Building Recertification

Owners of buildings that have been in existence for 40 years or longer are required to have the building inspected to determine the general condition.

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Process

Pursuant to Section 8-11(f) of the Miami-Dade County Code, the owner of a building that has been in existence for 30 years or longer is required to have the building inspected to determine the general condition of the building structure and its electrical systems.

The City of Coral Gables Building Division mails Notices of Required Recertification to owners of applicable buildings that have been in existence for 30 years or longer. The only structures exempt from this requirement are single family residences, duplexes and minor structures.**  Upon receipt of the City's Recertification Notice, the property owner will have 90 days to submit a completed Recertification Report to the Building Official, prepared by a Florida registered professional engineer or architect, certifying the structure is structurally and electrically safe for its intended use and continued occupancy.

One- and Two-year Courtesy Notices of Required Recertification will also be mailed to property owners so they can prepare for the upcoming Building Recertification process.

City properties required to recertify in:

The Building Official may grant extensions for good cause, provided applicable affidavits are accepted stating that the building can continue to be occupied while undergoing recertification or waiting for a permit or repairs. 

Once the structure is in compliance, the City will issue a Building Recertification letter and recertification will be required every 10 years thereafter.

If the report is not submitted within the allotted time, the structure will be deemed unsafe and non-compliant in accordance with the Miami-Dade County Code. Non-compliance with recertifying the structure will result in a hearing with the City's Construction Regulation Board, which will result in administrative fees and could result in additional penalties. The Certificate of Occupancy of the building may also be revoked and the Building Official may order that utilities be disconnected.

**Note: Sect. 8-11(f)(iii) of the Miami-Dade County Code clarifies that minor structures are those structures in any occupancy group having an occupant load of 10 or less, as determined by Table 1003.1 (FBC) Minimum Occupant Load of the Florida Building Code and having a gross area of 2,000 sq. ft. or less.

Report Contents

There is no application required to submit the completed Report. Miami-Dade report templates must be completed and uploaded electronically to the City’s permitting web portal. A completed Report includes the Building Structural Recertification Report, Building Electrical Recertification Report, Certification of Compliance with Parking Lot Guardrails Requirements Form, Certification of Compliance with Parking Lot Illumination Standards Form, and cover letter(s) from the architect or engineer certifying the electrical system and building structure are safe for intended use and occupancy. If there is more than one building on the property, submit a site plan or copy of a survey showing the location of each building. The structure which is the subject of the Recertification Report must be clearly identified on the site plan or survey submitted.

For guidelines in preparing a Recertification Report: structural component, and electrical component.

Fees & Submittal:

The report review fee in the amount of $500 plus additional document preservation and filing fees will be invoiced as per the City Fee Schedule and can be paid via the City’s permitting web portal.