What Is a Structural Integrity Reserve Study, in Plain English?
A structural integrity reserve study is a professional estimate of what a condominium building's expensive parts will cost to replace and when, so the association can save for them in advance instead of billing owners in a lump sum. Florida requires one at least every 10 years for each building three habitable stories or higher.
Verified September 2026 against the 2026 Florida Statutes, sections 718.111, 718.112, 718.503 and 720.303. Florida has amended these rules several times since 2022, so confirm current requirements with your association.
What Does a Structural Integrity Reserve Study Look At?
People ask me whether a reserve study covers the whole building. It covers a specific list, set by Florida Statute 718.112(2)(g):
- 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.
- Any other item with a deferred maintenance expense or replacement cost over $25,000, or the inflation-adjusted amount set by the state.
Landscaping, lobby furniture and pool chairs aren't on it. The list is the parts that keep a building standing and dry.
On a beachside building in Satellite Beach or Indian Harbour Beach, waterproofing and exterior painting do real work. Salt air is why they sit on the same list as the roof and the plumbing.
In short: a qualified professional walks the building, lists what will wear out over time, estimates when and what it will cost, and turns that into a savings plan. The law sets who has to stand behind the study and whether owners can skip it.
Who Can Do a Structural Integrity Reserve Study?
The statute names who qualifies. A structural integrity reserve 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.
The words "or verified" matter here. A reserve firm or management company can prepare the numbers, as long as a licensed or certified professional performs or verifies them. A board can't estimate its own roof and call it a study.
Can Condo Owners Vote to Skip Reserves in Florida?
People ask me whether owners can still vote to waive reserves to keep the fee down. For the items in the study, the answer is no.
For a budget adopted on or after December 31, 2024, the owners of a unit-owner-controlled association that must have a structural integrity reserve study may not fund those items below what the study requires, or skip them.
A homeowners association works differently. Under Florida Statute 720.303(6), an HOA has reserve accounts only when a majority of the total voting interests approves them, and once they exist, a majority vote at a meeting with a quorum can reduce them or end them.
So a condo fee now includes savings the law protects for a roof everyone can see coming, and an HOA fee may include none.
What Are the Deadlines for a Structural Integrity Reserve Study?
December 31, 2025 was the deadline for associations that existed on or before July 1, 2022 and are controlled by the owners rather than the developer.
December 31, 2026 is the outside date. The statute says that in no event may a structural integrity reserve study be completed after December 31, 2026. As this is published, that date is about two months away.
Through budgets adopted on or before December 31, 2028, there is some limited relief. After a milestone inspection, and with approval from a majority of the total voting interests, an association can pause reserve contributions or reduce them for no more than two consecutive annual budgets.
How Do You Get a Copy, and What If There Isn't One?
Start with the association's website. Under Florida Statute 718.111(12), an association managing a condominium with 25 or more units must post its official records online, or through a mobile app, within 30 days of receiving or creating them. The most recent structural integrity reserve study is on that list.
If your association hasn't completed one, you can still sell. Florida Statute 718.503(2)(a)6 requires a seller to give the buyer the association's most recent study or a statement that the association hasn't completed one. The law expects that some buildings won't have one yet.
What a missing study changes is the conversation with the buyer. The buyer and their lender may ask about it, so it's worth knowing where your building stands before that question comes up.
For the full list of documents a condo seller needs, What Documents Do I Need to Sell My Condo in Florida? walks through it. For what reserves do to the monthly fee, see Why Are Condo Fees So High in Florida? What They Cover on the Space Coast.
Trying to Make Sense of Your Building's Reserve Study?
Lourdes Sliwa is a real estate agent in Satellite Beach, Florida helping condo owners understand what their building's reserves mean for the fee, the price and the timeline.
- If you're selling, request a home value report based on condo sales, not a blended ZIP code estimate.
- Book a call before you list or make an offer, and we can go through the reserve study together.
- If you're comparing buildings, set up a saved search so you can watch their fees over time.
Call or text 321-425-8552, or start at lourdessliwa.com.
No pressure, just a plain reading of what your building has saved and what it still needs.
Lourdes Sliwa is a REALTOR with Avanti Way Realty and a Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist serving Satellite Beach, Indian Harbour Beach, Indialantic and Melbourne Beach. She has lived on the Space Coast for more than 27 years, 23 of them in Tortoise Island, and has sold 317 homes since 2008, about 250 of them in the 32937 beachside ZIP. Call or text 321-425-8552.