A complete guide to Aventura Building Inspections
Aventura has made some notable changes to its Building Inspections. The Aventura Building Safety Inspection which was previously known as the Aventura 40-year inspection is a public safety program that examines the structural and electrical components of a building. After the tragic event that occurred in Surfside many building owners were worried whether the building they were living in was structurally sound. Florida took immediate action in order to create a state-wide Milestone Inspection program to prevent accidents like this from happening again by introducing Senate Bill 4-D.
In this article, we will go over all the new changes introduced by Senate Bill 4-D and how they affect the previous 40-year inspection program. Although the Aventura Inspection process did not change much there are some crucial changes you should be aware of. As one of Aventura’s top building inspectors, our team has completed thousands of inspections and we can help you complete this tedious process.
What are the Aventura Condominium Inspection laws
Condominiums make up a big portion of the buildings affected by the new Aventura Building Inspection laws, however, any building that is 3 stories or higher and has at least 3,500 square feet is required to complete these inspections. Aventura already had a building inspection program in place called the 40-year inspection process. The previous inspections required by the City of Miami were very comprehensive and already covered everything in the new Florida-mandated inspection laws except for a few new changes that had to be implemented.
The main changes to the Aventura Building Inspection program did not affect the specific areas needing to be inspected due to it already covering everything in the new program and more. One of the most important changes was the time frame when a building’s first inspection was required. According to the new legislature, all buildings in Florida require a Building Inspection after 30 years if it is located more than 3 miles from the coast and every 25 years if it is 3 miles or less from the coast.
The previous 40-year inspection program in Aventura required recertification by a building inspector after the building reached 40 years of age. Instead, we now have a 30-year inspection and a 25-year inspection in Aventura. Besides that the requirements remain the same. Your building is still required to have your structural components inspected as well as the electrical components. Both were required under the previous 40-year inspection and are still required under the Aventura Building Safety Inspection program. The 10-year milestone inspection which was required after you completed your first inspection also remains the same and is required regardless of the previous inspections you have completed.
Along with those two elements if your building has a parking lot attached to it you also need to complete a guard rail inspection and a parking lot illumination inspection in accordance with the City of Miami requirements. Another important change to the Aventura building inspection program is the introduction of the SIRS. The structural integrity reserve study known as the SIRS study is an extra inspection that is now required. The SIRS study requires a Florida-licensed Engineer or architect to visually inspect your building’s current condition and provide an estimated cost of repairing and maintaining your building.
What if my building already completed Aventura's 40 year inspection?
If your building was building is older than 40 years then chances are you already completed Aventura’s 40-year inspection program and are following with the subsequent inspections every 10 years. If this is the case then you can continue with the same schedule as the 10-year inspection required after your first building inspection remains the same.
One of the new requirements introduced in Senate Bill 4-D is the SIRS study. This is an additional requirement introduced to the Aventura Building Safety Inspection program which requires a Florida-licensed engineer or architect to visually inspect your building and create an estimated cost of maintaining and repairing the building. This new inspection program provides a sort of report card for your building so that you know what your estimated maintenance cost will be so building owners, property managers, and associations can have the funds in reserve to carry out these necessary repairs.
How do I know if my building in Aventura is required to pass an inspection?
The Aventura Building Department is required to send you a certified letter when your building inspection is approaching. However, we recommend being proactive and reaching out to us or the Aventura Building department in order to check when your inspection is required. If you do not receive the letter because you have not updated your contact information then you are still responsible for completing the inspection within the allocated time frame.
Let’s go over the requirements just in case so that you can determine if your building in Aventura will be subject to the new Building Safety Inspection program. All Buildings located in Aventura that are 3,500 square feet or more and also 3 stories or higher are required to complete the inspection. This can include parking lots and warehouses so it does not only apply to condos in Aventura.
If you do not complete the Aventura Building Inspection can result in penalties starting from $500 a day so it is crucial to complete these inspections within the time frame outlined in the letter. For Aventura, this is usually within 90 days of receiving the letter. If you are unable to get the inspection completed in time you are allowed to ask for a one-time extension which will cost you an additional $500 if it is approved by the Aventura Building Department.
Although we try to help our customers by providing the most current regulations to the Aventura Building Inspections you should always refer back to the Aventura Building department to confirm. These building inspection laws and regulations are always changing so we recommend reaching out to the building department for the most up-to-date info. For your convenience, we have provided Aventura’s building department’s website and contact information below so you can contact them if you have questions that were not answered in this article,
Aventura BUILDING DEPARTMENT
Which buildings in Aventura are exempt from the Building Safety Inspection?
Some buildings in Aventura are exempt from completing the new Aventura Building Safety Inspection:
- 1 to 2-story family dwellings
- Buildings which are under 3500 square feet
- State of Florida buildings
- US government buildings
- Schools under the jurisdiction of Miami-Dade County School Board
- Buildings built on indigenous tribe reservations
What type of building inspectors are qualified to complete the Aventura Building safety Inspection?
The Building Safety Inspection is a comprehensive structural inspection that is crucial to residents’ safety therefore not just any regular home building inspector is qualified to perform it. In order to be a qualified building inspector for this program it must be performed by a Florida licensed engineer or architect.
The reason for this is that the Building inspector is liable that the inspection was completed properly. The report must be signed and sealed by a licensed architect or engineer which certifies that the inspection was performed as required and in its entirety. A structural engineer has a more comprehensive understanding of how buildings are completed and therefore can provide invaluable insight into its structural and electrical components.
What's the next step once I complete Aventura's building Safety inspection?
Once an Engineer or architect has completed your building safety inspection they will provide you with a signed and sealed report outlining the results of the inspection. If the Building inspector carrying out the inspection did not identify any problems with your building’s electrical or structural components you are ready to move on to the next step.
Once the Building Inspector has sent you the signed and sealed report you can then submit the report to the Aventura Building Department and you are not required to complete the process again for 10 years when you will be required to do it again. However, If during the inspection the inspector found issues like concrete spalling, cracks, or other issues then you must still submit the report.
If there were issues with your building there is no need to worry. Once you submit the report to the Aventura building department they will provide you with an extension so you can get the necessary permits required to repair any of the issues found in the report. This is usually around 160 days but we reccomend verifing with the Aventura Building Department. One crucial key to avoiding any penalties or fines is that you submit the report within the allocated time frame. Even if the Building Inspector did not find any issues and you have a clean report but you don’t submit it in time you can still be penalized or required to restart the inspection process again.
Summary of the Aventura Building Safety Inspection program
To some things up, the new changes introduced with the new Senate Bill 4-D will affect many condominiums and buildings across Aventura. The Building Safety Inspection program checks the Structural and Electrical components of your building as well as the Guard Rails and parking lot illumination if there is a parking lot attached to the property. The key changes from the previous 40-year inspection to the new Aventura Building Safety Inspection program are the timeframe when your first inspection will be required along with the new SIRS study. This inspection program will help ensure that Building Owners, Property Managers, as well as associations, are keeping up with a building’s maintenance.
These programs although geared toward keeping residents in Aventura safe also provide many benefits for buildings owners. Between the Building Safety Inspection and the SIRS study, you will have a comprehensive understanding of your building condition. It also provides minimizes your legal risk by showing that you are a responsible building owner and have carried out all the required inspections to keep your building safe for residents.
Condo residents in Aventura will also enjoy the peace of mind of knowing that the building has been examined by a professional. Not maintaining a Building, especially if it is close to the ocean can cause excessive wear and tear and if not addressed it can spiral out of control costing thousands of dollars to repair. Proactive maintenance will save you time and money in the long run and provide a safe environment for everyone.
