Davie Building Inspections: A to Z Guide
If you have owned or managed Buildings in Davie for several years then you are probably familiar with the 40-year inspection as part of Davie Building Inspection requirements. Well after the tragic collapse of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside last year much has changed regarding Davie Building Inspections and recertifications. On May 2022, a new Senate Bill was passed called 4D also known as (SB4D). The new legislation is focused on improving building safety and maintenance standards throughout Florida. In this article, we will discuss the changes to the new condo laws in Florida and how they affect Building Inspections in Davie, FL. Our Davie Building Inspectors would be happy to help you with any questions you might have regarding these inspections.
new regulations for building and Condo Inspections in Davie
Davie has always had a Building Inspection program known in the biz as the 40-year inspection or 50-year inspection program. Building Managers, Homeowners associations, Building Owners, and property management companies in Davie are likely to be very familiar with this old program. So what has changed in the Davie Building Inspection program? Well, for starters the name has changed. As stated earlier the program was referred to by industry professionals as the 40-year inspection because it was required after your Building turned 40 years old.
The new program is referred to as BSIP which is short for Building Safety Inspection Program. Under the new Davie Building Safety Inspection program you are required to complete your first inspection after 25 years instead of 40. Once you have completed the 25-year inspection in Davie then you do not have to go through the process again for another 10 years. The 10-year inspection which is to be completed after your first inspection remains the same. Under the 40-year inspection, you were required to follow this 10-year inspection process in the same manner.
Along with the name change and requirements for your building’s first inspection, another requirement was implemented. A new program called the Structural Integrity Reserve Study or SIRS for short was introduced. This additional requirement was added to the list of requirements and is another inspection that looks at the existing condition of your building and calculates the estimated cost to maintain or repair any damage that can occur to formulate a reserve of funds. This ensures that Building Owners have sufficient funds in reserve to keep their building safe and up to date. You can learn more about this program on our Structural Integrity Reserve Study page.
Does my building in Davie require a Building Safety inspection?
The Davie Building Safety Inspection program is required by all buildings in Davie, FL which are 3 stories or taller and have at least 3500 square feet. The Davie Building Department will likely send you a letter in the mail letting you know when your building is due for inspection. One thing to note is that you are responsible for getting your Davie Building Safety Inspection done in time. If you don’t receive the letter because your mailing address has changed or for any other reason then you will still receive penalties or fees for not getting the inspection done in time.
These fees start from $500 a day so it is important to contact the Davie Building Department to ensure whether your Building requires the inspection and when it is due. We have provided the contact information for the Davie Building Department below to make it easy for you to contact them.
Davie BUILDING DEPARTMENT
What if I already completed the Davie 40 year Building inspection?
If you manage or own an older building in Davie then chances are you have already completed a 40-year inspection. If you have then you can continue with the previous 10-year milestone inspection requirements. So 10 years after your last inspection you will need to repeat the process. One thing that is new and will be required moving forward is the Structural Integrity Reserve Study. This new Davie SIRS requirement will be crucial to know what your projected maintenance and repair cost will be and ensures you or your management company has sufficient funds in place to carry out these repairs.
What buildings in Davie do not require a Building Safety Inspection?
There are some buildings in Davie that are exempt from having to complete the Building Safety Inspection. (BISP). Here are all the Buildings in Davie which do not require the inspection:
- Any buildings under 3500 square feet
- US government buildings
- State of Florida buildings
- 1 or 2-story buildings
- Schools under the jurisdiction of Broward County School Board
- Buildings built on indigenous tribe reservations
Who can perform a Building Safety Inspection in Key Biscayne
There are only two types of professionals that can carry out these Building Safety Inspections in Davie. To be qualified to perform these inspections you must be a Florida licensed Engineer or a Florida licensed Architect. The Building Safety Inspection report must be signed and sealed by these professionals to get approved by the Davie Building Department. These professionals can conduct and certify your building complies with Davie’s new guidelines. The certified professional will look to verify the integrity of the structural and electrical systems of your building.
What happens after your Davie building inspection is complete?
Once your building has completed the Building Safety Inspection process and an Engineer has signed and sealed the report you can now submit your building inspection report to the Davie Building Department. If there were issues found in the structural or electrical components of your building then you will need to submit the report to the Davie Building Department to get an extension. You will then get an extension on your inspection due date to address the issues and pull the permits required to start on the repairs.
If no issues were found during the building inspection then you can submit the signed and sealed report to the Davie building department and you will not need to complete the inspection process again for another 10 years.
You must submit the signed and sealed report as soon as you have it to avoid any fees. Davie usually gives you 90 days to complete the inspection but if you forget or don’t submit the report in time they may require you to redo the process.
Final thought on the Davie Building Safety Inspection program
The Davie Building Safety Inspection program is a public safety program that will help ensure that buildings are safe for occupancy. It may seem like a nuisance but it benefits building owners and managers by reducing legal risks as well as reducing the chances that you will need to completely overhaul your building.
Doing proactive maintenance on your building limit the chances that you will have structural issues and you will be able to identify the problems before they become a severe issue that can cost you thousands of dollars. The tragedy that occurred in Surfside cost the lives of many and could have been prevented by completing these inspections.
