New Changes to the Margate Building Inspection Program
There have been many changes occurring regarding the 40-year inspection in Margate. The 40-year inspection program was replaced with the Building Safety Inspection program. The new program was implemented after the tragic collapse of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside. There is also a new SIRS study requirement that will add additional requirements to completing your building inspection in Margate. Broward County is moving forward with new recertification regulations for condos and tall buildings in Margate and the rest of Broward.
This article will discuss all of the new changes to the Margate condo inspection laws and how they might affect you as a Building Owner, Property Manager, or HOA. Our Margate Building Inspectors are qualified to perform your next building safety inspection.
What are the new Condo Inspection laws in Margate
According to the new Sb-4d laws there are some changes to the Florida condo and building inspection requirements. Under these new guidelines, the 40 year inspection is now replaced with the Building Safety Inspection program. The new Margate building inspection program now requires you to get a Building recertification once your Building reaches 25 years of age. Other counties in Florida have a 30 year inspection and a 25 year inspection but Broward is requiring all buildings over 3 stories tall that are 3,500 square feet to provide an inspection report after 25 years.
The Structural Integrity Reserve Study as known as the SIRS study is also required in conjunction with the new Margate Building Safety Inspection program. The SIRS study is an analysis of your Buildings current condition and creates an estimate of what it will cost to maintain your Building and also repair any damages found. This gives Building Owners, Property Managers, Associations, and HOA’s an estimate of what it will cost in order to have the funds in reserve to complete these repairs in the future.
Do I need an inspection for my building or structure in Margate?
Although these new condo inspection laws will affect many condominiums across Margate they will not be only applicable to condos. This new Building Safety Inspection program applies to any Building that is 3 stories or higher and has 3500 square feet or more. If you are familiar with the 40-year inspection then not much has changed besides the timeframe when your Building’s first inspection is due. Besides that the Building Inspection program is the same focusing on the structural and electrical systems in your building and ensuring that they are safe.
If your building is up for inspection more than likely you will receive a letter in the mail letting you know that your building is up for inspection. However, if you do not get the letter then you are still required to get the inspection completed and can be subject to penalties if not carried out in time. Not completing the inspection according to the time frame allocated to you by the Margate building department will result in fees that start from $500 a day.
We try to keep our website as current as possible with all the new Building Inspection laws in Margate but we always recommend checking with the Margate Building department to ensure you have the right information. We have listed the Margate Building department’s website below along with a link that takes you directly to the Building Inspection requirements page for your convenience.
Margate BUILDING DEPARTMENT
What if I already completed my buildings 40 year inspection in Margate?
If you own or manage an older building that has already completed a 40-year inspection and you are following the 10-year inspection every year then not much will change for you. You can continue with your inspections every 10 years. However, there are some new requirements that you will have to complete. The SIRS study is now required as well which is an additional inspection that checks the condition of your Building and examines how much it would cost to repair and maintain your building. This allows Building Owners, associations, and Property Managers to have the funds available when they are needed.
What buildings in Margate are not required to complete this inspection?
There are very few buildings in Margate that do not require the Building Safety inspection. some building in Key Biscayne which are exempt from the building safety inspection program which are the following:
- Schools under the jurisdiction of Broward County School Board
- State of Florida buildings
- US government buildings
- 1 to 2-story family dwellings
- Buildings built on indigenous tribe reservations
- Any buildings under 3500 square feet
Who is allowed to complete a Building Safety Inspection in Margate
In order to complete the Margate Building Safety Inspection also known as the 25 year Building Inspection can only be completed by a licensed engineer or architects. Both of these professionals can provide you with signed and sealed inspection reports. If your building inspector does not sign and seal your documents then the Margate Building Department will not accept it.
What does the Building Inspector look for?
When an Engineer reviews your Building’s condition they check the structure and electrical system. They will verify the structural integrity of your foundation, roof, masonry bearing walls, flooring and roof structural components, steel and concrete framing systems, and windows and doors. For the electrical portion of the inspection, they will inspect your electrical panels and outlets and ensure there are no issues that can be hazardous to your building’s residents.
What to do once you recieve your signed and sealed Inspection report?
After the Building Inspector has inspected your building’s structural and electrical system you will receive a signed and sealed report outlining the results of the inspection process. Whether the engineer found something in the report or not you are required to submit the report to the Margate Building Department. If the building inspector does not find any you pass the building inspection then you can submit the signed and sealed report to the Margate Building department you are not required to complete another Building Safety Inspection for another 10 years.
However, If the Building Inspector found structural or electrical problems in your building such as concrete spalling, cracks in walls and columns, or some other structural issue then you will still need to submit the report. This will allow you to get an extension from the Margate Building department so that you can pull the required permits to start the repairs on your building.
The Inspector will then review the changes and provide you with a clean report so you can submit it to Margate. Make sure to get these reports submitted as soon as you have them to avoid any penalties. Not sending in your report in time can cause you to accumulate penalties starting from $500 a day. The Margate Building department may also require you to repeat the inspection process if they do not receive it in time.
Final thought on the Margate 25 year Inspection program
The Margate 25-year building safety inspection program can be time-consuming and costly but it is a required public safety program that helps you to keep track of your building condition and also protects Building Owners and Property Managers from getting sued due to not providing a safe environment for their residents.
Most importantly it ensures your residents are safe and they can have peace of mind knowing that their home is safe and will not have any structural problems. Many condo owners in Margate were very worried about their safety after seeing what happened at Champlain Towers in Surfside so this is a welcome program that benefits everyone. Overall it protects building owners by allowing them to find and fix any issues in their Building early avoiding more entrusive and costly repairs.
