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Home inspector in the
Florida Keys

The Florida Keys are not Miami — different housing stock, different infrastructure, different code, different insurance market. Most homes are stilted (pilings or piers due to FEMA elevation requirements), many run on septic + cistern instead of municipal sewer/water, and salt-air corrosion is more aggressive than anywhere on the mainland. We've been inspecting Keys properties for over a decade and know the quirks of every era and every island.

Request a quote Call (786) 839-1644
What we inspect

What's different about a
Keys inspection.

Inspecting a Florida Keys home requires a specialist's eye for issues that simply don't exist on the mainland. Stilted construction means the substructure is everything — pilings, piers, breakaway walls (BFE compliance), and the connection points are typically the most important inspection findings. Septic systems are common in the Upper and Middle Keys, and septic-tank condition is now a state regulatory issue (Monroe County's septic-to-sewer conversion program is ongoing). Cisterns in older Keys homes need their own assessment — algae, sediment, pump condition. Salt-air corrosion is brutal on AC condensers (often replaced every 5-7 years), exposed rebar, hurricane straps, and metal roof fasteners.

The Keys are also Florida's most demanding wind-speed zone — 180-200 MPH design speeds vs. 170 in Miami-Dade and 145 in Broward. That means hurricane straps, impact glass, and roof-to-wall connections aren't optional code minimums; they're absolute requirements. We document every wind mitigation credit precisely because insurance in Monroe County is hard to come by and discounts matter enormously.

Coverage

Every island.
Every neighborhood.

From Key Largo to Key West. Transparent mileage-based travel fee — quoted up front before you book.

Upper Keys

Key Largo

The gateway. Mile markers 95-110. Coral Shores, Cross Key, Tavernier border. Mostly stilted single-family with some condo developments.

See Key Largo page →
Upper Keys

Tavernier

Mile markers 88-92. Plantation Key edge. Quieter than Key Largo, mostly single-family stilted homes and waterfront properties.

See Tavernier page →
Upper Keys

Islamorada

Mile markers 73-90. Plantation Key, Windley, Upper Matecumbe, Lower Matecumbe. Luxury waterfront market with significant 2nd-home inventory.

See Islamorada page →
Middle / Lower Keys

Marathon · Big Pine · Key West

We inspect throughout the Middle and Lower Keys on scheduled route days. Travel fees scale with distance — we quote the all-in number up front. Call Jorge to schedule.

Call (786) 839-1644 →
Travel-fee policy

Transparent travel fees.
Quoted before you book.

Our mainland flat-rate radius extends 50 miles from Fort Lauderdale — which covers all of Miami-Dade, Broward, and most of Palm Beach with no travel premium. Monroe County is outside that radius and carries a modest, transparent travel fee scaled by mileage:

Destination
Travel fee
Same-week
Key Largo (MM 95-110)
$50–$125
Yes — usually
Tavernier (MM 88-92)
$75–$150
Yes — usually
Islamorada (MM 73-90)
$100–$175
Usually within 3-5 days
Marathon (MM 47-53)
$150–$250
3-7 days (route days)
Big Pine / Sugarloaf
$175–$300
3-7 days (route days)
Key West
$250–$400
5-10 days (overnight route)

Travel fee depends on specific mile marker and whether the inspection can be combined with another Keys-route job. We quote the exact, all-in number before you book.

FAQ for the Keys

Common questions from
Keys buyers.

Full residential inspections start at $375 plus a transparent, mileage-based travel fee for Monroe County. Most Upper Keys destinations (Key Largo, Tavernier, Islamorada) carry a travel fee of $50-$125. Marathon and lower keys are $150-$250. Key West is $250-$400 depending on overnight scheduling. We quote the all-in number before you book — no surprises.
Several things. Most Keys homes are stilted (pilings or piers) due to FEMA elevation requirements — we inspect the substructure, pilings, breakaway walls, and connection points where mainland homes have slab-on-grade. Many properties run on septic + cistern systems instead of municipal sewer/water. Salt-air corrosion is aggressive on AC condensers, rebar, hurricane straps. Hurricane wind speed zones in Monroe County are the most demanding in Florida (180-200 MPH design). FEMA elevation certificates are critical for flood insurance — we coordinate with surveyors when needed.
Usually yes for Upper Keys (Key Largo through Islamorada). For Marathon, Big Pine, and Key West, we typically combine inspections into Keys-route days, which means scheduling within 3-7 days is normal but same-day is harder. If you're on a tight contingency, text Jorge at (786) 839-1644 — we'll find a way.
Yes — and both are typically critical in the Keys. Insurance in Monroe County is its own challenge (Citizens, Florida Peninsula, and a handful of surplus-lines carriers dominate), and wind mitigation discounts can be the difference between an affordable policy and an impossible one. Keys homes built post-2002 to current FBC often score very well on the OIR-1802 form.
Florida Keys inspections

Closing in the Keys?
Request your inspection.

Request a quote Call (786) 839-1644