Boynton Beach

Boynton Beach Building Recertification

Vilano Engineering performs building recertification inspections for commercial, condominium, cooperative, and threshold buildings in Boynton Beach — the structural inspection, the electrical inspection, and infrared thermography where the building's service calls for it, prepared on the City's guideline forms and sealed for submittal.

Boynton Beach runs its own recertification program. Palm Beach County has no county-wide program, so the requirements that apply to your building are set by the City.

If You've Received a Notice from the City

A recertification notice from Boynton Beach means your building has reached the age at which the program applies, and it starts the clock on when your reports are due. What the City is asking for is a structural packet and an electrical packet, each on the City's own guideline forms and each digitally signed and sealed, with an infrared thermographic scan included where the building's electrical service calls for one.

Send us the notice and we can tell you what your submittal needs to contain.

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Phase One

Phase One is a visual examination by a licensed engineer or architect covering the building's electrical service system together with the habitable and non-habitable areas, balconies, guardrails, and major structural components, with a qualitative assessment of their condition.

Boynton Beach treats the electrical service system as part of the same examination as the structure rather than as a separate exercise. Where Phase One finds deterioration in either the electrical service system or the structure, a Phase Two follows.

Phase Two

Phase Two applies only where Phase One has identified deterioration requiring it. It may include destructive or non-destructive testing to establish the extent of the condition, and it is accompanied by a repair plan and a schedule for completing the work.

Infrared Thermography

Where a building's electrical service is 400 amperes or more in aggregate, Boynton Beach requires an infrared thermographic scan of the electrical distribution equipment as part of the electrical submittal. The scan is performed by a certified thermographer on energized equipment under load, and the resulting report is sealed with the rest of the package.

The scan takes planning. A Florida-licensed electrical contractor removes the panel covers the day before and assists on site while it is performed, so it is worth establishing early whether your building's service puts you above that threshold.

More on infrared thermography inspections →

The City's Forms

Boynton Beach requires its own structural and electrical guideline reports. A report prepared in a firm's own format will not be accepted, regardless of how thorough it is. Both packets are submitted digitally signed and sealed by a Florida-registered engineer or architect.

Who the City Requires to Perform the Inspection

For taller buildings and for buildings that meet the City's threshold definition, Boynton Beach requires the structural inspection to be performed by a threshold structural engineer and the electrical inspection by an electrical engineer. Smaller buildings outside that definition may be inspected by any licensed architect or engineer.

Vilano Engineering delivers both packets and submits them as a single sealed package.

What to Have Ready

  • The certificate of occupancy, which establishes the building's age
  • The notice received from the City
  • Prior recertification reports
  • Structural and electrical drawings
  • The electrical service rating — thermography applies at 400 amperes or more in aggregate

Boynton Beach and the Surrounding Jurisdictions

Palm Beach County does not operate a county-wide recertification program. Boynton Beach, Boca Raton, and Highland Beach each run their own, and the requirements are not identical — Boca Raton's program and Boynton Beach's differ in both the forms accepted and how the electrical scope is handled. A building elsewhere in the county is subject to the statewide milestone inspection, which is structural only.

For the City's program details, see the Boynton Beach Building Recertification page. For the statewide milestone requirement, see Florida Statute 553.899. For what happens between receiving a notice and closing the file, see what to do when you receive a recertification notice.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Boynton Beach require in a recertification submittal?

A structural packet and an electrical packet, both prepared on the City's guideline reports and digitally signed and sealed by a Florida-registered engineer or architect, with an infrared thermographic scan where the building's service calls for one. Reports submitted in a firm's own format are not accepted.

Does Boynton Beach require infrared thermography?

Yes, where the building's electrical service is 400 amperes or more in aggregate. The scan covers the electrical distribution equipment, is performed on energized equipment under load by a certified thermographer, and is submitted as part of the sealed electrical package.

Can any engineer perform the inspection?

It depends on the building. For taller buildings and buildings meeting the City's threshold definition, the City requires a threshold structural engineer for the structural inspection and an electrical engineer for the electrical inspection. Smaller buildings outside that definition may be inspected by any licensed architect or engineer.

What is the difference between Phase One and Phase Two?

Phase One is the visual examination of the electrical service system and the structure. Phase Two applies only where Phase One identifies deterioration requiring further investigation, and may involve destructive or non-destructive testing along with a repair plan.

Is Boynton Beach's recertification the same as a milestone inspection?

No. The milestone inspection is a statewide structural requirement. Boynton Beach's recertification is a separate municipal program covering the electrical service system as well as the structure. A building may be subject to both.

How do I find my deadline?

The building's age runs from the certificate of occupancy, and the schedule is set by the City. Confirm your date with Boynton Beach's building department.

Vilano Engineering, LLC is a licensed engineering firm providing building recertification and safety inspections, infrared thermography, electrical design, expert witness services, developer turnover, and property condition assessments.

Nicholas Strachan, PE

Licensed Professional Engineer — Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, New York, North Carolina, Texas

Certified Level II Thermographer

Licensed Plans Examiner — Florida

25+ years in engineering design, inspection, and quality assurance

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