AskCodeMan

I live in Miami Beach, FL and noticed on many condominium floor permits that the inspections were only approved after a letter from the condo board was received .

Permit inspection cards state:
"Failed: need record of soundproofing inspection."
"Approved: condo letter for soundproofing provided."

The floor permit inspection required two inspections, one for the soundproofing underlayment and one for the final tile inspection. I noticed that if the underlayment was covered by tile before the inspector had time to look the soundproofing underlayment the inspector then asked for letter from the condo board certifying the soundproofing underlayment Is this type of final approval by condo board letter common in building inspections?

Typically, no permits are required for floor coverings.

I've not heard of permits for replacing carpet or vinyl.

The only difference between carpet or vinyl and tile or wood is sound transmission, and sound transmission did not come into the code until the 2004 Florida Building Code, as I recall. Any building constructed under a code is allowed to remain as was allowed by that code at the time of construction.

Not sure why the building department is concerned with something which is not applicable to a building under the code it was constructed under. If the building is new and was constructed under the 2004, 2007, or the 2010 Florida Building Code, then, maybe, the building department would have a reason to want or need permits for flooring, but even then that would be a stretch as flooring would not have any structural or safety affect on the building, and that is what codes are about - safety.

The condo association - yes, absolutely, they would most definitely have a legitimate interest in the flooring, but that would be, SHOULD BE, addressed in the condo documents.

Violations of the condo documents would be a civil violation, not a building code violation.