Five confirmed services, each scoped in writing to the property in front of us — and three related inspection types we deliberately keep separate from them.
First Coast Balcony Inspections offers five services: general
visual balcony condition inspections, elevated exterior component inspections,
multi-property and portfolio programs, follow-up or post-repair inspections, and
Florida public lodging balcony certification on DBPR form HR-7020.
All five are non-invasive, observation-based inspections documented with
photographs and written findings. None is an engineering evaluation or a structural
certification. Only the HR-7020 certification addresses a statutory requirement,
and it addresses that one only — a general condition inspection does not satisfy
any Florida statutory requirement on its own.
Confirmed services
What we perform
Each card states what the service covers and what it does not.
General Visual Balcony Condition Inspection
A non-invasive visual assessment of accessible balcony surfaces, railings, and visible supporting components, documented with photographs and written observations.
From $295 for a single-unit inspection
Relevant to
Associations, managers and owners who need a defensible record of what the balconies look like now.
You receive
A written condition report with dated, location-keyed photographs and observations.
What this covers
Visual review of accessible walking surfaces, coatings and drainage
Guardrails, handrails, pickets and attachment points as visible
Visible signs of water intrusion, staining, spalling or corrosion
Soffits, undersides and edge conditions where safely visible
Photographic documentation with per-location observations
A written condition report in the agreed format
What this does not cover
Destructive or invasive testing, probing, or opening of finishes
Engineering analysis, load calculations or structural certification
Any statement that a balcony is safe, code-compliant or warranted
Satisfaction of a statutory inspection requirement
A general visual condition inspection is an observation-based assessment. It is not an engineering evaluation and does not by itself satisfy any Florida statutory inspection requirement.
Elevated Exterior Component Inspection
The same visual approach extended beyond balconies to other elevated exterior elements — walkways, breezeways, landings, exterior stairs, and railings.
Relevant to
Properties where the shared route to a unit matters as much as the balcony itself.
You receive
The same report, extended to walkways, stairs, landings and railings.
What this covers
Exterior walkways, breezeways and landings
Exterior stair treads, risers, stringers and landings as visible
Guardrail and handrail conditions along elevated routes
Visible waterproofing, coating and flashing conditions
Location-referenced photographs keyed to building and level
What this does not cover
Invasive investigation or material testing
Structural engineering evaluation or certification
Multi-Property and Portfolio Programs
A single coordinated scope across several buildings or several properties, with consistent documentation so results can be compared building to building.
Relevant to
Community association managers and property managers running several addresses.
You receive
One scope across the portfolio, documented identically at every property.
What this covers
One property-specific scope covering multiple buildings or addresses
Consistent observation categories across the whole portfolio
Documentation organised by property, building and unit or level
Scheduling coordinated with a single point of contact
Built for community association managers and property managers who need the same questions answered the same way at every address.
Follow-Up and Post-Repair Inspections
A return visit that documents the visible condition of previously noted locations after repair work or after a defined monitoring interval.
Relevant to
Anyone who has had work done, or who is monitoring a condition over time.
You receive
A before-and-after record from the same vantage points, location by location.
What this covers
Re-inspection of the specific locations named in an earlier report
Before-and-after photographic comparison at the same vantage points
A written record of visible change at each documented location
What this does not cover
Approval, acceptance or sign-off of another party’s repair work
Verification that a repair meets a code, permit or design requirement
A follow-up inspection documents what is visible after work was done. It is not an approval of the repair and is not a warranty.
Public Lodging Balcony Certification (HR-7020)
Florida public lodging establishments of three or more stories must have their balconies, platforms, stairways and railings inspected and certified on DBPR form HR-7020, filed with the Division of Hotels and Restaurants and valid for three years from the date of inspection.
Relevant to
Hotels, motels, and condominium or apartment units rented to the public, in buildings of three or more stories.
You receive
A completed DBPR form HR-7020 for filing, with the supporting inspection record behind it.
What this covers
Inspection of balconies, platforms, stairways and railings across the establishment
Unenclosed landings and porches used by the public, which the rule also treats as balconies
The completed HR-7020 certificate, with the competency statement the form requires
A supporting photographic record keyed to building and level
A note of the expiry date, so the next cycle does not arrive unannounced
What this does not cover
Filing on your behalf — the certificate is the operator’s to file and keep on the premises
Verifying the inspector’s competency, which the rule makes the operator’s responsibility
Any determination about milestone inspections, reserve studies or engineering matters
The rule behind this certificate names no licence. It asks for an inspector whose education and experience make them competent to inspect multi-storey buildings, and it makes the operator responsible for verifying that competency and recording the verification on the form. Pages telling you an engineer or architect is required are stating an interpretation, not the rule. Confirm your own obligation and filing deadline with the Division of Hotels and Restaurants.
Know the difference
How Florida's inspection types differ
These answer different questions and have different rules about who may perform them.
Filing one in place of another is where associations get into difficulty.
Comparison of inspection types referenced on this site. Informational only; not
legal advice. Verify current requirements against the official sources listed below.
Inspection type
Question it answers
Who performs it
Statutory requirement it addresses
General visual balcony condition inspection
What visible conditions are present, and where?
Performed by First Coast Balcony Inspections
No statutory requirement on its own
Public lodging balcony inspection and certificate
Has DBPR form HR-7020 been filed for this lodging establishment in the last three years?
An inspector whose education and experience make them competent to inspect multi-storey buildings. The rule names no licence; the operator must verify and record that competency on the form
The public lodging certification requirement, when properly performed and filed
Florida condominium milestone inspection
Is this qualifying building structurally sound at its statutory milestone?
An architect or engineer licensed in Florida
The milestone inspection requirement
Structural integrity reserve study (SIRS)
What reserves does this association need for its specified structural components?
As restricted by Florida statute
The SIRS requirement
Structural engineering evaluation
What is the structural cause, capacity or required repair?
A licensed professional engineer
No statutory inspection requirement by itself; may be required as part of one
Florida Condominium Milestone Inspection
A statutory structural inspection of qualifying condominium and cooperative buildings, performed by an architect or engineer licensed in Florida.
Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS)
A statutory reserve study for qualifying Florida condominium and cooperative associations covering specified structural components and their reserve funding.
Structural Engineering Evaluation
An engineered assessment of structural capacity, cause of distress, or repair design, sealed by a licensed professional engineer.
Sources and review date
The statutory references above were reviewed on 2026-10-30 against the
sources below. Status: Pending owner and legal sign-off. Florida's inspection statutes have been
amended repeatedly in recent sessions, so verify the current text and your own
obligations with your association attorney and the authority having jurisdiction
before acting on any summary, including this one.
What salt air and standing water do to an assembly
Along this stretch of coast, balconies take wind-driven rain, salt aerosol and
constant humidity. The common failure pattern is not dramatic: water gets past a
coating, a sealant joint or a railing penetration, reaches embedded steel, and the
steel corrodes. Corroding steel expands, and that expansion pushes the surrounding
concrete apart from the inside.
By the time the result is visible as a rust stain, a hairline crack along an edge,
or a hollow-sounding patch of surface, the process has usually been running for a
while. That is the argument for documenting condition on a schedule rather than
after something falls off.
Cracking or staining that tracks along a consistent line, not at random
Surface that sounds hollow, or edges breaking away and exposing steel
Rust bleeding from railing bases, posts and through-bolt penetrations
Water standing on a balcony instead of draining away from the building
Railings that move, rattle or feel loose at the attachment
If you can see any of these, the useful next step is a documented record of where
and how widespread it is.
Educational example of concrete spalling with corroded reinforcement. Not a project of, or an inspection finding by, First Coast Balcony Inspections.
Who it is for
Condominium and townhome associations, managers, and rental owners.
Other inspections we perform, as High Tide Inspections
First Coast Balcony Inspections is a d/b/a of High Tide Inspections, a licensed and insured Northeast Florida inspection practice. Everything on this page is the balcony specialism.
The services below are the same licence, the same inspector and the same
reporting standard, carried out under the parent name — and they open on
that site rather than this one.
Send the property details and you will get a written scope that states what is inspected, what is excluded, and what you receive — for your buildings specifically. 8 inspection types are described on this page; we will tell you plainly which of them apply to you.
