Three checks, side by side
Each one answers a different question, and you'll want all three answers before you close.
| Unit inspection | Milestone inspection | SIRS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who orders it | You, the buyer | The association | The association |
| Who does it | A home inspector you hire | A Florida-licensed architect or engineer | A licensed engineer or architect, or a certified reserve specialist or professional reserve analyst |
| What it looks at | The inside of your unit and the systems that serve it | The structure: load-bearing elements and the primary structural members and systems | The roof, structure, plumbing, electrical, windows and other big shared items, and how much to save for each |
| Which buildings | Any unit you buy | Condo and co-op buildings three habitable stories or more | Condo buildings three habitable stories or more |
| When | Before closing, on your contract's timeline | By 31 December of the year the building turns 30, or 25 where the local building department requires it, then every 10 years | At least every 10 years. For associations that existed by 1 July 2022, the first was due by 31 December 2025, or with a milestone due by the end of 2026 |
| What you get | Your inspector's report | The inspector-prepared summary, at the seller's expense | The most recent SIRS, or a statement that there isn't one, at the seller's expense |
The unit inspection
Florida law describes a home inspection as a limited visual examination of a home's readily accessible systems and components (§468.8311). In a condo, that mostly means what's inside your unit: the electrical panel, plumbing, water heater, air conditioning, windows and sliders, and any signs of moisture.
The roof, the structure and the exterior walls are usually common elements, and the association maintains those (§718.113(1)). Patriot Home Inspections, which inspects condos across Southwest Florida, lists what a condo unit inspection covers and what it leaves to the association, item by item. Read it before you book.
The milestone inspection
This is the building's structural check. It isn't a building code review (§553.899(2)(a)). It comes in two phases. Phase 1 is a visual examination. Phase 2 is needed only if Phase 1 finds substantial structural deterioration (§553.899(7)), and then repairs have to start within 365 days after the local building department receives the Phase 2 report (§553.899(11)). Patriot's guide to milestone inspections walks through how Phase 1 and Phase 2 work.
25 or 30 years in Southwest Florida
The state trigger is 30 years from the certificate of occupancy. A local building department can choose 25 instead, for reasons such as closeness to salt water (§553.899(3)(b)). There's no automatic coastal rule, so it depends on which department covers the building.
| Area | First milestone inspection | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Collier County | 25 years within 3 miles of salt water, 30 beyond | Collier County milestone page |
| City of Naples | 25 years within 3 miles of the coastline, 30 beyond | City of Naples building department |
| City of Marco Island | 25 years within 3 miles of salt water, 30 beyond | City of Marco Island building services |
| Cape Coral | 30 years, according to the city's FAQ | Cape Coral condominium inspections FAQ. Confirm with the city. |
| Lee County, Fort Myers, Bonita Springs, Charlotte County, Sarasota County, City of Sarasota | We haven't confirmed these yet | Ask the building department whether it uses 25 or the state's 30 |
A Naples mailing address doesn't tell you which department covers the building, so check whether it's inside city limits. Collier County publishes a map of its three-mile salt water band (PDF). All three areas also set catch-up deadlines for older buildings, and the last of them passed at the end of 2025. If the milestone date has passed and the seller's package has no summary, ask why.
The SIRS
The structural integrity reserve study covers the big shared items the statute lists, including the roof, structure, fireproofing, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing and windows. It sets out what the association should save each year to repair or replace them (§718.112(2)(g)). It applies to condo buildings of three habitable stories or more, and it's redone at least every 10 years.
It's the document behind your fees. For budgets adopted on or after 31 December 2024, an owner-controlled association that must have a SIRS can't vote to skip or reduce the reserves the statute requires for those items (§718.112(2)(f)2.b). If the money is needed sooner, the association can fund those reserves with a special assessment, a line of credit or a loan, approved by a majority of the total voting interests (§718.112(2)(f)2.c). Either way, owners pay for it.
For associations that existed by 1 July 2022 and are run by unit owners, the first SIRS was due by 31 December 2025. An association with a milestone due by 31 December 2026 could do its SIRS at the same time, but no later than that date (§718.112(2)(g)7). To see whether one was reported, check the state's SIRS database, which shows the reporting forms exactly as associations submitted them.
Find the building's dates
The calculator needs three things: the certificate of occupancy year, the number of habitable stories and the area. Ask the association for the certificate of occupancy year, because a listing's "year built" can be a different year. If the building is within three miles of salt water or the coast in Collier County, Naples or Marco Island, pick that area. If it's farther out, pick the Florida state default.
The calculator tells you when each one is or was due. It can't tell you whether the association actually did them. The documents can.
What to ask for before you close
- The milestone summary, if there's been an inspection. The seller pays for it (§718.503(2)(a)). If a Phase 2 was needed, ask for that report and where the repairs stand.
- The most recent SIRS, or the association's statement that it hasn't done one, also at the seller's expense (§718.503(2)(a)).
- The budget and annual financial statement (§718.503(2)(a)). Compare the reserve lines with what the SIRS recommends.
- Special assessments, owed or planned. The estoppel certificate lists what's owed on the unit and what's scheduled to come due (§718.116(8)). One the board is still discussing may not be on it, so ask the seller in writing.
- Recent board minutes and notices about repairs, loans or assessments. An association managing 25 or more units must post the last 12 months of approved minutes, the budget, the SIRS and inspection reports in an owners-only section of a website or app (§718.111(12)(g)). The seller can ask for a login.
Read them as soon as they arrive. If the contract was signed after 31 December 2024, you may have only 7 days to cancel once you have the reports. The details are in the questions below.