Understanding Condo Milestone Inspections: Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key

If you're buying or selling a condo on Pensacola Beach, in Gulf Breeze or Perdido Key, the building's age matters as much as the unit. Florida requires structural milestone inspections for older condo buildings, and Escambia County applies the earlier coastal timeline. Here's how it works locally.

What is a condo milestone inspection?

It's a structural inspection of a condo or co-op building by a Florida-licensed engineer or architect, required by state law once the building reaches a set age. The inspector examines the load-bearing elements and primary structural systems to assess the building's safety and identify any needed repairs. It applies to condo and co-op buildings with three or more habitable stories. Single-family through four-family dwellings with three or fewer habitable stories are exempt.

When is it required on Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key?

By December 31 of the year the building turns 25, then every 10 years after that. Age is measured from the date the building's certificate of occupancy was issued.

Florida law sets 30 years as the statewide default and allows the local enforcement agency to require 25 based on local conditions such as proximity to salt water (Section 553.899, Florida Statutes). Escambia County requires 25 years for buildings within three miles of the coastline and 30 for buildings beyond that. The county adopted this rule on January 9, 2024 (Escambia County Code of Ordinances, Sec. 14-200), after the state had made the 25-year timeline optional.

The City of Pensacola publishes the same 25/30 split for condos inside city limits.

How is "within three miles of the coastline" measured?

By the legal definition of coastline, not by what's visible from the balcony. Escambia County's ordinance uses the definition in Section 376.031, Florida Statutes: the low-water line along the coast in direct contact with the open sea, plus the line marking the seaward limit of inland waters. Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key front the Gulf directly. For mainland condos near the bay, confirm with the building official which timeline applies.

Who handles milestone inspections on Pensacola Beach?

Escambia County Building Services. Pensacola Beach is not an incorporated city. The island is owned by Escambia County, and the Santa Rosa Island Authority administers its land leases and development review. Building code enforcement, including milestone inspections, runs through the county.

Which buildings reach the trigger in 2026?

On Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key, a building with a certificate of occupancy issued in 2001 turns 25 this year. Older buildings fell under the deadlines below.

Which deadlines have already passed?

Any condo building with a certificate of occupancy issued on or before July 1, 1992 had to complete its first milestone inspection before December 31, 2024. That deadline appears in both Florida law and Escambia County's ordinance.

State law set a second deadline: buildings that reached 30 between July 1, 2022 and December 31, 2024 had until December 31, 2025. The City of Pensacola applies the same two deadlines to buildings that reached 25 or 30 in those windows.

For coastal buildings in unincorporated Escambia County that were between 25 and 30 years old when the county's ordinance took effect in January 2024, the deadline runs from the county's certified notice. Ask the association for the date on that notice.

What should an already-inspected building have on file?

If a building's deadline has passed, the association should be able to show:

A Phase One report submitted to the county.
The inspector's summary, distributed to every owner and posted on the property.
If deterioration was found, a Phase Two inspection and a plan for repairs, which must begin within 365 days of the Phase Two report.

If a building was due in 2024 or 2025 and the association can't produce a summary, ask why before you make an offer.

How does the process work?

It starts with a certified letter from the county. Escambia County Building Services notifies the association by certified mail when an inspection is due. The association must notify unit owners within 14 days and complete Phase One within 180 days of receiving the letter. The county may extend the deadline for good cause if the association has already contracted with an engineer or architect and the inspection can't reasonably be finished in time.

Phase One is a visual examination of the building's structure. If the engineer or architect finds no signs of substantial structural deterioration, no further inspection is required until the next 10-year cycle.

If deterioration is found, Phase Two follows. It can include destructive or nondestructive testing to fully assess the problem and recommend repairs. Repairs identified in a Phase Two report must begin within 365 days of the report.

Within 45 days of receiving an inspection report, the association must send the inspector's summary to every unit owner, post it on the property, and publish the full report on its website if it's required to have one.

The association arranges the inspection and is responsible for its costs. Under Florida law, associations can fund inspection-related repairs through special assessments, lines of credit, or loans.

What should buyers ask before making an offer?

Start with the building's certificate of occupancy date. Everything else follows from it. Then ask the association:

Has the county sent a milestone inspection notice?
Has Phase One been completed, and can I see the summary?
Was Phase Two required? If so, what repairs were recommended, and have they started?
Is a special assessment, loan, or line of credit planned or in place to fund repairs?
Has the association completed its structural integrity reserve study?

What do sellers have to provide?

The inspector-prepared summary of the milestone inspection report, if one exists, and the association's most recent structural integrity reserve study or a statement that none has been completed, at the seller's expense (Section 718.503, Florida Statutes). Resale contracts signed after December 31, 2024 must include a conspicuous clause addressing whether the buyer received these documents before signing. Request copies from the association before you list so they're ready.

Where can I confirm a building's status?

Start with the association's board or management company. For official records on Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key, contact Escambia County Building Services at 850-595-3550. For condos inside Pensacola city limits, contact the City of Pensacola's Building Inspections division.

Sources

Section 553.899, Florida Statutes (2025): https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/553.899
Section 718.503, Florida Statutes (2025): https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/718.503
Escambia County Code of Ordinances, Sec. 14-200 (Ord. No. 2024-1)
City of Pensacola, Condominium Milestone Inspections: https://www.cityofpensacola.com/3500/Condominium-Milestone-Inspections

This article is general information, not legal advice. If you're wconsidering purchasing a condo on Pensacola Beach, in Gulf Breeze, or Perdido Key, Luxpoint Real Estate can help you get the building's milestone inspection summary and reserve study before you sign a contract.