The short answer: Before buying a Juno Beach condo in a building three or more stories tall, get the inspector’s milestone summary, the latest structural integrity reserve study (SIRS), the budget and a year of board minutes. Florida’s default first inspection comes at 30 years, so ask the Town of Juno Beach Building Department which clock applies to your building.
By Jeremy Beckham, REALTOR®, SFR | Last updated: November 13, 2026
Juno Beach is a small town, and most of what comes up for sale along Ocean Drive and the Intracoastal side is a condo. That means the building’s paperwork matters as much as the view from the balcony. Buyers ask me the same three things every time. Has the inspection been done, is the reserve study on file, and is an assessment coming?
This post is the buyer’s side of that conversation, written for Juno Beach. For the town itself, start with my Juno Beach area guide. If you’re selling a condo instead, the document list for sellers lives in my Jensen Beach seller guide.
Key takeaways
- Florida’s milestone inspection applies to condo and co-op buildings three or more habitable stories tall. The statute’s default first deadline is December 31 of the year the building turns 30, then every 10 years.
- The “25 years if you’re near the coast” rule is a local choice, not automatic. The 2026 statute lets the local building official require 25 years because of conditions like salt water. In Juno Beach, that official is the Town’s Building Department.
- A SIRS covers eight structural items, from the roof to windows and exterior doors. For budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024, owners in a building that needs a SIRS can’t vote to skip or cut reserves for those items.
- Under contract, you’re entitled at the seller’s expense to the milestone summary and the latest SIRS (or a statement that none exists), along with the declaration, budget and other documents.
- Oceanfront buildings in Juno Beach also deal with sea turtle rules. New windows facing the beach need tinted glass and a Sea Turtle Lighting Permit, which can affect what a renovation costs.
Juno Beach condo document check at a glance
| What to ask for | Why it matters | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of occupancy date | Starts the milestone clock | Town of Juno Beach Building Department records |
| Inspector-prepared milestone summary | Shows whether phase two was needed | Association; buyer is entitled to it under s. 718.503 |
| Most recent SIRS | Sets required reserves for eight structural items | Association; also check DBPR’s SIRS database |
| Current budget and year-end financials | Shows reserve funding against the SIRS | Association |
| Last 12 months of board minutes | Where assessments show up first | Association website or records request |
| Sea Turtle Protection Zone status | Window and lighting rules for remodels | Town Code Compliance, (561) 627-0818 |
What is a condo milestone inspection in Juno Beach?
A milestone inspection is a structural inspection by a Florida-licensed architect or engineer, required by section 553.899 of the Florida Statutes. It applies to condo and co-op buildings three or more habitable stories tall. In Juno Beach, the Town’s Building Department is the local enforcement agency that sends the notice and receives the report.
The inspection has two phases. Phase one is a visual look at the building’s major structural parts. Phase two happens only if the phase one inspector finds substantial structural deterioration, and it can include testing. The statute gives the association 180 days after the Town’s written notice to complete phase one.
When a phase two report comes back, repairs must start within 365 days of that report. Under section 553.899(9) and a parallel rule in section 718.112, the association also has to send owners the inspector’s summary within 45 days of receiving the report.
Is it 25 years or 30 years for a Juno Beach oceanfront building?
The statute’s default is 30 years from the certificate of occupancy, then every 10 years. Section 553.899(3)(b) lets the local building official require the first inspection at 25 years because of local conditions, including proximity to salt water. For a building inside the Town of Juno Beach, that decision belongs to the Town’s Building Department.
Here’s where buyers get tripped up. A lot of what you’ll read online still says buildings within three miles of the coast are automatically on a 25-year clock. That isn’t what the 2026 Florida Statutes say. The 30-year default is the rule, and 25 years applies only where a local building official chose it.
Palm Beach County’s Building Division does list a 25-year first inspection for buildings within three miles of the coast on its milestone inspection page. That page covers unincorporated Palm Beach County. Juno Beach is its own town with its own Building Department.
I couldn’t find a published Town of Juno Beach rule on this either way. So I call the Juno Beach Building Department at 561-626-1122 (340 Ocean Drive, weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and ask which year the Town has on file for the building. If the Town doesn’t have a certificate of occupancy date, the statute uses the occupancy date in the building official’s records.
What does a SIRS cover, and why does it change my monthly fee?
A structural integrity reserve study (SIRS) is a reserve study for eight items in a condo building three or more habitable stories tall: roof, structure, fireproofing and fire protection, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing and exterior painting, windows and exterior doors, and any other item over the Division’s posted 2026 threshold ($25,675) that affects those. It’s redone at least every 10 years.
The reserve amount the board budgets for those items has to follow the most recent SIRS, under section 718.112. For a budget adopted on or after December 31, 2024, owners in a unit-owner-controlled association that needs a SIRS can’t vote to provide no reserves or lower reserves for those items. That’s the change behind many of the higher condo fees you’ve seen since.
The statute lets reserves be funded with regular assessments, or with special assessments, lines of credit or loans if the owners vote to approve it. When I read a budget for a buyer, I compare the reserve line to what the SIRS recommends. If they don’t match, I want to know why before you’re past your review period.
DBPR’s page says associations that existed on or before July 1, 2022 and are owner-controlled had to finish a SIRS by December 31, 2025. If a building’s milestone inspection is due on or before December 31, 2026, the association may do both together, with that SIRS due by December 31, 2026.
Where can I check whether a Juno Beach building filed its SIRS?
DBPR keeps a public SIRS Reporting Database. Associations must submit a SIRS reporting form within 45 days of completing the study, and the database shows complete submissions exactly as the association entered them. It’s split into filings before July 2025 and filings from July 2025 on.
A missing entry doesn’t prove a building skipped the study. It could be an incomplete form, a different name, or a building that doesn’t need one. It’s still a fast first check.
I search by the association’s legal name from the declaration, not the marketing name on the sign out front. Juno Beach has buildings with similar names along Ocean Drive, so matching the legal name saves a wrong turn.
What condo documents am I entitled to before closing?
Under section 718.503, a buyer under contract on a resale condo is entitled, at the seller’s expense, to the declaration, articles, bylaws and rules, the annual financial statement and budget, the inspector’s milestone summary if one applies, the latest SIRS or a statement that none exists, a turnover inspection report if one applies, and the association’s FAQ document.
The same section requires a resale contract to include one of two clauses. One says you got the main documents more than 7 days before signing, not counting weekends and legal holidays. The other makes the contract voidable by you within 7 days after you sign and receive them. The 7-day clock is the window where I do most of my reading.
Since contracts signed after December 31, 2024, the contract also has to state in conspicuous type whether the association still owes a required milestone inspection or SIRS, or isn’t required to have one. If a contract shows up without that language, I raise it right away.
Does the association have to post these documents online?
Yes, if it’s big enough. Under section 718.111, an association managing a condo with 25 or more units, without timeshare units, has had to post listed official records on a website or mobile app since January 1, 2026. A document generally has to go up within 30 days after the association receives or creates it.
In practice, that means I can often pull the budget, the SIRS and recent notices before we even write an offer. For a smaller Juno Beach building with fewer than 25 units, plan on a records request through the manager or the board instead.
If you’re comparing a few buildings, ask for the same set from each. My guides for Juno Ocean Club, Sea Oats of Juno Beach, The Surf, The Tower and Oak Harbour are a good place to start the list.
How do Juno Beach sea turtle rules affect condo windows and lighting?
Juno Beach Code section 34-1128 adopts Palm Beach County’s sea turtle rules. The Sea Turtle Protection Zone covers properties within 600 feet landward of the mean high-water line, which the Town says can include the west side of Ocean Drive. New or replacement exterior lighting and beach-facing windows need a Sea Turtle Lighting Permit.
The Town’s windows and glass doors application says new windows and doors within line of sight of the beach need tinted glass with visible light transmittance of 45 percent or less and at least a five-year warranty. Line of sight usually includes north and south windows, not only the ocean side. New windows and lighting also need a Juno Beach building permit.
The exterior lighting application requires fully shielded, downward-directed fixtures, with amber, orange or red LEDs during nesting season, March 1 through October 31.
Why this matters to a buyer: windows and exterior doors are one of the eight SIRS items. If the association is planning a window project, or you’re planning to replace your own unit’s sliders, the turtle rules are part of the scope and the price. Code Compliance at (561) 627-0818 can tell you whether a property is inside the zone.
How I review a Juno Beach condo before you commit
Here’s the order I work in when a buyer picks a building:
- Confirm the building is inside the Town of Juno Beach and how many habitable stories it has.
- Get the certificate of occupancy date and ask the Town Building Department which milestone year applies.
- Pull the inspector’s milestone summary and see whether phase two was required. If it was, find the repair schedule.
- Check DBPR’s SIRS database, then read the SIRS itself next to the current budget.
- Read 12 months of board minutes for assessment talk, insurance changes and any window, roof or concrete projects.
- Ask the manager about pending or approved special assessments in writing.
- Check the Sea Turtle Protection Zone if you plan to change windows, doors or exterior lights.
On the tax side, the Town of Juno Beach’s 2026 final millage is 1.8195, one line among several on a Palm Beach County bill, per the Property Appraiser’s 2026 final vs. proposed millage table. My Palm Beach County property tax post and homestead filing guide cover the rest.
Frequently asked questions
Does every Juno Beach condo need a milestone inspection?
No. The requirement in section 553.899 applies to condo and co-op buildings three or more habitable stories tall. Low-rise buildings with fewer stories, and single-family homes through fourplexes with three or fewer habitable stories, are outside it. A Juno Beach high-rise on Ocean Drive will be covered, so ask for the inspector’s summary.
Who decides if a Juno Beach building is on a 25-year milestone clock?
The local enforcement agency decides, and for buildings inside the town that’s the Town of Juno Beach Building Department. Florida law sets 30 years as the default and lets the local official choose 25 because of conditions like salt water. Call 561-626-1122 and ask which year applies to that building.
Can a Juno Beach condo board still waive SIRS reserves?
Not for budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024, if the association is unit-owner controlled and must have a SIRS. Owners can’t vote to provide no reserves or lower reserves for the eight SIRS items. The statute does allow those reserves to be funded by special assessments, lines of credit or loans if the owners vote to approve it.
What does phase two of a milestone inspection mean for a buyer?
Phase two happens only when the phase one inspector finds substantial structural deterioration. It can include testing, and repairs must start within 365 days after the report. For a buyer, a phase two finding means asking for the repair plan, the cost estimate and how the association is paying for it.
Can I back out of a Juno Beach condo contract after reading the documents?
Often, yes. Florida resale condo contracts must include either an acknowledgment that you got the main documents more than 7 days before signing, or a clause letting you cancel within 7 days after receiving them, excluding weekends and legal holidays. Read your own contract, since the clause in it controls.
Do I need a permit to replace beach-facing windows in a Juno Beach condo?
Yes. Inside the Sea Turtle Protection Zone, new windows and glass doors with a line of sight to the beach need a Juno Beach building permit and a Sea Turtle Lighting Permit. The Town requires tinted glass with 45 percent or less visible light transmittance and at least a five-year warranty.
Ready to look at Juno Beach condos?
If you’re weighing a Juno Beach condo, I’ll pull the milestone summary, the SIRS and the minutes and go through them with you before your review period runs out. Call or text me at 772.475.5371.
Browsing homes in Juno Beach? See my Juno Beach homes for sale page.
About the author
Jeremy Beckham, REALTOR®/SFR with NextHome Treasure Coast, has spent 17 years helping buyers and sellers from Fort Pierce south through the Palm Beaches, from an office at 414 S Colorado Ave in Stuart. See how I source my numbers, my Jupiter area guide, my Florida home buyer’s guide or my buyer services.
General information, not legal, engineering or insurance advice. Statutes, Town rules and association filings change, so confirm with the Town of Juno Beach, the association, a licensed engineer and a Florida real estate attorney.
Sources
- The Florida Senate, 2026 Florida Statutes s. 553.899, Mandatory structural inspections for condominium and cooperative buildings
- The Florida Senate, 2026 Florida Statutes s. 718.112 (budgets, reserves and SIRS), s. 718.503 (disclosure prior to sale) and s. 718.111 (official records and websites)
- Florida DBPR, Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares and Mobile Homes, Inspections (milestone inspections and SIRS), SIRS Reporting and Database and Reserve Threshold
- Town of Juno Beach, Building Department, Sea Turtle Lighting Permit Application, Windows and Glass Doors and Sea Turtle Lighting Permit Application, Exterior Light Fixtures
- Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning and Building, Mandatory Milestone Inspections (unincorporated Palm Beach County)
- Palm Beach County Property Appraiser, 2026 Final vs. Proposed Millage Rates (PDF)
Featured photo: Juno Beach and the Juno Beach Pier by Joel Kramer, via Wikimedia Commons. Licensed under CC BY 2.0. Cropped and brightened.