Florida Structural Integrity Reserve Studies (SIRS), Led by Licensed Engineers
A Structural Integrity Reserve Study is how a Florida association turns the long-term care of its building into a funded plan rather than a series of surprises. Construction Solutions, Inc. has evaluated Florida buildings since 1995 -- our licensed professional engineers perform SIRS engagements under Florida Statute 718.112 for condominium and cooperative boards statewide, with fixed-fee proposals, all eight required component categories, and funding schedules written in board-level language.
Quick Answer: Florida SIRS Requirements
If your board is trying to confirm what a Structural Integrity Reserve Study is and whether it applies to your building, here is the short version of Florida Statute 718.112 (enacted as SB 4-D in 2022 and refined by SB 154 in 2023 and HB 913 in 2025):
- What it is: a reserve study focused on the structural and life-safety components of a condominium or cooperative building, pairing a visual inspection with remaining useful life estimates, replacement costs, and a recommended annual reserve funding schedule.
- Who needs one: condominium and cooperative buildings three stories or taller anywhere in Florida.
- Initial deadline: existing unit-owner-controlled associations were required to complete their first SIRS by December 31, 2025. That date has passed -- if your association has not yet completed one, the right response is prompt, documented action, not alarm. See the guidance further down this page.
- Updates: the SIRS must be updated at least every 10 years, for the life of the building.
- The eight required component categories: (1) roof; (2) structure, including load-bearing walls and other primary structural members and primary structural systems; (3) fireproofing and fire protection systems; (4) plumbing; (5) electrical systems; (6) waterproofing and exterior painting; (7) windows and exterior doors; and (8) any other item with a deferred-maintenance expense or replacement cost exceeding $10,000 that affects the items above.
Questions about how the statute applies to your specific building are usually answered fastest with a short call. Reach CSI at (904) 261-8703 and we will walk through it with you.
What a Florida SIRS Must Include
A compliant Structural Integrity Reserve Study is more than a spreadsheet of component costs. Florida Statute 718.112 requires three things to come together in one document:
- A visual inspection of the building, performed by or under the direction of an engineer or architect licensed in Florida (or a certified reserve specialist or professional reserve analyst). The inspection grounds the study in the building's actual condition rather than generic component tables.
- Remaining useful life and replacement cost estimates for each of the eight required component categories, reflecting what the inspector observed on site and what comparable work actually costs in the Florida market.
- A recommended annual reserve funding schedule -- the amount the association should set aside each year so that money is available when each component reaches the end of its useful life.
The quality of a SIRS lives in the judgment behind those estimates. A balcony waterproofing system on a coastal Florida building does not age like the same system fifty miles inland, and an engineer who has spent a career evaluating Florida buildings will read the difference where a table of national averages cannot.
CSI delivers the study as a plain-language report with the funding schedule, the inspection observations that support it, and a board presentation so directors can adopt the budget with confidence.
SIRS vs. a Traditional Reserve Study
Many Florida associations have commissioned reserve studies for decades, so a fair question is what actually changed. The differences are real:
- Scope is defined by statute. A traditional reserve study covers whatever the association and the analyst agree to cover -- roofs, pavement, pools, painting. The SIRS must cover the eight component categories listed in Florida Statute 718.112, with the structure itself at the center.
- An inspection is mandatory. Traditional studies are sometimes prepared from records and photographs alone. The SIRS requires a visual inspection by or under the direction of a licensed engineer, architect, or certified reserve professional.
- The funding is not optional. Reserves recommended by a traditional study could historically be waived or reduced by owner vote. Reserve funding for SIRS components can no longer be waived or reduced, so the schedule in the study flows directly into the budget.
- The two studies coexist. The SIRS does not replace planning for non-structural assets. Most associations still maintain a conventional reserve schedule for items such as pavement, pool resurfacing, and amenities alongside the SIRS components.
In short, the SIRS took the most consequential part of reserve planning, the structure that everything else depends on, and gave it an engineering foundation and a funding requirement. For boards, that is less a burden than a clearer mandate: fund the building's bones first, on a schedule an engineer has stood behind.
CAI Reserve Study Levels, and How CSI Delivers the SIRS at Each
The Community Associations Institute (CAI) defines three service levels for reserve studies, and they map cleanly onto the SIRS lifecycle:
- Level I -- Full Reserve Study. A complete study with a full site inspection: component inventory, condition assessment, life and valuation estimates, and a funding plan built from scratch. This is the appropriate level for an association's first SIRS, or when no reliable prior study exists.
- Level II -- Update with Site Visit. The component inventory from a prior study is carried forward, and an on-site inspection refreshes the condition assessments, remaining useful lives, and costs. This is the natural fit for the 10-year SIRS update, and for boards that want the study re-grounded after a major repair project.
- Level III -- Update without Site Visit. A records-based refresh of the funding plan using current cost data, with no new inspection. Because the SIRS statute requires a visual inspection, a Level III update serves as an interim budgeting tool between inspected studies rather than a standalone SIRS.
CSI performs SIRS engagements at Level I and Level II, with the inspection led by our Florida-licensed professional engineers, and provides Level III interim updates for boards that want their funding schedule to track current construction costs between full studies. Whichever level fits your association's stage, the deliverable is the same in spirit: a funding plan the board can defend, built on conditions an engineer has actually seen.
How the Milestone Inspection and the SIRS Work Together
The milestone inspection and the SIRS are companion requirements, and treating them that way saves associations real money. The milestone inspection, under Florida Statute 553.899, documents the current condition of the building's structural elements. The SIRS translates condition into funding: what each component will cost, when, and how much to reserve each year to be ready.
When the same engineering team performs both, the benefits compound:
- One site mobilization supports both engagements, instead of two firms each billing for travel, access, and setup.
- One document review -- drawings, repair records, and maintenance history are collected and studied once.
- Consistent findings. The remaining useful life estimates in the SIRS reflect what the milestone engineer actually observed, so the two reports tell one coherent story rather than two approximations.
- Repairs flow into the plan. Items the milestone inspection identifies appear in the SIRS funding schedule at realistic costs, so the board budgets for them rather than discovering them.
CSI routinely performs the milestone inspection and the SIRS as a single coordinated engagement, and prices the pairing accordingly. If your building is approaching its milestone deadline, commissioning both together is usually the most efficient path.
What a SIRS Costs in Florida
Boards deserve straight answers on cost, so here are honest market ranges rather than a request to call for pricing.
Across Florida, a Structural Integrity Reserve Study typically runs from around $4,500 for a smaller single-building association to $15,000 or more for large or multi-building communities. Three factors drive where a given association lands in that range:
- Building count and size -- total square footage, number of stories, and the number of separate buildings the inspection must cover.
- Documentation quality -- complete drawings, prior studies, and maintenance records shorten the work; missing records lengthen it.
- Pairing with a milestone inspection -- a combined engagement shares the site visit and document review, which lowers the cost of each study.
Weigh the fee against what the study governs: the SIRS sets the funding plan for the most expensive components an association owns. A study priced in the thousands directs decisions priced in the millions, and getting the useful life and cost estimates right is worth far more than the difference between competing proposals.
Funding Rules Every Florida Board Should Know
The SIRS is not just a report; it changes how the association budgets. The rules that matter most to boards:
- SIRS reserves can no longer be waived. Since January 1, 2025, unit owners in applicable associations may not vote to waive or reduce reserve funding for the structural components identified in the SIRS. The funding schedule in the study is the floor for the budget, not a suggestion.
- HB 913 added flexibility in how, not whether, to fund. The 2025 refinements allow qualifying associations to satisfy reserve obligations through a loan or line of credit with owner approval, and permit an association that has completed its milestone inspection to temporarily pause certain reserve contributions in order to prioritize funding the repairs the inspection identified.
- Pooled reserve accounting is available. Associations may fund SIRS components through a pooled reserve method rather than straight-line component accounts, which often smooths the annual contribution.
- Non-SIRS reserves still follow the traditional rules. Items outside the eight categories, such as pavement or amenities, remain subject to the conventional waiver provisions.
None of this needs to be adversarial. The funding rules exist so that the owners who use a building across its life share its costs fairly across that life. A well-built SIRS makes that outcome achievable at a contribution level owners can live with -- and our overview of reserve funding methods in Florida explains the options in board-level language.
Why Florida Boards Choose CSI for the SIRS
Construction Solutions, Inc. has practiced building evaluation and structural engineering in Florida since 1995, with more than 1,000 projects completed for condominium associations, cooperative associations, and property managers. Reserve studies are not an add-on to our practice; understanding how Florida buildings age, and what it costs to care for them, has been our core work for three decades.
- Licensed Florida professional engineers lead every SIRS, from the visual inspection through the funding recommendations.
- Florida Certified General Contractor license CGC1517261 on staff, which grounds our replacement cost estimates in real construction pricing -- while CSI itself remains the evaluator and overseer, not the builder.
- Two Florida offices, in Fernandina Beach and Ponte Vedra Beach, with statewide service across Florida and primary coverage in Northeast Florida.
- Plain-language reporting written for the people who must act on it: board members, owners, and managers, not just other engineers.
- One accountability chain from milestone inspection through SIRS, repair specifications, and construction-phase oversight, so the numbers in the funding plan and the conditions in the field never drift apart.
The engineer who inspects your building is the engineer who presents the study to your board and answers the follow-up questions -- one firm, one set of conclusions, one accountable signature.
Two Low-Friction Ways Your Board Can Start
Neither option requires a commitment, a signed agreement, or a prior engagement. Pick whichever better fits your board's stage.
Complimentary Drone Survey
An FAA Part 107-certified pilot and a licensed engineer conduct a twenty-minute exterior aerial assessment of your Florida property. The board receives a same-day preliminary findings memorandum identifying visible conditions such as roof membrane wear, balcony spalling, parapet deterioration, or envelope waterproofing issues that bear directly on the useful life estimates in a SIRS. Zero cost. Zero obligation.
45-Minute Board Presentation
Principals from Construction Solutions, Inc. present directly to association boards (virtually or at your property), explaining how Florida Statute 718.112 applies to your building, what the eight SIRS component categories cover, how the funding rules work now that waivers are off the table, and how the SIRS coordinates with the milestone inspection. Includes a printed handout for all board members. Free. No subsequent engagement required.
Frequently Asked Questions About Florida Structural Integrity Reserve Studies
How much does a SIRS cost in Florida?
Across Florida, a Structural Integrity Reserve Study typically runs from around $4,500 for a smaller single-building association to $15,000 or more for large or multi-building communities. The main cost drivers are the number and size of the buildings, the quality of the association's documentation, and whether the SIRS is paired with a milestone inspection, which lets the two engagements share one site visit and one document review. CSI provides fixed-fee proposals, and associations that pair the SIRS with a milestone inspection receive a discount on the combined engagement.
Who is qualified to perform a SIRS?
Under Florida Statute 718.112, the visual inspection portion of a Structural Integrity Reserve Study must be performed by, or under the direction of, an engineer or architect licensed in Florida, or by a person certified as a reserve specialist or professional reserve analyst. CSI's studies are led by Florida-licensed professional engineers, so the professionals who evaluate the structure are the same professionals who develop the remaining useful life estimates, replacement costs, and funding recommendations.
What happens if our association has not completed its SIRS yet?
The initial deadline for existing unit-owner-controlled associations was December 31, 2025, so an association without a completed SIRS is now out of compliance with Florida Statute 718.112. The statute also provides that a director's or officer's willful failure to complete the SIRS is a breach of fiduciary duty. The constructive path is to engage a qualified provider promptly and document the board's progress. CSI can typically mobilize a SIRS engagement quickly, and boards that are actively completing the study are in a far better position than boards that continue to wait.
Can we still waive reserves?
Not for SIRS components. Since January 1, 2025, unit owners in applicable associations may not vote to waive or reduce reserve funding for the structural components identified in the SIRS. House Bill 913 added practical flexibility rather than a way around the rule: qualifying associations may fund reserves through a loan or line of credit with owner approval, and an association that has completed its milestone inspection may temporarily pause certain reserve contributions in order to prioritize funding the repairs the inspection identified. Reserves for non-SIRS items, such as pavement or amenities, remain subject to the traditional waiver rules.
How often must the SIRS be updated?
Florida Statute 718.112 requires the Structural Integrity Reserve Study to be updated at least every 10 years. In practice, many boards choose to update sooner, particularly after a major repair project, a milestone inspection, or a significant change in construction costs, so the funding schedule keeps pace with the building's actual condition rather than drifting from it.
What is the difference between a SIRS and a milestone inspection?
They answer two different questions about the same building. The milestone inspection, under Florida Statute 553.899, is a structural safety inspection: a licensed engineer or architect examines the building's load-bearing elements and reports on its structural condition. The SIRS, under Florida Statute 718.112, is a funding study: it estimates the remaining useful life and replacement cost of the eight required component categories and sets the annual reserve amounts needed to pay for them. Both apply to condominium and cooperative buildings three stories or taller, and they work best when performed together by the same engineering team.
Serving Association Boards Across Florida
Headquarters: 961687 Gateway Boulevard #101C
Fernandina Beach, Florida 32034
Branch: 3203 Sawgrass Village Circle, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Phone: (904) 261-8703
Email: info@csidesign.com
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
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