Infrared Thermography
Vilano Engineering performs infrared thermographic inspections of electrical distribution equipment for condominium, cooperative, and commercial buildings in Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade Counties. Scans are performed for two reasons: because a jurisdiction requires one as part of electrical recertification, or because a building wants to find failing equipment before it fails.
A thermographic scan detects heat generated by loose connections, overloaded conductors, imbalanced phases, and deteriorating components — conditions that are invisible during a visual inspection and that give no warning before they fail.
Miami-Dade, Boca Raton, and Boynton Beach require an infrared thermographic inspection of the electrical distribution equipment where a building's electrical service is 400 amperes or more in aggregate. The scan forms part of the sealed electrical recertification submittal.
Broward County does not require thermography as part of its recertification program.
Because the thermographic report is a component of the electrical recertification rather than a standalone document, it has to be produced and sealed in coordination with the rest of the submittal. Vilano Engineering delivers the structural inspection, the electrical inspection, and the thermographic scan as a single package.
More on building recertification →Outside of recertification, thermographic scans are commissioned by property managers, boards, and insurers to identify deteriorating electrical equipment before it causes an outage, an equipment loss, or a fire. There is no deadline driving this work — the reason to do it is that electrical failures are preceded by heat, and heat is measurable well before anything visible changes.
Common findings include loose or corroded terminations, overloaded circuits, phase imbalance, undersized conductors, and failing breakers and contactors. Each is correctable at modest cost when found early and considerably more expensive after a failure.
NFPA 70B, Recommended Practice for Electrical Equipment Maintenance, supports scanning at least every twelve months.
Thermographic scans are often performed by electrical contractors and technicians whose qualification is the thermography certification itself. Vilano Engineering brings both — Level II thermographer certification and Professional Engineer licensure in eight states.
Identifying a thermal anomaly is one task. Determining what caused it, what it means for the equipment, and what corrective work it calls for is engineering judgment. Where the scan is part of a recertification submittal, the report has to be sealed by a licensed Professional Engineer regardless of who performed the imaging.
The scan is performed on energized equipment under load, because a thermal signature only appears when current is flowing. Equipment scanned cold or lightly loaded will not reveal the conditions the inspection is meant to find, so the building operates normally during the inspection.
Panel covers must be removed so components can be imaged directly, and that work has to be done by a Florida-licensed electrical contractor engaged by the building. Covers on equipment in locked rooms should be removed the day before the inspection, and the contractor needs to be available on the day of the scan to assist the thermographer.
The equipment covered includes switchgear, busways, panelboards, disconnects, meter centers, transformers, transfer switches, motor starters, variable frequency drives, and control panels, as applicable to the building.
The report includes the inspection procedure, the thermographer's qualifications, thermal images of each anomaly found, representative images of equipment inspected without thermal anomalies, and recommendations for corrective work.
Thermographic inspection for recertification must be performed by a certified thermographer meeting the jurisdiction's certification and experience requirements. Vilano Engineering holds Level II thermographer certification.
In Miami-Dade, Boca Raton, and Boynton Beach, yes, where the electrical service is 400 amperes or more in aggregate. Elsewhere in Palm Beach and in Broward County, thermography is not part of the recertification requirement, though buildings still commission scans for maintenance purposes.
Engage a Florida-licensed electrical contractor to remove panel covers so the equipment can be imaged. Covers on equipment in locked rooms should be removed the day before, and the contractor needs to be on site during the inspection to assist the thermographer.
No — the opposite. The equipment must be energized and under load for the scan to be valid, so the building operates normally during the inspection.
NFPA 70B, Recommended Practice for Electrical Equipment Maintenance, supports scanning at least every twelve months.
No. The electrical inspection is a visual evaluation of the building's electrical systems. A thermographic scan measures heat in energized equipment and detects conditions that produce no visible sign. Where a jurisdiction requires both, each forms a separate part of the submittal.
Last modified August 2026.
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