeds
• Structural reports, including milestone inspections and SIRS documents, must be retained for 15 years
• Boards are advised to have association counsel review inspection and repair contracts for compliance
How is Florida property insurance changing in 2026, and what does it mean for Delray Beach condo buyers?
Florida’s Office of Insurance Regulation approved 2026 rates for Citizens Property Insurance Corporation that produce a statewide average reduction of 8.7% for personal lines policyholders — the first broad decrease Citizens has issued since 2015. More than 330,000 policyholders across all 67 counties are seeing rate decreases, and over 150,000 are seeing reductions of 10% or more.
South Florida is seeing some of the largest cuts in the state. In Palm Beach County specifically, 76.9% of Citizens policyholders are receiving rate decreases averaging 11.7%, saving roughly $423 per year on average. State officials attribute the reversal to 2022–2023 tort reform, which reduced Florida’s share of national homeowners insurance litigation from roughly 73% before reform to a much smaller share today, even though the state accounts for only about 11% of homeowners claims nationally.
For relocators budgeting a move from New York or New Jersey — states with comparatively low property insurance costs — this trend matters, but it doesn’t eliminate the gap. Coastal condo insurance in Palm Beach County remains materially higher than in the Northeast, even with the 2026 relief. Budget for both a master association policy (covering the building) and an HO-6 walls-in policy (covering your unit’s interior) when comparing all-in monthly costs to what you paid up north.
Comparing what NY/NJ buyers should check before and after HB 913
| Diligence Item | Pre-HB 913 Baseline | 2026 Standard Under HB 913 |
|---|---|---|
| Milestone inspection trigger | 30 years (25 in some coastal areas) | Unchanged — but “habitable stories” now clarified |
| SIRS deadline | December 31, 2024 (original SB 4-D) | Extended to December 31, 2025–2026, depending on inspection timing |
| Reserve funding threshold | $10,000 per component | $25,675 (2026, inflation-adjusted) |
| Reserve funding pause after inspection | Not permitted | Up to 2 consecutive budget years |
| Engineer/contractor conflict disclosure | Not required | Mandatory written disclosure |
| Structural report retention | Not specified | 15 years |
| Citizens insurance trend (statewide) | Rate increases through 2025 | 8.7% average decrease starting 2026 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does HB 913 apply to single-family homes?
No. HB 913, SB 4-D, and the SIRS requirements apply only to condominium and cooperative buildings of three or more habitable stories under Chapters 718 and 719 of Florida law. Single-family homes and townhomes without shared vertical structure are not subject to milestone inspections.
How do I find out if a Delray Beach condo building has completed its milestone inspection?
Request the building’s most recent milestone inspection report and SIRS directly from the seller, listing agent, or association through the estoppel and document request process before closing. Local building departments also maintain compliance records.
Will a pending special assessment affect my ability to get a mortgage?
It can. Some lenders and condo insurers factor known or pending special assessments into underwriting, and Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac guidelines include specific condo project review criteria tied to structural and reserve status. Confirm assessment history before you’re under contract, not during underwriting.
Is Florida condo insurance still more expensive than in New York or New Jersey?
Generally yes, even after the 2026 Citizens rate reductions. Coastal exposure, reinsurance costs, and building age all factor into Florida condo premiums. The 2026 relief narrows the gap but does not eliminate it — budget accordingly.
What’s the difference between a milestone inspection and a SIRS?
A milestone inspection evaluates a building’s physical structural condition. A SIRS evaluates whether the association has (or is saving) enough money to pay for future repairs to that structure. Florida law requires both, and HB 913 allows them to be completed on a coordinated timeline.
