Structural integrity reserve study (SIRS) in Florida: who needs one and when
In the United States, community associations are governed by state law, and this is Florida's rule. A Florida residential condominium association must have a structural integrity reserve study (SIRS) completed at least every 10 years for each building of three habitable stories or higher (Fla. Stat. § 718.112(2)(g)). It is a visual-inspection study of the roof, structure and safety systems, and the reserve amounts in the budget must follow it.
«A residential condominium association must have a structural integrity reserve study completed at least every 10 years after the condominium's creation for each building on the condominium property that is three habitable stories or higher in height, as determined by the Florida Building Code, which includes, at a minimum, a study of the following items as related to the structural integrity and safety of the building …»
Which buildings. Each building on the condominium property that is three habitable stories or higher, as determined by the Florida Building Code. The rule does not apply to buildings of fewer than three stories, to one- to four-family dwellings of three or fewer habitable stories above ground, to any part of a building not submitted to the condominium form of ownership, or to any part maintained by someone other than the association (Fla. Stat. § 718.112(2)(g)).
What it covers. At a minimum: the roof; the structure, including load-bearing walls and other primary structural members and systems; fireproofing and fire protection systems; plumbing; electrical systems; waterproofing and exterior painting; windows and exterior doors; and any other item whose deferred maintenance expense or replacement cost exceeds $25,000 (or the inflation-adjusted amount the state division sets) and whose failure would affect those items. The study is based on a visual inspection of the condominium property (Fla. Stat. § 718.112(2)(g)).
Who may prepare it. The study, including its visual inspection, must be performed or verified by an engineer licensed under chapter 471, an architect licensed under chapter 481, or a person certified as a reserve specialist or professional reserve analyst by the Community Associations Institute or the Association of Professional Reserve Analysts (Fla. Stat. § 718.112(2)(g)).
Deadlines. Associations existing on or before July 1, 2022 that are controlled by unit owners other than the developer had to have the study completed by December 31, 2025. An association required to complete a milestone inspection on or before December 31, 2026 may complete the study together with it, and in no event may the study be completed after December 31, 2026 (Fla. Stat. § 718.112(2)(g)). After the first study the rule is at least every 10 years.
Tied to the milestone inspection. A milestone inspection performed within the past 5 years that meets the requirements may stand in for the visual-inspection part of the study. An association that completes a milestone inspection may also delay the study for no more than the 2 consecutive budget years that follow it, but that delay does not move the hard stop above: for an association existing on or before July 1, 2022, the study may in no event be completed after December 31, 2026 (Fla. Stat. § 718.112(2)(g)).
The budget must follow it. For a budget adopted on or after December 31, 2024, the members of a unit-owner-controlled association that must obtain a SIRS may not decide to provide no reserves or less reserves for the items the study covers, and the reserve amount for those items must be based on the findings and recommendations of the most recent study. Those reserves may be funded by regular assessments, special assessments, lines of credit or loans, and a special assessment, line of credit or loan needs a majority vote of the total voting interests (Fla. Stat. § 718.112(2)(f)). For budgets adopted on or before December 31, 2028, an association that completed a milestone inspection in the previous 2 calendar years may, with a majority of the total voting interests, pause or reduce reserve contributions for no more than two consecutive annual budgets to fund the repairs the inspection recommended (Fla. Stat. § 718.112(2)(f)).
Owners get it. Within 45 days after receiving the study, the association must distribute a copy to each unit owner or deliver a notice that the completed study is available for inspection and copying on written request, by United States mail or personal delivery or, for owners who previously consented, by electronic transmission. Within the same 45 days it must give the state division a statement that the study was completed and provided. Officers or directors who willfully and knowingly fail to complete the study breach their fiduciary relationship to the owners (Fla. Stat. § 718.112(2)(g)).
What Unitify does with a SIRS
Unitify does not perform the study and is not a ledger for the association's books. It carries the reserve contribution as its own line in each unit's monthly assessment, so the amount the board adopts after the study is charged and tracked per unit, and the resident app can publish the notice that the study is available as an announcement. The mailing or consented email delivery and the statement to the division stay with the association.
Assessments and reserve lines in billing
