40-Year Building Recertification in Miami-Dade County, FL
If your building received a Notice of Required Recertification from Miami-Dade County or one of its municipalities, you have 90 days to submit a structural report and an electrical report prepared by a Florida-licensed engineer. M&P Consulting Engineers performs 40-year building recertification inspections across Miami-Dade County, from Miami and Miami Beach to Coral Gables, Doral, and Hialeah, and delivers reports on the county's required templates. Call
866-531-7621 to schedule your inspection.
What the Miami-Dade Building Recertification Program Requires
Miami-Dade County has run a building recertification program since 1975. Under Section 8-11(f) of the Code of Miami-Dade County, owners of qualifying buildings must submit written reports from a Florida-registered professional engineer or architect certifying that the building is structurally and electrically safe for continued occupancy. The program was amended on June 1, 2022, after the Champlain Towers South collapse, and the schedule now depends on when your building was built and how close it is to the coast.

As of September 2026, the county's schedule is:
Buildings built in 1982 or earlier that already completed a recertification stay on their existing schedule, every 10 years.
Condominium and cooperative buildings three stories or taller, built between 1983 and 1997 and located within three miles of the coastline, were due by December 31, 2024, and are due every 10 years after that.
All other buildings built between 1983 and 1992 were also due by December 31, 2024, then every 10 years.
Condominium and cooperative buildings three stories or taller, built in 1998 or later and within three miles of the coastline, are due when the building turns 25, then every 10 years.
All other buildings built in 1993 or later are due when the building turns 30, then every 10 years.
Single-family homes, duplexes, and buildings with an occupant load of 10 or fewer and 2,000 square feet or less do not go through recertification. The full program details are on the
Miami-Dade County recertification page.
Expert Witness
Milestone Inspections
Litigation support, forensic reports and courtroom testimony for insurers, attorneys and property owners.
Premises Liability
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10-, 30- and 40-year recertifications, threshold inspections and structural condition assessments.
Services
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Slip, trip and fall evaluations and site-condition analysis for insurers and litigation counsel.
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40-Year Recertification vs. the Florida Milestone Inspection
Two different rules can apply to the same Miami-Dade building. The county recertification comes from the Miami-Dade County Code and is enforced by the Building Official with jurisdiction over your property. The milestone inspection comes from Florida Statute 553.899, applies statewide to condominium and cooperative buildings three habitable stories or taller, and has its own notice rules, its own two-phase inspection, and its own requirement to send a summary to every unit owner.
Miami-Dade aligned its recertification schedule with the state law in 2022, which is why coastal condominiums in the county are now inspected at 25 years. In practice, one engineering site visit can produce both the county structural report and the state milestone report, but the paperwork for each is different and both must be filed. We handle both. Read our
guide to the difference between a 40-year recertification and a milestone inspection, or see our
milestone inspection services in Miami.
What Our Engineers Inspect During a 40-Year Recertification
Miami-Dade's Minimum Inspection Procedural Guidelines set the scope of the structural inspection, and the county's 2025 report templates are the only forms it accepts. A structural recertification inspection by M&P Consulting Engineers covers:
Foundations, including any signs of settlement or ground subsidence
Roof structure, roofing, parapet walls, and hanging mansards
Concrete, masonry, steel, and wood load-bearing elements, with attention to signs of overloading
Balconies, walkways, railings, and the full building facade, including cladding and anything that could detach
Parking structures, plus the parking lot illumination and waterway guardrail certificates the county now requires in the packet
Special features such as seawalls, retaining walls, chimneys, and membrane structures
Concrete spalling, rebar corrosion, and water intrusion, which are common on coastal Miami-Dade buildings
Permit history and any unpermitted additions that affect the structure
Every finding is photo documented, as the county now requires. If the inspection identifies repairs, our structural repair design team prepares the sealed drawings and permit documents. If the damage looks like more than age and weather, our forensic engineering group can determine the cause.
The county also requires a separate electrical report prepared by an engineer licensed in the electrical discipline. Ask us about coordinating the electrical portion so your packet arrives complete.
The Process, From Notice to Recertification
Step 1
Notice
Miami-Dade sends courtesy notices two years and one year before your cycle, then a final Notice of Required Recertification with a 90-day deadline. Call us as soon as the first courtesy notice arrives.
Step 2
Site inspection
We inspect every accessible area of the building and photograph the conditions we find.
Step 3
Report
We prepare the structural report on the county's current template, signed and sealed by a Florida professional engineer, and submit it through the county portal or to your municipal building department.
Step 4
Repairs, if needed
If the report identifies repairs, we design them, help with permits, and re-inspect. If more time is needed, the Building Official may grant an extension of up to 60 days on an engineer's sealed request.
Step 5
Recertification
Once the county accepts the reports and any required repairs are complete, your building is recertified for the next 10 years.
Miami-Dade Recertification Experience
M&P Consulting Engineers is led by Jonnatan R. Mendez, PE, SI, who has spent more than 20 years on structural, forensic, and construction engineering assignments across Miami-Dade County. A recent Phase 1 recertification of an aging multi-family building produced prioritized concrete and balcony repair recommendations that the association used to plan its work. Mr. Mendez has also provided expert testimony in Miami-Dade County courts, so every report is written to hold up under scrutiny.
2023 — 2026
2019 — 2023
Common Questions About 40-Year Recertification in Miami-Dade
What is a 40-year recertification in Miami-Dade County?
It is the county's building safety inspection program under Section 8-11(f) of the Miami-Dade County Code. When a building reaches the qualifying age, the owner must submit structural and electrical reports from a Florida-licensed engineer or architect certifying that the building is safe for continued occupancy, and then repeat the process every 10 years. The name comes from the original 40-year trigger. Since 2022, many buildings are due at 30 years, and coastal condominiums at 25.
Who can perform a building recertification inspection in Miami-Dade?
A Florida-registered professional engineer or architect with proven experience in the type of building being certified. For the structural report, the county asks for a resume and proof of the engineer's structural specialization with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. The electrical report must come from an engineer licensed in the electrical discipline.
What happens if we miss the 90-day deadline?
The county applies a late submission fee after 90 days. If the building is not recertified within the required time, a citation is issued without further notice, with an initial penalty of $510 and additional penalties of up to $10,000 per violation, and the case can be referred for a lien. The Building Official can grant an extension of up to 60 days if an engineer submits a signed and sealed request stating the building is safe to occupy while the recertification is completed.
Is our building still on a 40-year schedule?
Only if it was built in 1982 or earlier and already completed its first recertification. Every other building is now due at 25 or 30 years depending on its age, its use, and whether it sits within three miles of the coastline. If you are not sure which schedule applies, call 866-531-7621 and we will confirm it against the county's current rules.
Premises Liability
Slip, trip and fall evaluations and walking-surface analysis.
Related Engineering Services
Milestone Inspections
Recertification inspections where moisture damage is often first found.
Structural Design & Analysis
Structural repair, restoration, rehabilitation, and retrofit design for existing buildings and identified structural deficiencies.
Forensic Engineering
Independent investigation and engineering analysis of structural distress, deterioration, construction defects, and other conditions requiring evaluation of cause, extent, and contributing factors.
We also handle Broward County's Building Safety Inspection Program (BSIP) structural inspections.
Received a Recertification Notice? Talk to a Licensed Engineer Today.
Whether your notice came from Miami-Dade County or from your city's building department, M&P Consulting Engineers can inspect the building, prepare the reports on the county's templates, and manage any repairs from design through re-inspection. Call
866-531-7621 or request a quote below.
