Storm repair requirements for condominiums, apartments and townhome buildings

These requirements apply to condominiums, apartments and townhome buildings in Unincorporated Pinellas County that:

• Are in the flood hazard area
• Do not meet current floodplain building code requirements, such as building above the base flood elevation

Note: Pinellas County Government manages Substantial Damage Assessments for condominiums, apartments and townhomes in unincorporated areas. If you live within a city, please contact your city for specific information about their Substantial Damage plan and permitting information.

How is the Substantial Damage Rule different for condominiums, apartments and townhome buildings?

If the property is in a flood hazard area and was damaged during the hurricanes, the property will be assessed for Substantial Damage, as with any property in the flood hazard area. However, for condominiums and townhomes that are part of a homeowners’ association with shared property, a substantial damage determination is made for each building rather than the individual units.

If the cost to repair the entire building is 49% or more of its value, without the land, the building is considered Substantially Damaged cannot be repaired without bringing it into compliance with the current floodplain codes (e.g. elevating or replacing it).

Responsibilities of the condo or homeowners’ association

1. Determine the value of each building based on either data from the Pinellas County Property Appraiser or private appraisals. 49% of this value is what may be spent on repairs to the entire building. Private appraisals must follow the checklist at pinellas.gov/appraisals.
2. If the building was initially determined to be substantially damaged, decide whether to request a reassessment. Completing the Storm Repair Authorization Form will provide the County the information needed to begin a reassessment. Photographs may be required. Providing them with your form is recommended.
3. If the building is not Substantially Damaged, determine and document how your association will allocate the construction dollar limits for repairs to keep costs below the 49% threshold. Things to consider:
   • What is the value of the building? Do you agree with the property appraiser’s value, or do you want to pay for a private appraisal?
   • What will it cost to repair common areas? This amount must be part of the total estimated cost to repair the structure.
4. Select one general contractor for repairs to common building elements, such as exterior siding, soffit, roof, lobby, etc. One permit will be processed for the common elements for the entire building.
5. Complete the Storm Repair Authorization Form for Condominiums, Apartments and Townhome Buildings Located in a Flood Hazard Area for each building.  Once signed, submit it to Pinellas County Building and Development Review Services with the required documentation. If common elements need to be repaired, submit the form along with your permit application. Once approved, give a copy of the form to any contractor who will be doing work on that building. The County will have the information on file for the building, but the form will confirm for the contractor and County staff the construction dollar limit for each unit. The form is required before the County can issue permits because it tells us the construction limit for each unit and provides the Association’s permission to proceed.

An example condo storm repair scenario

• High Water Condos was flooded on the first floor. Units 1 and 2 sustained some damage, units 3 and 4 sustained significantly more damage, and units 5 and 6 sustained no damage. The depreciated actual cash value of the condo building before the storms was $800,000 

• 49%, or $392,000, can be spent on repairs or improvements over a one-year rolling period. 

• The Association gets bids from contractors and determines that common elements can be repaired for under $20,000. That means there is a $372,000 limit for repairing all of the individual units. 

• The Association works with individual owners to review estimates to repair their units. The Association determines that units 1 and 2 will require no more than $40,000 to repair to their pre-storm condition, and units 3 and 4 will require up to $60,000. The association allocates its 49% as follows: 

$20,000 for common areas 

$40,000 for unit 1 

$40,000 for unit 2 

$60,000 for unit 3 

$60,000 for unit 4 

Units 5 and 6 are not authorized to make repairs or renovations because they did not sustain damage. 

Total allocated: $220,000. This is below the 49% limit of $392,000 and leaves  

$172,000 that can be allocated to future permits over the course of the next year.  

• The Association selects a licensed contractor to make all common area repairs.  

• The Association completes the Storm Repair Authorization Form authorizing repairs and provides to Pinellas County Building and Development Review Services for approval. The form contains the documentation of the cost of all repairs as previously gathered in cooperation with owners. 

• The licensed contractor for common area repairs submits the form when applying for permits for common area repairs.