Brevard County condo inspections increase

COCOA BEACH, Fla. - Oceanfront views and spacious condos make for Florida’s ideal landing spot. Now that idea has turned into a source of anxiety.

Engineers like Jim Emory, the owner of Keystone engineering, are working on the sidelines of safety. "Everyone is concerned that their buildings could have the same concerns," says Emory. 

His Cocoa-Beach-based company typically fields five or six calls a month, helping condo buildings find structural issues and do repairs.

After the Surfside building collapse, Emory says that went up to six calls a day.

"It has created a lot of awareness and many times we are treated as unwelcome information and we are sharing this same type of news about corrosion and structural failures and how it is exponential and a lot of times that fall on deaf ears, and this unfortunate tragedy made everyone well aware that this isn’t just talk. These things are real," said Emory.

There are currently no local requirements in Brevard county for inspections. Emory says that leaves the decision up to condo owners, and board members. He says there are telltale signs of damage that homeowners should look out for.

"When you start to see the concrete starts to crack, not every crack is a spall, industry term for corrosion-related damages, but if you don't know the difference then you need someone like me or someone with our experience to look at it and advise you."

Emory recommends that condo associations should have a full inspection done before 20 years.