Questions boards ask

A structural integrity reserve study (SIRS) is a reserve study Florida requires for condo and co-op buildings with three or more floors people live or work on. It starts with a visual inspection. It estimates how long each of eight structural and life-safety components will last and what each will cost to replace. Then it sets the yearly reserves needed to pay for them.

If your association is a residential condo or co-op with a building of three or more floors people live or work on, that building needs a SIRS. The study must be done at least every 10 years for each qualifying building. If the developer still controls the building, the SIRS must be finished before control passes to the owners.

Associations that existed on or before July 1, 2022, and where the developer had handed control to the owners, had to finish their first SIRS by December 31, 2025. Some associations must also finish a milestone inspection on or before December 31, 2026. They may combine the two, and then the SIRS deadline is December 31, 2026.

The obligation does not go away. Commission the study now, because site visits and reports take time to schedule, and the reserve figures feed your next budget. Talk to your association attorney about the association's exposure for the period it was out of compliance.

At least every 10 years for each qualifying building. An association that has completed a milestone inspection may also delay its SIRS for up to two consecutive budget years after that inspection.

Roof; structure, including load-bearing walls and other primary structural members and systems, including floor and foundation; fireproofing and fire protection systems; plumbing; electrical systems; waterproofing and exterior painting; windows and exterior doors; and any other item over $25,000 whose failure would negatively affect those items.

The study, including the visual inspection, must be performed or verified by a Florida-licensed engineer, a Florida-licensed architect, a certified Reserve Specialist (RS) through the Community Associations Institute, or a Professional Reserve Analyst (PRA) through the Association of Professional Reserve Analysts. Ask any firm you interview who signs your study.

No. Reserves for SIRS components cannot be waived or reduced below what the study requires. There is a limited exception after a milestone inspection identifies needed repairs: with majority approval of the total voting interests, an association may pause or reduce those contributions for up to two consecutive annual budgets adopted on or before December 31, 2028.

Yes. Within 45 days after the SIRS is done, the association must report it to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), Division of Condominiums, Timeshares and Mobile Homes, through its online account.

No. A SIRS is a reserve study that prices the eight structural and life-safety components and sets funding for them. A milestone inspection is a structural inspection of the building itself under Florida Statutes 553.899, performed by a Florida-licensed architect or engineer. Some associations schedule both together.

A SIRS covers only the eight structural and life-safety categories, for condo and co-op buildings with three or more floors people live or work on. A full reserve study covers every component the association maintains, from paving and pools to elevators and interiors. Many Florida condominiums need both, often combined in one engagement.

Florida HOAs are not subject to the condominium SIRS law, but a reserve study is the standard way to budget for shared components. Many governing documents, lenders and managers expect a current study, and it gives the board a defensible number for its annual reserve contribution.

A common best practice is an update with a site visit every few years and a desk review in between, so costs and conditions stay current. The SIRS portion must be redone at least every 10 years.

It may show that reserves are underfunded, and the honest answer is that the funding has to come from somewhere. What the study gives the board is a plan to phase contributions over time instead of facing a surprise special assessment when a roof or an elevator fails.

Florida condominium associations must carry adequate property insurance based on the replacement cost of the property, determined by an independent insurance appraisal or an update of a prior appraisal at least once every 36 months, under Florida Statutes 718.111(11).

Replacement cost is what it would cost to rebuild the property with today's labor and materials. Market value reflects what a buyer would pay for it, including land and location. Carriers set coverage limits and apply coinsurance using replacement cost, not market value.

If the insured value is below the true replacement cost, the association absorbs the gap after a loss, and a coinsurance clause can reduce the payout even on a partial claim. A current appraisal is how a board shows its limits were set on a documented number.

Property name and address, number of buildings, stories and units, year built, your last reserve study or insurance appraisal if you have one, and your deadline. That is enough for us to scope the work and send a fee proposal.

It depends on the number of buildings, their height, the unit count and the amenities involved. We provide a fixed-fee proposal after a short intake, so the board sees the scope and the price together before anything is signed.

We serve Florida and California associations from our base in Dunedin, Florida.