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Pembroke Pines, FL Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Applies to
Threshold buildings, per F.S. § 553.79
Required inspector
Registered engineer or architect
Insurance minimum
$1,000,000 professional liability
Non-compliance consequence
Permit denial or stop-work order
General penalty
$500 fine or 90 days jail

Summary

For threshold buildings, Pembroke Pines requires the owner to hire an independent design professional under § 150.21 to perform special inspections throughout construction and certify compliance before a certificate of occupancy issues. The design professional must carry at least $1,000,000 in professional liability insurance and keep detailed inspection records available to the city.

Prior to the issuance of a building permit for or commencement of construction of a threshold building, the owner of real property desiring to build a threshold building shall retain the services of a design professional, being a registered engineer, a registered architect, or a firm of registered architects or registered engineers, to provide special inspection services during the construction of the threshold building in accordance with F.S. § 553.79, and certification of construction upon completion of construction of and prior to the actual occupancy and the issuance of a certificate of occupancy of any threshold building, in accordance with F.S. § 553.79. ... The owner shall require the design professional have in force at all times during construction, professional liability insurance in an amount not less than $1,000,000 issued by an insurance company acceptable to the city.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-61: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 2056, passed 12-11-25).

Full Breakdown

79. S. S. Chapter 481 as an architect, present whenever those components are being built; and must maintain written inspection records at the job site during construction and permanently after completion, available to the owner, contractor, subcontractors, and regulatory agencies including the city. On completion, the design professional must certify to the city that all safety-related structural components were inspected throughout construction by a qualified special inspector and that the building, to the best of the professional's knowledge, complies with the applicable codes and the permitted design.

The owner must submit a copy of the design professional's written services agreement with the building permit application, and must stop all work any time the design professional isn't actively performing inspection services, until a successor is retained and a new agreement is filed with the city; the design professional's fee cannot be tied to the project's financial performance, only a fixed, hourly, or percentage-of-value fee. Failure to follow this process lets the Chief Building Official deny building permits, issue stop-work orders, or deny the certificate of occupancy.

Violations & Fines

Skipping the required threshold-building inspection process lets the Chief Building Official deny or hold up building permits, issue stop-work orders on any phase of construction, or refuse to issue the certificate of occupancy entirely. Beyond those administrative consequences, § 150.21 is enforced as a Building Code violation under the general penalty in § 10.99, punishable by a fine of up to $500, up to 90 days in jail, or both.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a threshold building under Pembroke Pines' inspection rules?
Section 150.21 uses the state definition tied to F.S. § 553.79, generally larger or higher-occupancy buildings that require special structural inspections during construction; the owner must hire an independent registered engineer or architect to provide those inspections before the permit issues.
Who pays for and performs threshold building inspections?
The owner hires and pays the design professional, who must carry at least $1,000,000 in professional liability insurance, personally inspect all safety-related structural components as they're built, and certify to the city upon completion that the inspections were performed and the building complies with the permitted plans.
What happens if the required special inspections aren't done?
The Chief Building Official can deny the building permit, issue stop-work orders on the threshold building's construction, or refuse to issue the certificate of occupancy, on top of the general Building Code penalty in § 10.99 of up to a $500 fine or 90 days in jail.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Pembroke Pines

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