Updated September 28, 2026
A Structural Integrity Reserve Study, or SIRS, is a reserve-planning study for specified building components. It helps an association plan for their major repair or replacement. It is different from a milestone inspection, which evaluates structural condition. Ordering one does not automatically satisfy the other.
For Florida condominium boards, the starting points are the building’s characteristics, the association’s responsibilities, existing reports, and the current requirements of section 718.112, Florida Statutes. This article focuses on condominium associations; cooperative associations should check the separate provisions of section 719.106.
Which condominium buildings need a SIRS?
The condominium statute generally requires a SIRS at least every 10 years for each building with three or more habitable stories, subject to its exemptions and scope provisions. The requirement is not limited to a building that has reached its milestone-inspection age. Confirm the habitable-story count and which portions of the building the association maintains, repairs, or replaces.
Do not use “our building is not 30 years old yet” as the reason to postpone checking the SIRS requirement. Age is relevant to milestone scheduling, but it is not a substitute for determining SIRS applicability.
What components does the study address?
The statutory categories include the roof; building structure and load-bearing members or systems; fireproofing and fire protection; plumbing; electrical systems; waterproofing and exterior painting; and windows and exterior doors. The study’s actual inventory must reflect the association’s responsibilities and the building involved.
An additional category covers certain other items whose replacement or deferred-maintenance cost exceeds $25,000, or the DBPR inflation-adjusted amount if greater, and whose failure would negatively affect the listed components. This is not a rule excluding all lower-cost items from the named categories. Check the current threshold when the study is prepared.
Who can perform or verify the study?
The statute identifies qualified professionals for performing or verifying a SIRS, including its visual portion: a Florida-licensed engineer or architect, or a person with the specified reserve-specialist or professional-reserve-analyst credential. It does not require every SIRS to be performed exclusively by an engineer.
When comparing proposals, ask who will perform and verify the study, what qualifications they hold, what areas they need to access, and how they will address unavailable records or inaccessible components. Engineering expertise is particularly useful when the available information raises structural questions that need separate evaluation.
What should the association receive?
The study identifies relevant components, estimates their remaining useful life and repair or replacement costs, and provides reserve-funding recommendations. It supports budgeting; it is not a guarantee that every component is defect-free or a certification that the building is safe for continued occupancy.
A useful handoff explains the assumptions behind the estimates and identifies items requiring follow-up. The board should be able to connect the study’s component inventory to the maintenance history, existing reserve schedule, and planned work.
What happened to the initial deadline?
For unit-owner-controlled condominium associations existing on or before July 1, 2022, the general initial SIRS deadline was December 31, 2025. That date has passed. A specific provision allows qualifying associations whose milestone inspection is required on or before December 31, 2026 to coordinate the studies, with the initial SIRS completed no later than December 31, 2026.
That provision is not a blanket extension for every association. The law also contains other conditional provisions affecting timing and funding. Review the current statute and your association’s circumstances with its professional advisers rather than assuming an old article establishes your deadline.
How does a SIRS affect reserve funding?
The report informs the association’s funding plan and budget. A recommendation for future replacement is not the same as a requirement to hold every future replacement dollar in cash immediately. Conversely, a vote alone should not be assumed to eliminate applicable structural reserve obligations.
Funding, financing, and any permitted changes or pauses are subject to statutory conditions. Have the association’s accounting and legal advisers review the proposed budget alongside the study and any repair obligations. The engineer’s role and the association’s financial decisions should be clearly defined.
Documents to gather before requesting a SIRS
- Property address, building list, habitable-story information, and available plans.
- Association documents identifying maintenance and replacement responsibilities.
- Prior reserve studies, current balances and budgets, and planned capital projects.
- Milestone or recertification reports, repair records, maintenance history, and available contractor proposals.
- Any authority notices, known deadlines, and access arrangements for the buildings.
Label incomplete records and known changes since the previous study. Clear information helps the proposal address the actual building rather than an assumed scope.
Coordinate the next step
Florida Engineering provides SIRS and building inspection services in Florida. Send the property information and existing reports so our team can identify the requested scope. If you are deciding which report is needed, start with our comparison of milestone inspections, recertification, and reserve studies.
