Last updated 2026-07-25
TL;DR
Florida Statute 718.112(2)(g) requires condo associations with buildings three stories or taller to get a Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS) at least every 10 years and to fund full reserves for the components it covers, starting with the budget adopted after December 31, 2024. There's no more waiving or reducing these specific reserves by member vote.
What does Florida Statute 718.112 actually say about reserve studies?
Florida Statute 718.112(2)(g) is the section that created Florida's Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS) requirement. It applies to condominium associations that have at least one building three stories or higher, and it forces those associations to study specific structural and safety components, then fund reserves for them without the old member-vote loophole. The statute defines a SIRS as "a study of the reserve funds required for future major repairs and replacement of the condominium property based on a visual inspection of the reserve components" [1]. It has to be performed by a licensed engineer or architect, and it has to happen at least once every 10 years after the building's initial certification (the milestone inspection timeline drives this for most buildings) [1]. This law didn't come out of nowhere. The legislature passed it in 2022 (SB 4-D) in direct response to the Champlain Towers South collapse in Surfside in June 2021, which killed 98 people [2]. Lawmakers amended it again in 2023 (SB 154) to clean up funding timelines and definitions [3]. If your board is still working off pre-2023 guidance, it's outdated. Confirm current language with your association's counsel, because this statute has been amended multiple times in three years and likely isn't done changing.
What is a reserve study?
A reserve study is a professional evaluation of a property's shared components (roofs, siding, pavement, structural elements, plumbing, and similar big-ticket items) that estimates each component's remaining useful life and the cost to repair or replace it. The output is a funding schedule showing how much the association should be setting aside each year so the money is there when the roof, the pool deck, or the load-bearing structure needs work. A general reserve study (the kind most HOAs and non-SIRS condos use) is broader and more flexible; a board can commission one from a reserve specialist and adjust the funding approach through membership votes. A Structural Integrity Reserve Study under 718.112(2)(g) is narrower and mandatory. It only covers specific structural and life-safety components, and once those numbers exist, the board can't underfund or skip them by vote [1]. For general background on how reserve studies work outside the SIRS context, see our reserve study guide and the HOA-specific reserve study explainer.
What is a reserve study for an HOA, and how is it different from a condo SIRS?
For a homeowners association (HOA), a reserve study serves the same basic function: figuring out what needs to be replaced eventually and how much money to save. But HOAs governed by Chapter 720 don't have the SIRS mandate. That law applies specifically to condominiums under Chapter 718. HOAs typically reserve for things like roofs, roads, clubhouse buildings, pools, and irrigation systems, based on whatever their governing documents and Florida Statute 720.303 require. Some HOA boards vote every year to waive or reduce reserve funding, which is legal for HOAs in most circumstances (though risky). Condo boards under the SIRS rule lost that option for the components SIRS covers, starting with fiscal years after December 31, 2024 [1]. If you're on an HOA board wondering whether any of this applies to you directly, the honest answer is: not the SIRS statute itself, but the underlying financial logic (don't defer maintenance, don't underfund reserves) applies just as hard. See our HOA reserve study page for the Chapter 720 side of this.
Which buildings does the SIRS requirement cover?
The SIRS mandate applies to condominium buildings that are three stories or more in height, regardless of the building's proximity to the coast [1]. Height is measured by the number of habitable stories, not by distance from the water. A three-story condo in inland Orlando is covered the same as a three-story building on Miami Beach. There are narrow carve-outs. Buildings with fewer than three units and some limited situations involving timeshares get different treatment, but for the vast majority of condo associations with 3+ story structures, the SIRS applies [1]. Single-family home HOAs, townhome associations organized under Chapter 720 (not 718), and cooperative associations follow different rules; cooperatives were pulled into similar structural inspection and reserve requirements through parallel statutory language, but confirm your association's specific classification with counsel, since misclassifying a co-op as exempt is a common and expensive mistake. Boards should also check with their county building department, because some counties (Miami-Dade and Broward, for example) had their own recertification and structural inspection ordinances before the state law existed, and those local rules can be stricter or apply to different building types than the state SIRS statute.
What components must the SIRS study cover?
| Roof | Yes |
|---|---|
| Load-bearing walls / structure | Yes |
| Floor | Yes |
| Foundation | Yes |
| Fireproofing and fire protection | Yes |
| Plumbing | Yes |
| Electrical | Yes |
| Waterproofing and exterior painting | Yes |
| Windows | Yes |
| Any item over $10,000 affecting habitability | Yes |
| Landscaping, pools, tennis courts | No (general reserves only) |
| Clubhouse furniture, signage | No (general reserves only) |
The statute lists specific structural and life-safety components that must be included at minimum. These are: roof, load-bearing walls or other primary structural members, floor, foundation, fireproofing and fire protection systems, plumbing, electrical systems, waterproofing and exterior painting, windows, and any other item that has a deferred maintenance expense or replacement cost exceeding $10,000 and that affects the habitability of the building [1]. That $10,000 threshold matters. It means the SIRS isn't just about the roof and the foundation; it catches mid-size items too, as long as they affect habitability. A board can't decide a $12,000 exterior lighting system replacement doesn't count just because it feels minor. Here's a quick side-by-side of what's inside the SIRS-mandated reserve list versus what's commonly reserved for outside it. | Component category | Covered by mandatory SIRS reserves? |
When is the SIRS deadline, and how often does it need to be redone?
For most condo associations, the initial SIRS was due by December 31, 2024, and every 10 years after that [1]. This ties closely to the milestone inspection schedule: buildings within 3 miles of the coast need their first milestone inspection at 25 years, and buildings farther inland get 30 years, per Florida Statute 553.899 [4]. Many associations timed their SIRS engineering visit to coincide with the milestone inspection to save on engineer site visits, which is a smart move if your building's timing lines up. The legislature has moved this deadline before. The original 2022 law set a December 31, 2024 deadline for both the SIRS and the fully-funded reserve requirement. Subsequent legislation and DBPR guidance clarified some transition mechanics, and there's been ongoing legislative discussion about further adjustments given how many associations struggled to get engineers scheduled in time [3]. If your board hasn't completed its first SIRS yet, don't assume the deadline moved again without confirming directly with DBPR or your association's attorney. Assuming a delay that didn't actually happen is how boards end up out of compliance and facing member lawsuits.
How much does a reserve study or SIRS cost?
Costs vary a lot by building size, number of components, and region, and there's no single statewide fee schedule because these are private engineering and consulting contracts, not government fees. Realistically, boards report a range from around $3,000 to $6,000 for a smaller single-building association's SIRS, up to $15,000 or more for larger, multi-building condominium complexes with more units and more structural components to assess. Milestone inspections, which often get bundled with the SIRS site visit, run separately and can add several thousand dollars more depending on building size and engineer travel. There's no authoritative state-published average cost figure for SIRS specifically; DBPR doesn't set or publish pricing, since these are competitively bid professional services [5]. Any number you see quoted as a definitive statewide average should be treated skeptically. The honest advice is to get at least two or three bids from licensed engineers or architects who've done SIRS work before, and to ask for references from other associations of similar size. A $199 one-time Building-Specific Board Compliance Kit organizes the paperwork, deadlines, and communication tasks around your SIRS and milestone inspection results. It doesn't replace the engineer's study itself; only a licensed professional can perform the SIRS. What it does is keep your board from missing the follow-up steps (owner notices, reserve line-item updates, board meeting documentation) that come after the report lands on your desk.
How much should an HOA or condo have in reserves?
There's no flat dollar figure or percentage that Florida law mandates as a general reserve target; the correct number depends entirely on your specific components, their remaining life, and their replacement cost, which is exactly what a reserve study calculates. For condos under the SIRS statute, the required reserve amount for covered components is whatever the licensed engineer's or architect's report calculates as necessary based on remaining useful life and estimated replacement cost, funded on a schedule the board can't reduce below that calculated amount without a member vote for non-SIRS items [1]. A commonly cited industry rule of thumb (not a legal standard) says a reserve fund should be funded to somewhere between 70% and 100% of its "fully funded" level to avoid special assessment risk, but this comes from reserve-study industry practice, not Florida statute. Some national reserve specialists and studies have found many associations nationwide sit well under 50% funded, though there isn't a single authoritative national dataset tracking this consistently across states. The safest planning approach for a Florida condo board right now: get the SIRS done by a licensed professional, fund at 100% of what it calculates for covered components (since that's now mandatory), and separately budget general reserves for everything else based on your own reserve study or a component list from your management company.
What is an HOA assessment, and what are HOA special assessments?
A regular HOA assessment is the routine fee every owner pays (usually monthly, quarterly, or annually) to fund operating expenses and reserves. A special assessment is a separate, often one-time charge levied on top of regular assessments to cover a specific unbudgeted cost: emergency repairs, a lawsuit settlement, or (increasingly common in Florida right now) the funding gap left when a SIRS reveals reserves are way under what's needed. Boards levy special assessments when the reserve fund and regular assessment income aren't enough to cover a required expense. Under the SIRS statute, if an association's existing reserves don't cover what the study says is needed, the board has to address that shortfall, and a special assessment is one of the standard tools for doing it (the other being a reserve loan or line of credit, which some associations use to spread the cost over time instead of hitting owners with a lump sum). For a fuller breakdown of how these work and what triggers them, see our HOA special assessment guide. Special assessments tied to SIRS shortfalls have gotten large in some Florida buildings, with reports of six-figure per-unit assessments in a handful of high-profile older coastal buildings. That's the extreme end, not the norm, but it's exactly the scenario this statute is designed to prevent by forcing structural problems to surface early instead of getting deferred for decades.
Are HOA special assessments tax deductible?
Generally, no. Special assessments paid by an individual homeowner for capital improvements, repairs, or reserve shortfalls are not deductible on a personal federal income tax return, because the IRS treats them as capital in nature, similar to an improvement to the property, rather than a deductible expense [6]. This is different from a business or rental property context, where a portion of assessments tied to repairs (versus improvements) may be deductible as a business expense, and where capital-type assessments can sometimes be added to the property's cost basis. This isn't tax advice, and the line between a repair-type assessment and a capital-improvement-type assessment matters a lot for how it's treated. If a board member or owner is trying to figure out the tax treatment of a specific SIRS-related special assessment, that's a conversation for a CPA who can look at IRS guidance on capital expenditures and rental property deductions, not something to guess at from a general article.
What happens if an association doesn't do its SIRS or doesn't fund reserves?
The statute requires associations to complete the SIRS and, once completed, prohibits waiving or reducing reserve funding for the components it covers through membership vote [1]. Associations that skip the study or don't act on its findings expose themselves to a few real risks: DBPR enforcement action, member lawsuits over failure to maintain common elements, and, worst case, insurance and lending problems, since some lenders and insurers now ask for SIRS completion status before writing new mortgages or policies on units in older buildings. DBPR, the Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes, is the state agency that oversees condo association compliance and can investigate complaints [5]. Boards that ignore the requirement aren't just risking a fine; they're risking the exact kind of deferred structural problem the law was written after Surfside to catch early. For associations weighing whether they qualify for state financial assistance or relief programs tied to reserve funding, check our Florida condo reserve fund relief page for what's currently available and how eligibility works.
How does the SIRS deadline connect to the milestone inspection deadline?
The milestone inspection (required under Florida Statute 553.899) and the SIRS are two separate requirements that often get scheduled together because they both need an engineer or architect to physically inspect the building. The milestone inspection is a structural safety inspection triggered at 25 years for buildings within 3 miles of the coast, or 30 years for buildings farther inland, and every 10 years after that [4]. The SIRS is a financial planning study tied to the same components. Many boards hire the same engineering firm to do both visits back to back, which usually saves money versus scheduling two separate site visits months apart. If your board hasn't started either process yet, check with your county building official first, since local recertification ordinances (Miami-Dade and Broward in particular) can have their own timing rules layered on top of the state deadlines. For a detailed walkthrough of milestone timing by building age and coastal distance, this is exactly the kind of decision where getting your county's specific interpretation in writing matters more than relying on a general article.
What should a board do right now with its SIRS results?
Once the licensed engineer or architect delivers the SIRS report, the board's job is to fold those numbers into the reserve budget, present them to owners at the next budget meeting, and adjust reserve contributions to match what the study requires for covered components. Boards can't vote to underfund those specific line items anymore, so the real decision left on the table is how to close any gap: raise regular assessments, levy a special assessment, take out a reserve loan, or some combination. Document everything. Keep the engineer's report, the board's budget resolution adopting the new reserve numbers, and the notice sent to owners, all in one place, because DBPR and, frankly, future buyers' attorneys will ask for this paperwork. This is the exact gap a Building-Specific Board Compliance Kit is built to close: it doesn't do the engineering, but it keeps the deadlines, notices, and reserve line items organized so nothing falls through when board membership turns over (which it will, since most board terms are one to two years). For associations building out a broader financial picture beyond just the SIRS components, a full reserve study for your condo association covering non-structural items too is worth commissioning at the same time, even though it's not legally mandatory for those extra components.
Frequently asked questions
What is a reserve study?
A reserve study is a professional assessment of a property's major shared components (roof, structure, plumbing, electrical, and similar items) that estimates remaining useful life and replacement cost, then produces a funding schedule showing how much an association should save each year to cover future repairs without a surprise special assessment.
What is a reserve study for an HOA?
For an HOA, a reserve study identifies shared components like roofs, roads, clubhouses, and pools, estimates when each will need replacement, and calculates the annual savings needed to fund those replacements. Unlike condo SIRS studies, HOA reserve funding is governed by Chapter 720 and the association's own documents, and boards often retain more flexibility to vote on funding levels.
What is an HOA assessment?
An HOA assessment is the regular fee, usually paid monthly or annually, that owners pay to fund the association's operating budget and reserves. It's separate from a special assessment, which is an extra, often one-time charge levied to cover an unbudgeted or emergency cost like a reserve shortfall or storm damage repair.
What are HOA assessments used for?
Regular HOA assessments fund day-to-day operating costs (landscaping, insurance, management fees, utilities for common areas) and contributions to reserve funds for future big-ticket repairs. Special assessments cover costs the regular budget and reserves can't absorb, such as a sudden roof failure or a SIRS-driven reserve funding gap.
How much should an HOA have in reserves?
There's no single legal dollar figure; the right amount depends on your specific components' remaining life and replacement cost, calculated through a reserve study. Industry practice suggests aiming for at least 70% of the fully-funded level to reduce special assessment risk, but this is a guideline from reserve-study practice, not a Florida statutory requirement for HOAs.
How much does a reserve study cost in Florida?
Costs vary widely by building size and component count. Smaller associations often pay roughly $3,000 to $6,000 for a Structural Integrity Reserve Study, while larger, multi-building condos can pay $15,000 or more. DBPR doesn't set or publish standard pricing since these are competitively bid professional engineering services.
Are HOA special assessments tax deductible?
Generally no. Special assessments for capital improvements or repairs to your primary residence typically aren't deductible on a personal federal tax return; the IRS treats them as capital costs rather than deductible expenses. Rental or business property situations can differ. Confirm specifics with a CPA.
Which condo buildings does Florida's SIRS law apply to?
Florida Statute 718.112(2)(g) applies to condominium associations with at least one building three stories or taller, regardless of how close the building is to the coast. Height, not location, determines coverage. Some small-unit-count buildings and cooperatives have different rules, so confirm your building's classification with counsel.
What components must a SIRS cover under Florida law?
At minimum: roof, load-bearing walls and other primary structural members, floor, foundation, fireproofing and fire protection systems, plumbing, electrical systems, waterproofing and exterior painting, windows, and any other item with a deferred maintenance or replacement cost over $10,000 that affects habitability, per Florida Statute 718.112(2)(g).
When was Florida's SIRS deadline, and how often must it be redone?
The initial SIRS deadline for most associations was December 31, 2024, with a new study required at least every 10 years after that, per Florida Statute 718.112(2)(g). Deadlines have shifted before through legislative amendment, so confirm current dates with DBPR or your association's attorney before assuming anything is final.
Can a condo board vote to waive or reduce SIRS-covered reserves?
No. Once a SIRS is completed, Florida Statute 718.112(2)(g) prohibits waiving or reducing reserve funding for the components the study covers through a membership vote. This is a major change from the old rules, where associations could vote annually to underfund or waive reserves entirely.
How is the SIRS different from the milestone inspection?
The milestone inspection (Florida Statute 553.899) is a structural safety inspection required at 25 or 30 years depending on coastal distance. The SIRS (Florida Statute 718.112(2)(g)) is a financial reserve funding study for structural components. They're separate requirements often scheduled together with the same engineer to save cost.
What happens if an association doesn't complete its required SIRS?
The association risks DBPR enforcement action, potential member lawsuits over failure to maintain common elements, and practical problems like lenders or insurers declining to write new mortgages or policies for units in the building. Non-compliance also means the structural risks the law targets go unaddressed.
Sources
- Florida Senate, Florida Statutes Chapter 718.112: Definition of SIRS, covered components, 10-year interval, 3-story threshold, and prohibition on waiving reserves for covered components
- Florida Senate, SB 4-D (2022) bill history: 2022 legislative response creating the SIRS requirement following the Champlain Towers South collapse
- Florida Senate, SB 154 (2023) bill history: 2023 amendments clarifying SIRS funding timelines and definitions
- Florida Senate, Florida Statutes Chapter 553.899: Milestone inspection deadlines of 25 years for coastal buildings within 3 miles and 30 years for others, repeating every 10 years
- Florida DBPR, Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes: DBPR's regulatory role over condo association compliance and that the agency does not set professional service pricing
- IRS Publication 527, Residential Rental Property: Tax treatment distinguishing capital improvements from deductible repair expenses relevant to special assessment deductibility