Broward County Building Safety Inspection Program

1 Revised 01/09/20 Broward County Building Safety Inspection Program Broward County Building Safety Inspection Program -Yearly Schedule - Page Broward County Building Safety Inspection Program -Summary - Page Broward County Administrative Provisions from Chapter IFlorida Building Code - Section Building SafetyInspection Program . Page & Building Inspection Safety Program (BORA Policy #5-05) Pages & Building Safety Inspection Report Form &GuidelinesSTRUCTURAL (BORA Policy # 05-05) Pages, & Building Safety Inspection Report Form & GuidelinesELECTRICAL (BORA Policy # 05-05) Pages & Building Collapse Photos - Pages & a-b TABLE OF CONTENTS 03/15/12 Amended 03/14/13 Amended 01/09/20 Broward County Building Safety Inspection Program YEARLY SCHEDULE JUNE (Preceding the specified calendar year) Board of Rules and Appeals obtains Building data from Property Appraisers Office and forwards it to each city.

2 JUNE AUGUSTB uilding Officials must notify property owners whose buildings are subject to the Safety Inspection Program for the specified calendar year. SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER (No later than) 90 day period for property owners to return structural and electrical check list to the City/ County DECEMBER through MAY (No later than)180 day period of time for those buildings requiring structural or electrical repairs to complete the work. STARTING IN JUNE 2014 Broward County Building Safety Inspection Program Program SUMMARY The 40 year and older Broward County Building Safety Inspection Program was created in 2005 and has become effective throughout Broward County in January 2006. Modeled after Miami-Dade County s Program , which was established in the mid 1970s, Broward s Program calls for structural and electrical Safety inspections for buildings 40 years old or older and every ten years thereafter.

3 One and two family dwellings, Gov-ernment, State of Florida buildings, schools under the jurisdiction of the School Board, and buildings built on Indian Reservations are exempt from this Program . Miami-Dade County s effort exempts other buildings under 2,000 square feet while the Broward County Program excludes all buildings under 3,500 square feet. Both Counties have had instances of structural Building failures. By having such a Program in effect both counties are minimizing the possibilities of future Building failure and will be better prepared for hurricane winds. Enclosed are checklists and guidelines for buildings to be inspected for structural integrity and electrical Safety . State licensed architects and engineers will be hired by private Building owners to do the Safety Inspection . The local government has the authority to establish a fee to review the Safety Inspection Reports.

4 The Building Department will review the reports submitted to verify that if the inspecting agency has deemed the structural and electrical systems as safe. If any deficiency is noted, the Building department shall follow the guidelines of Policy #05-05 (copy attached). Each June ( preceding the specified calendar year) a list of buildings meeting the Program requirements are provided to Building Officials from a database that the Board of Rules and Appeals obtains from the County Property Appraiser s Office. The Program is then to be administrated by the City Building Department or the County Building Department and a notification letter is sent. (Please see Page ) The owner of a Building or structure shall then furnish within 90 days the required Safety Inspection forms to the Building Official prepared by an engineer or architect. In the event that repairs are necessary, the owner has 180 days from the date of the Building Inspection report in which to correct the structural and electrical deficiencies that pose an immediate threat to life Safety .

5 Repairs that are incidental and non-life threatening can be completed at a later date. and plumbing inspections. During periodsof emergency or disaster as declared by the Gover-nor, inspections performed via electronic or photo-graphic media can be acceptable, on a case by casebasis as determined by the Building Reroofing the emer-gency or disaster period, as declared by the Gover-nor, the Building Official may at his or her optionallow an Architect or an Engineer, or their dulyauthorized representative to perform required re-roofing inspections. The Architect or Engineer shallsubmit sealed Inspection reports to the BuildingOfficial. During periods of emergency or disaster asdeclared by the Governor, inspections performedvia electronic or photographic media can be accept-able, on a case by case base as determined by theBuilding Damage conductingemergency damage assessments, the Building Offi-cial shall complete the Broward County EmergencyManagement Division Unsafe Structures ReportingForm.

6 The reports can be faxed, emailed, or if nec-essary, telephoned in to the numbers prescribed onthe form within forty-eight (48) hours of a buildingbeing posted as unsafe and a secondary report shallbe submitted when the Building is deemed safe, alsowithin forty-eight (48) hours. The reporting formwill be approved by both the Emergency Manage-ment Division and protocol for Sections applies during a state of emergency ordisaster as declared by the Governor of the State and records of inspections re-quired by Section and as set forth in , , and through can beacceptable, on a case by case base as determined bythe Building of Certification Section Building Safety Inspection hasestablished a Building Safety Inspection Program forbuildings and structures that have been in existence fora period of 40 years or longer. BORA by written policyshall establish the guidelines and criteria which will bethe minimum requirements for the Building Safety In-spection Program .

7 The Building Official shall enforcethe Building Safety Inspection Program . U. S. Govern-ment buildings, State of Florida buildings, buildingsbuilt on Indian Reservations, Schools buildings underthe jurisdiction of the Broward County School Board,One- and Two-Family Dwellings, and minor structuresdefined as buildings or structures in any occupancygroup having a gross floor area less than three thou-sand five hundred (3,500) square feet; are exempt fromthis order to implement the new Building Safety Inspec-tion Program in an orderly manner to clear a backlogof buildings needing Inspection , implementation shallproceed as follows:1. 40 year or older buildings of eleven thousand(11,000) square feet or more - compliance incalendar year 40 year or older buildings seven thousand(7,000) square feet or more - compliance nolater than calendar year 40 year or older Building five thousand fivehundred (5,500) square feet or more - compli-ance no later than calendar year 40 year or older buildings four thousand sixhundred fifty (4,650) square feet or more -compliance no later than calendar year 40 year or older buildings three thousand eighthundred (3,800) square feet or more - compli-ance no later than calendar year 40 year or older buildings three thousand fivehundred (3,500) square feet or more - compli-ance no later than calendar year Building inspections shall be required atten (10) year intervals, Section Effective January1, 2006, regardless of when the Inspection report forsame is finalized or filed.

8 Any buildings or structuresnot otherwise excluded as set forth herein shall beinspected at the same time as the initial 40-year inspec-tion of the Building and shall be re-inspected in accor-dance with the schedule for the 111 Certificates of Occupancy and Certificate of Use and Building or struc-ture shall be used or occupied, and no change in theexisting occupancy classification of a Building or 110 Broward County AMENDMENTS64 FBC 7th Edition, Broward County Board of Rules and Appeals Policy # 05-05 Effective: 01/01/06 Amended 06/09/06 Amended 04/02/09 Amended 03/15/12 Amended Effective 10/20/14 Amended Effective 01/09/20 Subject: Broward County Board of Rules and Appeals Building Safety Inspection Program _____ Section of the Broward County Administrative Provisions of the Florida Building Code has established a Building Safety Inspection Program . The procedures established herein are the basic guidelines for the Building Safety Inspection Program .

9 The requirements contained in the Florida Building Code, covering the maintenance of buildings, shall apply to all buildings and/or structures now existing or hereafter erected. All buildings and/or structures and all parts thereof shall be maintained in a safe condition, and all devices or safeguards that are required by the Florida Building Code shall be maintained in good working order. Electrical wiring, apparatus and equipment, and installations for light heat or power and low voltage systems as are required and/or regulated by the Building Code, now existing or hereinafter installed, shall be maintained in a safe condition and all devices and safeguards maintained in good working order. These guidelines shall not be construed as permitting the removal or non-maintenance of any existing devices or safeguards unless authorized by the Building Official. Building Safety Inspection of buildings / structures and components: For the purpose of these guidelines, Building Safety Inspection shall be construed to mean the requirement for specific Inspection of existing buildings and structures and furnishing the Building Official with a written report of such Inspection as prescribed herein.

10 A (1). Inspection procedures shall conform, in general, to the minimum Inspection procedural guidelines as issued by the Board of Rules and Appeals. This Inspection is for the sole purpose of identifying structural and electrical deficiencies of the Building or structure that pose immediate threat to life Safety . This Inspection is not to determine if the condition of an existing Building is in compliance with the current edition of the Florida Existing Building Code or the National Electrical Code. (2). Such Inspection shall be for the purpose of determining the structural & electrical condition of the Building or structure to the extent reasonably possible of any part, material or assembly of a Building or structure which affects the Safety of such Building or structure and/or which supports any dead or designed live load, and the general condition of its electrical systems pursuant to the Building Code.