Davie is a high-demand market for land surveying services. With a population exceeding 115,000 and a geographic position at the center of Broward County's construction activity, surveying firms here handle a steady mix of residential boundary surveys, ALTA commercial surveys, and elevation certificates. Given that more than 40% of properties in Davie may require elevation certificates due to the town's flood risk profile, firms like All County Surveyors, Atlantic Coast Surveying, and Johnston & Johnston Land Surveying face ongoing hiring cycles to meet workload demand.
That active workforce creates a corresponding obligation: COBRA administration. Every employee who separates — whether because a project phase ended, hours were reduced, or employment was terminated — is a potential qualifying event requiring a precise sequence of notices and deadlines. Missing those deadlines exposes a Davie surveying firm to federal penalties and litigation risk.
Land surveying companies in Davie occupy a workforce niche that makes COBRA particularly relevant. The licensed Professional Surveyors and Mappers (PSMs) they employ are among the more difficult technical workers to replace in South Florida — the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services licenses PSMs statewide, and the pool of licensed candidates in any given metro is finite. When a PSM or survey technician separates and loses health coverage, a COBRA notice failure means the firm has both a compliance exposure and a potential relationship problem with a worker it may want to rehire.
Broward County's $400,000+ median home value also matters in a COBRA context: group health premiums in high-cost counties tend to run above state averages, meaning COBRA premiums will be substantial. When COBRA notices are sent on time and accurately calculated, former employees can make an informed decision about whether to elect coverage or seek alternatives on the ACA marketplace. When notices are missed, the employer holds the liability — not the carrier.
Federal COBRA applies to employers that sponsored a group health plan and had 20 or more employees on a typical business day during the preceding calendar year. Part-time employees count on an FTE basis proportional to hours worked.
For Davie surveying firms, this count includes all individuals on payroll: licensed surveyors, GPS field technicians, CAD technicians, office coordinators, and administrative staff. Subcontractors engaged through a separate entity generally do not count, but it is critical to ensure those workers are properly classified — misclassifying employees as contractors does not eliminate COBRA exposure if a court or the IRS later reclassifies them.
Firms below 20 employees are not subject to federal COBRA. Florida has no state mini-COBRA law, so small employers in Davie have no state-mandated continuation obligation.
| Qualifying Event | Covered Persons | Maximum Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Termination (not for gross misconduct) | Employee, spouse, dependents | 18 months |
| Reduction in hours below eligibility | Employee, spouse, dependents | 18 months |
| Employee death | Spouse, dependents | 36 months |
| Divorce or legal separation | Spouse, dependents | 36 months |
| Medicare entitlement | Spouse, dependents | 36 months |
| Dependent child loses eligibility | Dependent child | 36 months |
Initial General Notice: Provided to new enrollees within 90 days of coverage effective date, typically alongside the Summary Plan Description.
Employer to Plan Administrator: Within 30 days of qualifying event (termination, reduction in hours, death, or Medicare entitlement).
Employee/Family Member to Plan Administrator: For divorce, legal separation, or dependent status loss, the employee or beneficiary has 60 days to notify the plan administrator.
Election Notice: Plan administrator sends within 14 days after receiving qualifying event notice.
Election Window: 60 days from the later of coverage-loss date or election notice date.
First Premium: Due within 45 days of election, covering all months from coverage loss.
Step 1 — Annual FTE Count. After year-end close, calculate your average FTE count across all pay periods. Document and retain the result. If you crossed 20 FTEs during the prior year, COBRA applies going forward.
Step 2 — Onboarding General Notice. Every new plan enrollee receives the general COBRA notice within 90 days. Keep a delivery record — email confirmation, certified mail receipt, or signed acknowledgment.
Step 3 — Qualifying Event Intake. HR or the designated benefits administrator must receive prompt notification of any termination, hours reduction, divorce, Medicare entitlement, or dependent status change. Each event opens a 30-day notification window.
Step 4 — Plan Administrator Coordination. Within 30 days of a qualifying event, notify your plan administrator or TPA. Many carriers manage the election notice process after receiving this notification, but confirming they did so is the employer's responsibility.
Step 5 — Premium Calculation. Obtain the full group premium cost from your carrier — both employer and employee portions. COBRA may charge up to 102% of that combined amount.
Step 6 — Six-Year Recordkeeping. Retain all notices, proofs of delivery, election forms, and payment records for a minimum of six years.
Florida at-will employment law allows surveying firms to terminate workers for any lawful reason without formal process, but that flexibility does not reduce COBRA obligations. Every non-gross-misconduct termination triggers the COBRA clock.
Florida's 2026 minimum wage of $13.00 per hour applies to all employees, including entry-level field crew members. This wage floor affects plan eligibility for lower-wage workers if your group health plan has minimum earnings requirements in addition to hours requirements.
Broward County and the Town of Davie do not have local wage ordinances above the state minimum, simplifying compliance for surveying firms operating across multiple Broward municipalities.
Not treating elevation certificate surge staffing as a formal employment event. Workers hired specifically for post-storm FEMA compliance work who are then reduced in hours when that work concludes experience a qualifying event. Their COBRA clock starts when their hours drop below plan eligibility, regardless of informal understandings about the temporary nature of their work.
Delegating the employer-to-administrator notification to the carrier. The carrier's role begins when it receives the qualifying event notice. Sending that initial notification is always the employer's responsibility. If you skip it, the carrier cannot act, and the penalty clock runs against you.
Failing to update COBRA records when plan premiums change at renewal. If your group health plan renews mid-COBRA period at a higher premium, you may charge the new higher premium for the remaining continuation period — but only if you notify active COBRA participants of the change. Failing to do so means you may be unable to enforce the higher premium.
Assuming subcontractor PSMs are not covered. If a subcontractor-licensed surveyor works hours and conditions that would normally classify them as an employee, a misclassification finding retroactively creates COBRA exposure. Review worker classifications with a qualified HR attorney annually.
Also see: HR Compliance Guide · Gulf Coast Health Guide · Health Insurance by City · GulfCoastPlans.com