Boca Keeps Tougher Inspections for Aging Condos and Parking Garages

Boca's tougher building-recertification rules could uncover dangerous structural problems earlier, but inspections and repairs may impose heavy costs on owners of aging condominiums.

The City Council voted 4-0 on September 8 to adopt Ordinance 5794, updating Boca Raton's building-recertification program while retaining requirements stricter than Florida law.

The ordinance confirms that underground and lower-level parking structures count as stories when determining whether a building requires recertification. Structural reports must examine façades, structural glazing and parking garages. Boca also continues to require electrical inspections and requires engineers—not architects—to perform the work.

Covered condominium and cooperative buildings within three miles of the coastline generally face their first recertification at 25 years. Other covered buildings face it at 30 years, followed by inspections every 10 years.

The strongest argument is safety. Salt air can accelerate the deterioration of metal and other materials, while damage in garages or façades may not be visible to owners. The revised rules require engineers to report conditions that could endanger life or property. Conditions legally classified as dangerous must be reported within 24 hours.

The cost falls primarily on owners and associations. Engineering reviews, electrical testing and resulting repairs can produce substantial expenses, particularly in buildings already facing higher insurance premiums and reserve requirements. The ordinance provides no funding assistance, although city staff reported no direct fiscal impact on municipal government.

The policy may also influence Boca's development pattern. Large assessments can pressure cost-sensitive owners to sell, potentially making older coastal properties more attractive for redevelopment. That outcome is not required by the ordinance, but it is an affordability concern where older condominiums can provide comparatively lower-cost housing.

Limited extensions are available for submitting reports or obtaining permits when a licensed engineer certifies that a building can remain safely occupied. Required repairs generally must begin within 365 days after the city accepts the findings, unless officials or the engineer sets a shorter deadline.

Boca is right to prioritize structural safety. The next question is whether the city can help associations understand and budget for compliance before necessary inspections become destabilizing financial emergencies.