Process

Please note*

*New state and county ordinances have changed, and the information on this page is pending. 

Pursuant to Section 8-11(f) of the Miami-Dade County Code, the owner of a building that has been in existence for 40 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 letters to owners of properties that have been in existence for 40 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 of Building 40 Years or Older 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(s) is structurally and electrically safe for its intended use and continued occupancy.

In the event repairs and/or modifications are found to be necessary resulting from the recertification inspection performed by the engineer or architect, the Building Official can grant an extension up to 150 days from the date of the City's Recertification of Building 40 Years or Older Notice to obtain the necessary permits, complete the repairs and/or modifications and all required inspections. Once all the work is complete, a revised Report must be submitted for review. Once the structure is in compliance, 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 of recertifying the structure will result in a hearing with the City's Construction Regulation Board, as well as other penalties provided in the Code. The Certificate of Occupancy of the building may also be revoked.

**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. 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 structure is safe for its untended use and occupancy. Each page of the Report must be the original signed and sealed document (no copies). Additionally, 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 review fee in the amount of $500 plus additional document preservation and filing fees calculated at time of submittal can be paid with cash, credit card or a check payable to the City of Coral Gables.