Broward Condo Boards Face a Hard December 31 Deadline, and Water Damage Is What Keeps Turning Up
| Condo boards across Broward County have about four months to finish work; the state will not let them delay again.
Florida law requires a structural integrity reserve study, or SIRS, for condominium buildings that are three habitable stories or higher. Associations run by unit owners and in existence on or before July 1, 2022 were required to finish one by December 31, 2025. Boards that also owe a milestone inspection by December 31, 2026 are allowed to do both at the same time. The statute is direct about the limit: the study may not be completed after December 31, 2026. What the study looks at is mostly water The law spells out what a SIRS must cover. The list includes the roof, plumbing, waterproofing, exterior painting, windows, and exterior doors. “Four of those items are water problems wearing different names,” said Cesar Hernandez Jr., Head of Operations and Customer Experience at BuildEase by Florida Mitigation Group. “By the time a study puts a dollar figure on it, the damage has usually been sitting behind a wall for years.” The milestone inspection runs on a separate track. Florida requires one by December 31 of the year a qualifying building turns 30, then every ten years, and a local agency may move that to 25 years for buildings near saltwater. If a phase two inspection finds serious structural deterioration, repairs must begin within 365 days after the local building department receives the report. Boards can no longer vote the problem away The money side has changed too. For budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024, unit owner-controlled associations that must obtain a SIRS may no longer vote to skip or reduce reserves for the items the study covers. “Boards used to be able to push it one more year,” Hernandez said. “That option is gone, and the buildings did not get any younger while everyone waited.” Free walkthrough for associations before the deadline BuildEase is offering Broward and Palm Beach associations a free moisture and mold walkthrough of common areas ahead of the December 31 cutoff, so boards head into the process knowing what is already wet. The company does not perform reserve studies or milestone inspections, which keeps it clear of the disclosure rules Florida places on professionals who bid on a study and then bid on the repairs it recommends. Association boards and property managers can schedule a walkthrough by calling BuildEase by Florida Mitigation Group at (954) 479-6583 About BuildEase by Florida Mitigation Group BuildEase by Florida Mitigation Group is a family-owned restoration and rebuild company founded in Weston in 2014 by Cesar Hernandez Sr. The company handles water damage cleanup, mold inspection, mold removal, and full rebuilds for homes, businesses, and community associations in Broward, Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade counties, with a team available 24 hours a day. BuildEase holds a Florida General Contractor license, Florida mold assessor and mold remediator licenses, and IICRC certification. Media Contact Cesar Hernandez Jr., Head of Operations and Customer Experience BuildEase by Florida Mitigation Group 2900 Glades Circle, Suite 1200, Weston, FL 33327 (954) 479-6583 |