Owner help
Your condo board needs ERRCS bids now. Use this checklist.
A condo board collecting ERRCS bids should first get a signal test report, then send the same scope to every bidder and compare line by line: test, design, license holder consent, permit, equipment, fire alarm monitoring, acceptance test and the yearly test. In Florida, an association must obtain competitive bids when a contract exceeds 5 percent of the total annual budget including reserves, and it does not have to accept the lowest bid (F.S. 718.3026). Florida high-rises had to comply by January 1, 2025, and a building cited after that gets at least one year from the notice (F.S. 633.202(18)(g)).
What the board has to decide
The general background is on ERRCS for condo boards. This page is the short list for a board that needs bids on the table soon. The board usually has to decide five things, in this order:
- Whether to test first. If there is no floor-by-floor signal test report yet, approve one. Bids without it are guesses.
- Who speaks for the building. One manager or board member as the single contact for the fire marshal, the installers and the radio license holder.
- The bid scope. One written scope that every bidder prices.
- The winning bid, after a line-by-line comparison.
- How to pay: reserves, a special assessment, a loan, or a mix. How costs are split between the association and owners is a question for your attorney.
How many bids
In Florida, an association must obtain competitive bids when a contract requires payment that, in the aggregate, exceeds 5 percent of the association's total annual budget, including reserves. The association does not have to accept the lowest bid (F.S. 718.3026(1)). The statute does not set a minimum number of bids, so check your declaration and bylaws.
A practical target is three bids on the same scope. Fewer makes price hard to judge; many more slows the board down without much benefit.
The packet every bidder gets
Send each bidder the same packet:
- The signal test report with floor grids, or permission to run one.
- The fire marshal notice and its deadline, if any.
- The fire department's technical criteria document (IFC 2021 510.4.2.2).
- Floor count, floors below grade, gross square feet and roof access details.
- Who your fire alarm contractor is, since the system must report to the fire alarm panel (IFC 2021 510.4.2.5).
- The date bids are due and the board meeting date.
Compare bids line by line
Paste each bid into this table. A blank cell is a question to send back to that bidder before the meeting.
| What the bid must cover | Why it matters | Citation | Bid A | Bid B | Bid C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Signal test or survey | Sizes the job; a passing building needs no amplifier | IFC 2021 510.4.2.1 | |||
| Design to the fire department's criteria | Frequencies and design details come from the fire code official | IFC 2021 510.4.2.2 | |||
| Designer and lead installer credentials | FCC general radio operator license and in-building training | IFC 2021 510.5.3 | |||
| License holder consent | Required before a booster operates, kept in writing | 47 CFR 90.219(b)(1)(i); F.S. 633.202(18)(d) | |||
| Permit and plan review | Required to install or modify a system | IFC 2021 510.3 | |||
| Listed equipment | Equipment listed to UL 2524 | IFC 2021 510.4 | |||
| Standby power | At least 12 hours at full load in the model code | IFC 2021 510.4.2.3 | |||
| Fire alarm monitoring | Supervisory signals to a listed fire alarm control unit | IFC 2021 510.4.2.5 | |||
| Acceptance test on every floor | 20-area grid per floor | IFC 2021 510.5.4 | |||
| Retest if the first test fails | Who pays is a contract question | Your contract | |||
| Annual test price | Required every year after installation | IFC 2021 510.6.1 | |||
| Written schedule to the deadline | Must fit inside the notice date | F.S. 633.202(18)(g) |
The Board Brief prints the rule, dates and questions on one page for the meeting.
Cost per owner
There is no public price list. One news report on Fort Lauderdale high-rises said systems can cost $250,000 or more, with $275,000 quoted to one condo association president (Sun Sentinel via Firehouse, November 2025). That is one city's high-rise figure; your bids are the real number. To turn a bid into a per-unit figure with reserves and fire department fees, use the cost per owner calculator.
The Florida dates
| Date | What it means | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2024 | Existing high-rises not in compliance had to apply for a permit | F.S. 633.202(18)(a) |
| January 1, 2025 | Existing high-rises had to comply | F.S. 633.202(18)(a) |
| At least 1 year from a notice | Time to finish a retrofit the fire marshal requires after those dates | F.S. 633.202(18)(g) |
The date on your notice controls. Some buildings are exempt (F.S. 633.202(18)(h)); the building checker applies the exemptions.
If recertification or a milestone inspection is also due
Neither the county recertification nor the state milestone inspection tests radio coverage (F.S. 553.899(2)(a)). But repairs from those inspections, such as new windows or concrete work, can change the signal, and the fire code requires a new radio test after structural changes that could affect coverage (IFC 2021 510.6.1). Ask bidders whether their schedule accounts for that work. See recertification and ERRCS.
Get bids for the board
If the fire marshal has already ordered a system, see the fire marshal ordered ERRCS for the written reply. The form below sends your request to up to 3 licensed installers who serve your area. They reach you by email, or by phone only if you choose calls.
Free for owners, boards and managers
Get up to 3 installer quotes for the board
Condo requests go to up to 3 installers so the board can compare bids side by side.
- Up to 3 licensed installers who serve your area may contact you. Never more than 3.
- By email, or by phone call only if you choose calls below.
- No texts, no robocalls, and we never sell your request to a marketing list.
- Owners never pay us. Installers pay ERRCSCheck for the introduction.
- If no installer covers your area, we tell you within 2 business days and send your local requirements instead.
ERRCSCheck is a private company, not a government agency or fire department.
Request received
Thank you. Up to 3 licensed installers who serve your area will contact you, usually within 2 business days.
Next step
Take the board a plan, not just a problem
Ask for up to 3 quotes from vetted installers who serve your area, or start with a one-page brief the board can read before the next meeting. Free for owners, boards and managers. No texts, no cold calls.
Questions people ask
How many ERRCS bids does a Florida condo board need?
The statute does not set a number. It requires competitive bids when a contract exceeds 5 percent of the association's total annual budget including reserves, and it says the association does not have to accept the lowest bid (F.S. 718.3026(1)). Your declaration or bylaws may add rules, so ask the association's attorney. Three comparable bids is a common practical target.
Can the board skip bidding because of the fire marshal deadline?
The statute does not limit an association's ability to get needed products and services in an emergency (F.S. 718.3026(2)(b)). Whether a radio coverage deadline counts as an emergency is a legal question for your attorney. A Florida retrofit order gives at least one year from the notice (F.S. 633.202(18)(g)), which usually leaves time to bid.
Does a special assessment have to be approved by owners?
That depends on your declaration, bylaws and Florida condo law, which this page does not cover. Ask your association's attorney before the meeting where the assessment is proposed.
Our milestone inspection is due too. Does it cover radio coverage?
No. The milestone inspection is structural, and the statute says its purpose is not to determine compliance with the firesafety code (F.S. 553.899(2)(a)). Plan the two together: see recertification and ERRCS.
Sources
Primary documents we read for this page. Rules change; confirm with your fire marshal (AHJ).
- Florida Statutes 2026, section 718.3026, Contracts for products and services; in writing; bids; exceptions, The Florida Senate
- Florida Statutes 2026, section 633.202, subsection (18), The Florida Senate
- International Fire Code 2021, Section 510 (text as published by the City of Eaton), City of Eaton, reproducing the ICC International Fire Code
- 47 CFR 90.219, Use of signal boosters, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
- Fort Lauderdale cites 69 high-rises with weak radio signals (South Florida Sun Sentinel, republished by Firehouse, November 7, 2025), Firehouse
- Florida Statutes 2026, section 553.899, Mandatory structural inspections for condominium and cooperative buildings, The Florida Senate
Related
Something happened with your building's radio coverage. Start here.
Plain next steps for owners, condo boards and managers: failed coverage test, fire marshal order, expired permit, CO on hold or a board that needs quotes.
The fire marshal says your building must install ERRCS. Here is your plan.
The fire marshal wants a BDA or ERRCS system installed. How to confirm it applies, test first, count your Florida year, get consent and a permit.
Your building failed a radio coverage test. Here is what to do next.
Failed an ERRCS signal or grid test? What the result means, the fix options from antennas to a full BDA, how long Florida gives you, and how to get bids.
Your building got an ERRCS notice. Here is what it means.
ERRCS in plain English for condo owners and boards: why firefighters need it, the Florida deadlines, reported costs, and what to bring to your next board meeting.