Keep people clear of the damaged area
Clearing a unsafe structure case in St. Petersburg, FL
St. Petersburg sits on a peninsula between Tampa Bay and the Gulf, and salt-laden air reaches nearly every property here. Over time, salt air and humidity can corrode reinforcing steel and spall concrete on balconies and older buildings. Storm damage left unrepaired is a frequent reason for unsafe-structure notices. If you have one, the job usually means planned repairs built around a permit, inspections and, where the building department requires it, an engineer's plans. Start by reading the notice. Note the compliance date and any hearing date. Then contact the code office named on it with any questions about your case.
Call us or send your notice details · free estimate
St. Petersburg is an incorporated municipality. Code enforcement is normally run by the city itself, though some cities contract it out, and your notice names the office. Across Florida, code enforcement is handled locally under Chapter 162, Florida Statutes, which lets a city use a code enforcement board or a special magistrate. The process generally starts with a notice that identifies the problem and gives a reasonable time to correct it. If it is not corrected, the case is set for a hearing. The board or magistrate then issues an order with a compliance date, and a fine may be imposed for each day the violation continues past that date. The exact steps, deadlines and amounts are on your notice and vary by city, so confirm them with the code office.
While your case is open, don't
- Keep people out and leave structural repairs to professionals. Keep everyone, children above all, away from the affected area, follow any instruction from the building official, and do not attempt structural repairs yourself.
- Don't start work before the permit. Florida Building Code section 105.1 calls for a permit for most construction, alteration and repair work, and work done without one generally has to be permitted after the fact.
- Don't tear out or patch before you know what the building department needs. Opening up or covering over damaged areas can get in the way of the inspection that shows what was wrong and what was fixed.
- Don't lose track of your dates. Write down the compliance date and any hearing date from your notice, and ask the code office named on it if anything is unclear.
What we do
- We read the notice with youWe go through the notice or unsafe-structure order to see what the building official found, such as rotted framing, spalling concrete, broken stairs, railings or balconies, fire or storm damage, or an open building.
- We look at the property and quote it freeWe tell you what work the violation needs. The price is agreed with you in writing before any work starts.
- We make the area safe and secureWhere the building department requires structural plans, an engineer is brought in. What must be repaired, and by when, is set by the building official and the board, not by us.
- We pull the permit and do the repairsPermits are pulled under our Florida Certified Building Contractor licence, CBC1267336, after-the-fact permits included. Electrical and plumbing work is done by our Florida-licensed subcontractors, who pull their own trade permits.
- We schedule inspections and close out the permitWe schedule the inspections and work to get the permit closed out. You get the paperwork to show the code office named on your notice.
Work by 360 Home Improvements, Florida Certified Building Contractor CBC1267336. Electrical, plumbing and AC work goes to our Florida-licensed subcontractors, who pull that trade's permit.
How it works in St. Petersburg
Salt air is hard on St. Petersburg buildings. Humidity stays high all year, and the salt reaches concrete and the steel inside it. The housing stock runs from 1920s bungalows and Mediterranean Revival homes to a large share of 1950s–1970s concrete block and stucco ranch homes, plus downtown and beach-area condo towers and newer infill construction. Each type ages differently, so the repair plan starts with what the building official actually cited.
Hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, and storm damage left unrepaired is a common source of code enforcement notices afterward. For condominium and cooperative buildings of three or more stories, section 553.899, Florida Statutes, requires structural milestone inspections by a licensed engineer or architect. Repairs named in that report are permitted and carried out through the local building department. Confirm applicability and timing with that department or the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Our Florida licence is valid in every county, and you can verify it on the DBPR website.
Questions people ask
- Who handles unsafe-structure cases in St. Petersburg?
- St. Petersburg is an incorporated municipality, so code enforcement is normally run by the city, though some cities contract it out. The notice you received names the office. Call that office with questions about your case.
- Does salt air really cause these notices?
- Salt air and humidity corrode reinforcing steel and spall concrete on balconies and older buildings here. Storm damage left unrepaired is also a frequent reason for these notices. The notice itself says what the building official found.
- Can you speak for me at the hearing or deal with the fine?
- No. We are a contractor, not a law firm. We do not represent owners at hearings and we do not negotiate fines or liens. Those are decided by the board, magistrate or local government named on your notice, and legal questions go to a Florida attorney.
- I live in a condo. Do milestone repairs fit here?
- Yes, we handle the repairs that follow a milestone inspection under section 553.899, Florida Statutes. They are permitted and carried out through the local building department. Ask that department about applicability and timing for your building.
- What does the work cost?
- It depends on the damage, the size of the area, whether an engineer's plans are required, the permits involved and any trade work. We give a free estimate after looking at the property. The price is agreed in writing before work starts.
This page is general information about Florida code enforcement, not legal advice. For questions about your own case (deadlines, hearing dates, fines or liens), contact the code enforcement office named on your notice, or a Florida attorney.
Send us the notice
The estimate is free, and the price is agreed in writing before work starts. Call (954) 906-7864 or send a request through the form on the website; questions about the case itself go to the code office named on your notice.
Request a free estimate
Tell us what the notice says and where the property is. We'll look at what the violation needs and agree the price with you before any work starts.
Other violations in St. Petersburg
- A lien was recorded on my property
- Daily fines are adding up
- Work done without a permit
- Open or expired permits
- Overgrown lot, yard or debris
- Roof citation
- Fence, wall or pool barrier citation
Code Violation Solver is run by 360 Home Improvements, a licensed Florida contractor. We fix the condition behind the violation; the code office named on your notice decides the case.