Guide · Learning Center
SIRS Explained: What It Is, What It Costs, and the Deadlines That Matter
Educational information only — not legal or engineering advice. Confirm requirements with a licensed Florida engineer and your association attorney.
In this guide
What a SIRS is
A Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS) is the reserve study Florida law (718.112(2)(g)) requires for condominium associations with buildings three or more habitable stories tall. Unlike a traditional reserve study, a SIRS may only be performed by qualified, licensed professionals, it must cover a statutory list of structural components, and it must include a baseline funding plan designed to keep the association's reserve cash balance above zero at all times.
The eight components
At minimum, a SIRS studies: (1) the roof; (2) structure, including load-bearing walls and other primary structural members and 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 replacement cost or deferred maintenance expense over $25,000 whose failure would negatively affect the structural integrity of the building.
The deadlines — read carefully
Associations in existence on or before July 1, 2022 were required to complete their first SIRS by December 31, 2025 (HB 913 moved the date from December 31, 2024). An association that must also complete a milestone inspection by December 31, 2026 may perform the SIRS at the same time as that inspection — but in no event may the first SIRS be completed after December 31, 2026. A new SIRS is required at least every 10 years.
The funding rule — and its one exception
For budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024, members may not vote to waive or reduce reserves for SIRS components. That is the rule that changed condo budgets across Florida. HB 913 added one narrow exception: an association that has received a milestone inspection report may, by a vote of a majority of the total voting interests, pause or reduce SIRS reserve contributions for up to two consecutive annual budgets adopted on or before December 31, 2028, in order to fund the repairs identified in that milestone inspection. It is a funding bridge to repairs — not a return to waiving reserves — and boards should take it only with counsel's guidance.
What it costs and what happens with the study
SIRS pricing scales with building size and component complexity, generally from the mid four figures for small buildings into five figures for large towers. Once complete, the study drives your budget: its funding plan sets the reserve line owners see every month, it is disclosable to buyers, and lenders and insurers increasingly ask for it. A board that treats the SIRS as a one-time filing, instead of the building's 10-year financial plan, will be surprised by it every budget season.