Glossary · Condo Law

Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS)

The study that ended 'waiving reserves' for Florida condo structure, and repriced older buildings.

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Quick definition
A Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS) is the reserve study Florida law requires for condominium and cooperative buildings three stories or taller: a professional assessment of the remaining life and replacement cost of structural and safety components — roof, structure, waterproofing, plumbing, electrical, and similar — with a funding schedule. The first SIRS was due by December 31, 2025, and associations can no longer simply waive or underfund reserves for SIRS components as they routinely did before 2022; 2025 legislation added limited flexibility (including a two-budget pause tied to funding structural repairs) without repealing the mandate.

What the study covers

The SIRS inventories the components the statute lists — roof, load-bearing structure, fireproofing and fire protection, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing and exterior painting, windows, and other items above a statutory cost threshold — estimating remaining useful life and replacement cost, and producing the reserve funding schedule the budget must reflect.

Why fees jumped

For decades boards kept fees low by waiving reserves annually, leaving structural renewal unfunded until crisis. The post-Surfside reforms removed that option for SIRS components: budgets must fund the schedule. Buildings that had never saved saw dues rise sharply and, where the study met an immediate repair list, special assessments — the repricing documented across the condo market since 2023.

Reading a SIRS as a buyer

Look at three things: the component list's remaining lives (a roof at year 24 of 25 is a near-term bill), whether the current budget actually funds the schedule, and how the SIRS interacts with any milestone-inspection findings. A building with a funded SIRS and clean milestone report is a fundamentally different purchase from one with neither — even at the same asking price.

Common questions.

When was the first SIRS due?
By December 31, 2025 for associations in existence on or before July 1, 2022 that are subject to the requirement. New buildings generate them on the statutory schedule.
Can a condo association still waive reserves in Florida?
Not for SIRS components as before 2022. The 2025 legislation added limited, condition-tied flexibility — including a temporary pause while funding structural repairs — but the era of routine full waivers is over.
Which buildings need a SIRS?
Condominium and cooperative buildings three stories or taller, the same population covered by milestone inspections.

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