What a SIRS is
A Structural Integrity Reserve Study is a professional study of a condominium building's major structural and safety components — what condition they're in, when they'll need repair or replacement, what that will cost, and how much the association should be setting aside. Florida requires one for residential condominium buildings of three or more habitable stories, updated every ten years. Which buildings must have one, who may perform it, and the reserve funding rules are covered — with citations — in our guide to SIRS and condo reserves in Florida.
The parts you'll find inside
- The component inventory. The heart of the study: a table of the covered items — roof, load-bearing structure, fireproofing and fire protection, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing and exterior painting, windows and exterior doors, and other high-cost items. For each: its estimated remaining useful life and estimated replacement cost.
- The visual inspection findings. What the professional actually observed. Look for condition notes that moved a component's timeline — "roof: 4 years remaining" matters more than the table average.
- The funding plan. The recommended annual reserve contribution, projected year by year. Florida requires the study to include a baseline funding plan — one that keeps the reserve balance above zero through the study period.
- Required vs. optional items. The study distinguishes components whose reserves owners generally cannot waive from anything else the association chooses to reserve for. That distinction drives what the budget meeting can and cannot vote on.
Questions worth asking
- Which components are within ten years of replacement, and does the funding plan actually reach their cost by then?
- Did the study use site-specific costs or generic tables? A study priced from your building's actual roof area and contracts is worth more than one priced from a manual.
- How does the recommended contribution compare to what the current budget actually collects? The gap between those two numbers is the conversation.
- When is the next update due, and is anything scheduled to be re-inspected sooner?
Where it lives
The most recent SIRS is one of the association's official records, and for associations required to maintain a website it's among the documents posted for owners. If you haven't seen yours, ask for it — our guide to official records and the website law explains how records requests work.