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COUNTY: MIAMI-DADE
PROGRAM: BUILDING RECERTIFICATION · §8-11(f)
FIRST INSPECTION: 30 YRS (25 COASTAL)

Miami-Dade 40-year recertification, handled end to end.

Received a recertification notice from Miami-Dade or your city? A field inspection team led by our Engineer of Record, Emilio Castro, P.E., inspects, seals and files your structural and electrical reports, with thermoscan and parking lot illumination included, never as add-ons.

Miami-Dade's program is the oldest and strictest in Florida, and the one most people still call the "40-year recertification". We've been filing under Section 8-11(f) with the County and every municipality (City of Miami, Miami Beach, Doral, Hialeah, Coral Gables, North Miami Beach) for years.

Get My Free Evaluation Report Urgent notice or open case? Call (786) 505-5119
Watch: how Miami-Dade recertification works2 minutes, from the county's letter to your certificate
30
Years: first inspection (25 within 3 miles of the coast), then every 10
90
Days from notice to submit sealed structural and electrical reports
Hundreds
Of Miami-Dade buildings certified since 1989: condos, hotels, commercial, churches
#41592
Florida P.E. License, Emilio Castro, Engineer of Record
48h
Free evaluation of your building's status, deadline and open cases
THE RULES, IN PLAIN ENGLISH

What Miami-Dade requires, and the parts that catch owners by surprise.

Miami-Dade's Building Recertification program has run since 1975 under Section 8-11(f) of the County Code, and was expanded after the 2021 Surfside collapse and Senate Bill 4D. Here is what applies today.

Required

MIAMI-DADE CODE §8-11(f) · BUILDINGS 30 YEARS AND OLDER
  • Structural inspection by a Florida-registered professional engineer or architect, with a sealed report on the County form.
  • Electrical inspection with a sealed report, including emergency lighting and exit signage.
  • Infrared thermography (thermoscan) of electrical services, required for services of 400 amps and above.
  • Parking lot illumination study under Chapter 8C, with light-level measurements.
  • Reports submitted within 90 days of notice; repairs completed within the period set by the building official (typically 150–180 days).
  • Re-inspection every 10 years after the first certification.
Exempt: single-family homes, duplexes, and buildings with an occupant load of 10 or fewer and under 2,000 sq ft. Everything else, including two-story buildings, is in.

What catches owners by surprise

READ THIS BEFORE YOU SIGN ANY PROPOSAL
  • Thermoscan is not optional. If your electrical service is 400 A or larger, the County will reject an electrical report without it. Proposals that leave it out come back as a change order.
  • Each municipality files differently. City of Miami, Miami Beach, Doral, Hialeah and the County all have their own intake. A report filed at the wrong counter is a report that wasn't filed.
  • Open enforcement cases change the timeline. If a case or unsafe-structure notice is already open, extensions and hearings have their own deadlines. We handle those with the County's RER or your city.
  • Multi-building properties are billed per building. Nine buildings on one folio is nine sets of reports. Ask any proposal to state the number of buildings and the case number, not just the address.
Our Miami-Dade proposals include thermoscan and illumination as required items, tie the scope to the County or City case number, and list every building.
HOW IT WORKS IN MIAMI-DADE

From the County's letter to your certificate.

1

Notice and free evaluation

The County or your city sends the notice, or you find an open case on the property. Send us the address: within 48 hours you'll know your deadline, which building department files it, any violations on record, and what to expect.

DAY 0
2

Inspection

Our field team, led by the Engineer of Record, inspects structure and electrical systems, runs the thermoscan and the parking lot illumination study, inspects unit interiors where required, and captures drone aerial documentation of roofs and façades.

WITHIN 2 WEEKS
3

Sealed reports and filing

Emilio Castro, P.E. seals the structural and electrical reports on the County forms. We file with the County or your municipality and act as your representative, including extension requests if a case is already open. Typically filed within 45 days of signing, half the county's 90-day deadline, so there is time left for repairs if needed.

WITHIN 45 DAYS
4

Repairs and certification

If deficiencies are found, we scope only what's required, prepare repair drawings when needed, coordinate contractors and permits, and manage the reinspection through the final Recertification letter.

150–180 DAYS
WHAT'S INCLUDED IN A MIAMI-DADE RECERTIFICATION

Everything the County asks for, in one proposal, one fee.

STR

Structural Inspection and Sealed Report

Foundations, load-bearing walls, beams, columns, slabs, balconies, eyebrows and roof structure. Cracks, spalling, corroded rebar and moisture damage are documented with photos on the County structural form.

ELE

Electrical Inspection and Sealed Report

Service equipment, panels, feeders, grounding, emergency lighting and exit signs, evaluated and documented on the County electrical form.

IR

Infrared Thermography (Thermoscan)

Required by Miami-Dade for services of 400 A and above. Detects overheating connections invisible to the eye. We sample representative panels per County guidance rather than charging for every panel in the building.

LUX

Parking Lot Illumination Study

Chapter 8C light-level measurements and report for parking areas. Included, not sold separately.

AIR

Drone Aerial Documentation

High-resolution aerial photos and video of roofs, parapets, eyebrows and façades. Included in every inspection, with a clear before/after record for your board, the County and your insurer.

REP

Repair Drawings, Coordination and Owner Representation

Repair drawings when required, contractor coordination, permits, extension requests and hearings with the County or your city. We represent you through the final Recertification letter.

WHERE WE FILE

Unincorporated Miami-Dade and every municipality, filed at the right counter.

The County's RER handles unincorporated areas; each city runs its own recertification intake. We know which is which, and we've filed with all of them.

Unincorporated Miami-Dade (RER)City of MiamiMiami BeachDoralHialeahCoral GablesNorth Miami BeachNorth MiamiMiami GardensHomesteadKendall / West KendallPalmetto BayCutler BayAventuraSunny Isles BeachSurfsideNorth Bay VillageMiami SpringsMiami ShoresSweetwaterOpa-lockaKey Biscayne
MIAMI-DADE PROJECTS

A record you can look up.

CERTIFIED

Best Western Hotel

1855 79th Street Causeway, North Bay Village

Shoring and repair drawings, full structural and electrical repairs, all violations resolved, certified in under five months.

CERTIFIED

The Stiles Hotel

1120 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach

Repair drawings, structural and electrical work, certification within four months, clearing all "unsafe structure" violations.

CERTIFIED

The Alamac Apartments

1300 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach

Structural repairs at height on swing stages; certified well below competing bids.

IN PROGRESS

Esprit Condominium II

9648 SW 138th Avenue, Miami

108 units across 9 buildings, 40-year recertification with the County. Exterior and interior inspection program in progress.

IN PROGRESS

Doral Isles Condominium

6350 NW 110th Avenue, Doral

30-year recertification, 3 buildings, City of Doral. Inspections complete; deficiency reports in preparation.

REPORTS DELIVERED

Hotel Astor

956 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach

Structural and electrical deficiency reports submitted to the City of Miami Beach; repair scope defined to close the open unsafe-structure case.

FREE BUILDING EVALUATION · MIAMI-DADE

Find out where your building stands, and whether there's an open case.

Enter your property address and our team, working with our Engineer of Record, will confirm whether your building is due, which department files it, your deadline, any violations or enforcement cases on record, and what your reports will need to include. No cost, no obligation. Small buildings (under 2,500 sq ft) start at $3,950, all-inclusive.

Condominiums & HOAsHotels & hostelsApartment buildingsOffice & retailChurchesWarehouses & industrialMobile home park buildings
You'll receive your building's evaluation within 48 hours. Hablamos español.
MIAMI-DADE: FREQUENTLY ASKED

Common questions, straight answers.

Is it still called the "40-year recertification"? +
Officially it's Building Recertification under Section 8-11(f). After Senate Bill 4D the first inspection moved to 30 years (25 within 3 miles of the coast), so buildings that never expected a letter are now getting one. Everyone still says "40-year". We'll confirm which rule applies to your address.
Is the thermoscan really mandatory? +
Yes, for electrical services of 400 amps and above. The County will not accept an electrical report without it. It's part of the electrical recertification and our Engineer of Record includes it in his scope. A proposal that leaves it out is a proposal with a change order coming.
I already have an open case or an unsafe-structure notice. Is it too late? +
No. Open cases have their own timelines: extensions, hearings, repair deadlines. We handle those with the County's RER or your city, and several of our current projects started with a case already open.
Who is responsible, the owner or the County? +
The owner. The County or city sends the notice, but not receiving it is not a defense. If the building's age qualifies, the obligation exists.
Do I need a separate parking lot lighting certificate? +
Miami-Dade requires an illumination study under Chapter 8C as part of recertification for properties with parking areas. We include it, while many firms quote it as a separate line.
My property has several buildings. How is that handled? +
Each building gets its own structural and electrical report, and the County tracks them by building letter or number. We confirm the building designations with the County before sealing anything, so the reports match the case exactly.
Does the Milestone Inspection / SIRS apply to a 2-story building? +
No. Milestone Inspections and SIRS apply to condos and co-ops three stories and higher under state law. Two-story buildings are exempt from those, but still fall under County recertification by age.
What if deficiencies are found? +
A deficiency report is a repair list, not a condemnation. We scope only what the County actually requires (one client came to us with a $295,000 estimate from another firm; the required scope was under $10,000), help you get competitive bids, and manage permits and reinspection.
Why do you fly drones? +
Roofs, parapets, eyebrows and upper façades are where deterioration hides and where it's dangerous to inspect on foot. Aerial photos and video give the engineer a complete view, and give your board and the County a before/after record.
¿Hablan español? +
Sí. Todo el proceso (evaluación, propuesta, inspección y trámite con el Condado o la ciudad) puede hacerse completamente en español.

Last reviewed: September 2026 · Technical content reviewed by Emilio D. Castro, P.E. (FL #41592), Engineer of Record