Florida SB 4-D and HB 913 in 2026: How Condo Milestone Inspections and SIRS Reserves Affect Renovation Planning

Florida's condo safety law — Senate Bill 4-D, signed into law with an effective date of May 26, 2022 — reshaped how condominium and cooperative buildings three or more habitable stories in height plan for structural safety and reserves. The 2025 amendment (House Bill 913, effective July 1, 2025) refined the framework further. Between now and December 31, 2026, three deadlines land that every Pinellas condo owner, association board member, and remodeling client should understand. Milestone Inspections. Structural Integrity Reserve Studies (SIRS). And the reserve-funding start-up date that follows.

What Is SB 4-D?

Florida Senate Bill 4-D was passed in the state's 2022 special session in the wake of the Champlain Towers South collapse and signed into law with an effective date of May 26, 2022. It amended Florida Statute Chapter 553 and created a state-mandated framework for two things:

• Milestone Inspections — periodic structural inspections of aging condominium and cooperative buildings, codified at F.S. 553.899.
• Structural Integrity Reserve Studies (SIRS) — mandatory reserve studies covering eight specific structural elements, with prohibitions on associations waiving reserves for those elements.

Before SB 4-D, Florida condo associations could vote by majority to waive reserves entirely. SB 4-D ended that for structural items and set fixed deadlines for the first inspection and reserve study cycle.

HB 913 (effective July 1, 2025) amended SB 4-D in two key ways: (1) inspection applicability was narrowed from "three stories" to "three habitable stories" and (2) the 25-year coastal-proximity trigger is no longer automatically mandatory statewide — local enforcement agencies can still require 25-year inspections based on local circumstances. The 30-year default remains the primary trigger.

Milestone Inspection Requirement

A Milestone Inspection is a structural inspection of an aging building performed by a licensed engineer or architect (or a team with a licensed engineer/architect in responsible charge). It runs in two phases:

• Phase 1 — visual assessment of the building's structure. If no evidence of substantial structural deterioration is found, Phase 2 is not required.
• Phase 2 — performed only if Phase 1 identifies substantial structural deterioration. May involve destructive testing and produces a repair program.

Who needs one: residential condominium and cooperative buildings three or more habitable stories in height. Single-family, two-family, three-family, or four-family dwellings with three or fewer habitable stories above ground are exempt.

When it's triggered: by default, at 30 years of age (dated from the certificate of occupancy) and every 10 years thereafter. Local enforcement agencies can require the initial inspection at 25 years instead of 30 based on local circumstances.

Verified deadlines:

• Dec 31, 2024 — buildings that reached 30 years of age before July 1, 2022.
• Dec 31, 2025 — buildings that reached 30 years between July 1, 2022 and Dec 31, 2024.
• Buildings reaching 30 years in 2025 or 2026 must complete their milestone inspection by December 31 of that milestone year.

Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS) Requirement

A SIRS is a specialized reserve study covering eight structural elements of a condominium building. Per Florida DBPR, those eight elements are:

1. Roof
2. Structural Systems
3. Fireproofing & Fire Protection Systems
4. Plumbing
5. Electrical Systems
6. Waterproofing & Exterior Painting
7. Windows & Exterior Doors
8. Other elements over $25,000 that impact structural integrity as determined by the visual portion of the SIRS

Who needs one: residential condominium associations with buildings three or more habitable stories in height. SIRS must be completed at least every 10 years.

Verified deadlines:

• Dec 31, 2025 — SIRS deadline for associations existing on or before July 1, 2022 (unit-owner controlled).
• Dec 31, 2026 — SIRS-with-milestone-inspection combined completion deadline when the two are performed together.
• Jan 1, 2026 — reserve funding start date for associations whose budgets were adopted on or before Dec 31, 2024. Budgets adopted on or after Jan 1, 2025 cannot waive SIRS reserves at all.

How SB 4-D Affects Pinellas Condo Renovations in 2026

For condo owners planning a remodel in 2026, three intersections matter:

1. Association permit approval process. Most Pinellas HOAs already require an application and permit review before renovation work starts. SB 4-D adds a layer — the association may be operating under an active Milestone Inspection or SIRS remediation program. Discretionary owner-side remodels can wait behind mandatory association structural repairs.

2. Assessment forecasting. SIRS results drive reserve funding schedules and, in some cases, special assessments. Before locking a remodel budget, understand the association's assessment forecast for the next 24 months. A remodel signed today could land in the middle of a special-assessment cycle.

3. Scope-of-work coordination. Any owner-side remodel touching plumbing, electrical, waterproofing, windows, or exterior doors interacts with SIRS-covered structural elements. Coordination between the owner's general contractor and the association's engineer of record is worth doing early, not late.

Condo remodels have their own logistics reality — elevator scheduling, floor and wall protection in common areas, HOA notification protocols, and jackhammer time windows for high-rise units. Revolution operates under a commercial unlimited GC license required for work in buildings over four stories, and Time & Materials open-book billing means association coordination costs (permit review lag, protection setup, restricted work hours) show up in the weekly report rather than hidden inside a fixed-price change order.

See our condo remodel service page for the process and downtown St. Pete condo remodel guide for the high-rise logistics layer.

What to Ask Your Condo Association Before a 2026 Remodel

Five questions worth asking the association board or property manager:

1. What is our building's Milestone Inspection status? Complete, in progress, not yet due — and if complete, was a Phase 2 required?
2. When was our most recent SIRS completed, and what did it recommend?
3. Is there an active reserve-funding schedule or special assessment cycle that will run during 2026-2028?
4. Do you have an active engineer of record, and do they need to review my proposed remodel scope?
5. What are the current permit application, insurance, and hours-of-work rules for owner-side renovations?

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Florida SB 4-D?

The state's 2022 building safety law (effective May 26, 2022) creating mandatory Milestone Inspections and Structural Integrity Reserve Studies for residential condos and co-ops 3+ habitable stories.

When Does My Condo Need a Milestone Inspection?

At 30 years of age by default, then every 10 years. 25-year trigger possible via local enforcement. Verified deadlines: Dec 31, 2024 / Dec 31, 2025 / Dec 31 of milestone year.

SIRS Deadline?

Dec 31, 2025 for unit-owner-controlled associations existing on or before July 1, 2022. Dec 31, 2026 when SIRS is combined with the Milestone Inspection.

Can Associations Waive SIRS Reserves?

Budgets adopted on or before Dec 31, 2024 could waive but must begin funding by Jan 1, 2026. Budgets on or after Jan 1, 2025 cannot waive at all.

Ready to Plan a Condo Remodel in 2026?

Call (727) 888-6161 for a free 48-hour estimate, or visit our condo remodel page. Related reading: Florida Building Code 9th Edition and FEMA 50% Rule.