Palm Beach Building recertification guide
The Palm Beach County Inspection Program is a crucial public safety program that mandates buildings aged 25-30 years to undergo recertification to verify structural integrity and also the electrical system. This initiative, enforced by Palm Beach County, is designed to uphold safety standards for occupants, whether in residential or commercial properties. Delve into this article for comprehensive insights into the recertification process, its significance, and the associated implications.
Additionally, for further details on the Palm Beach Safety Inspection program, please refer to our services page.
Is the 40 year inspection still required in Palm Beach County?
There have been some changes to Florida’s inspection program across the state. After the tragedy that occurred in Surfside Florida, there were new laws put in place to prevent another catastrophic event from happening again. Since Palm Beach already had a 40-year inspection program in place the new Milestone Inspection also known as the Building Safety Inspection program already covers all of the requirements set forth by Florida’s new Building Inspection laws.
The main change to the 40-year inspection in Broward is that the inspection must take place after 25 years or 30 years instead of the previous requirement of 40 years. Besides the time frame when these inspections are required the inspection process remains the same. Palm Beach requires a structural inspection as well as an electrical inspection to be completed.
Why is there a Building Safety Inspection program in Palm Beach?
The Palm Beach Building Safety Inspection program is a building recertification process that checks for any structural or electrical issues within a building. This Milestone Inspection is not to check whether the building meets current Building codes or requirements but instead checks for any structural issues that might be occurring in a building or structure. The program helps to ensure that the proper maintenance is performed and the Building is safe for use.
Does my building in Palm Beach Require a Building Inspection?
This South Florida building inspection program was originally put into place in 2005 and is in full effect for all of Palm Beach County. Palm Beach mandates this building recertification once a Building reaches 25 years of age or 30 years of age. Depending on how far your building is from the coast it will determine when your first building inspection is required.
For Palm Beach Buildings that are located more than 3 miles from the coast, you are required to complete the inspection after 30 years. If your building is less than 3 miles from the coast then you will be required to complete the inspection after 25 years. After you have completed your first inspection you will need to complete the process again every 10 years.
These inspections are required for all buildings that are three stories or higher and have more than 3500 square feet.
What PalM Beach buildings do not require a Building Safety Inspection?
Certain buildings in Palm Beach do not require this inspection. Here are some of the exempt buildings:
- 1 to 2-story family dwellings
- US government buildings
- State of Florida buildings
- Schools under the jurisdiction of Broward County School Board
- Buildings built on indigenous tribe reservations
- Any buildings under 3500 square feet
Who is required to conduct A building Safety inspections in Palm Beach?
The Building Safety Inspection must be conducted by a licensed Engineer or Architect. They must sign and seal the inspection report for the Palm Beach Building Department to approve it.
How to schedule a Building Inspection in Palm Beach?
If you would like to schedule an inspection for your building in Palm Beach you have two options. You can call us and one of our inspection specialists will take your information and have an engineer go to your property and inspect your building. The second method is using our contact page and clicking on the quick inspection where we can give you a quote for your inspection within 48 hours.
What to do once you complete your Palm Beach building inspection?
The Palm Beach building inspection program looks at several factors of your building. The main one is the structural integrity of the building. In the structural inspection, the key elements of your building structure are inspected and analyzed to check for any issues. Some of the structural elements inspected are the building foundation, concrete columns, roof system, load-bearing walls, floor, concrete walls, steel framing, concrete framing systems, windows, and doors.
The second inspection takes a look at your building’s electrical components and ensures there are no safety hazards. This includes electrical panels, branch circuits, conduit raceways, and emergency lighting systems. The inspection does not check whether your electrical system is up to code but instead looks for safety issues that can cause fires or electrical malfunctions.
What does the Palm Beach Building Safety Inspection program consist of?
After the completion of the Building Safety Inspection, an Engineer or architect will provide you with a signed and sealed report detailing the inspector’s findings. This report must be submitted to the Palm Beach building department whether issues were found or not. To comply with the program you must submit this initial report within the allocated time frame. For Palm Beach, this is usually 90 days but we recommend following the guidelines outlined in the letter you received. If there are issues with your building the Building department will give you an extension for you to get estimates to repair the damaged areas.
Once you have the report you should submit it right away to avoid any penalties or fines. Most companies who perform this inspection do not submit the inspection for you so you will need to submit the report yourself. If we performed the inspection for you and can’t figure out how to submit the report you can always call us and we can guide you through the process.
We have added the contact information below for the Palm Beach Building Department for your convenience.
PALM BEACH BUILDING DEPARTMENT
2300 N Jog Rd, West Palm Beach, FL 33411
Summary of the Palm Beach Building Safety Inspection program
To summarize, the requirements of the Palm Beach Building Safety Inspection program are the following. If your building is three stories or more and is more than 3 miles from the coast you must complete the inspection after your building reaches 30 years, If you are less than 3 miles from the coast you will need to complete the inspection after 25 years. If you do not receive a letter we recommend contacting the Palm Beach Building department to check whether your building is up for inspection.
