A structural integrity reserve study is a state-required plan that tells a condo board how much money to save for the parts of a building that keep it standing and safe.

If your Broward association has a building with three or more habitable stories, Florida law requires one.

An owner vote can no longer waive the required reserves.

What a Structural Integrity Reserve Study Covers

A SIRS covers only the parts of a building tied to structure and life safety. Your pool, elevators, and clubhouse stay in the regular reserve study.

Under Florida Statute 718.112, the study must look at:

The roof
Structure, including load-bearing walls and primary structural members
Floors and the foundation
Fireproofing and fire protection systems
Plumbing and electrical systems
Waterproofing and exterior painting
Windows and exterior doors

There is also a catch-all. Any other item with a deferred maintenance or replacement cost above $25,000 belongs in the study if its failure would hurt the items above. That figure adjusts each year for inflation.

For each item, the study estimates remaining life and replacement cost, then sets a yearly savings plan.

Which Broward Buildings Need a SIRS

Any condo or co-op building with three or more habitable stories needs a SIRS. The rule is triggered by height, not age.

New towers and 55+ communities are covered too.

A habitable story is space used for living, sleeping, eating, or cooking.

A two-story garden condo, common across West Broward, falls outside the SIRS mandate.

That building still has normal reserve rules to follow.

Who Can Perform a SIRS and Who Cannot

Four kinds of professionals can perform or verify a structural integrity reserve study in Florida:

An engineer licensed under Chapter 471
An architect licensed under Chapter 481
A reserve specialist certified by the Community Associations Institute
A professional reserve analyst certified by the Association of Professional Reserve Analysts

A home inspector cannot sign a SIRS.

Inspectors can still help first. A property condition assessment gives the board a baseline of what it owns.

A thermal imaging scan can flag hidden moisture behind walls and around windows, which can feed into the waterproofing line.

Unit owners also need their own condo unit inspection, since a SIRS looks at common elements only.

Watch for conflicts. A firm that bids on your SIRS must tell you in writing if it plans to bid on the repair work the study recommends.

How a SIRS Differs From a Milestone Inspection

A milestone inspection checks whether the building is safe today. A SIRS plans the money for future repairs.

The two connect. If your milestone inspection found repairs, the board may pause or reduce SIRS reserve payments for up to two straight annual budgets to pay for those fixes.

The milestone report must be less than two years old.

Before payments resume, the board must obtain an updated SIRS. See how milestone inspections compare with the county recertification.

How Broward Condo Boards Can Fund SIRS Reserves

Owners can no longer vote to skip or shrink reserves for SIRS items. But the law now gives boards more ways to pay:

Regular assessments
Special assessments
Loans
Lines of credit

At a minimum, the study must include a baseline funding plan that keeps the reserve cash balance above zero each year.

SIRS reserves and regular reserves must be tracked separately.

Mistakes That Cost Condo Boards Money

Most SIRS problems are paperwork and budget errors. Each can expose directors to claims of breaching their duty to owners.

Missing the 45-Day State Report

Within 45 days of getting the study, the association must report to the state. Boards file through the DBPR SIRS reporting system and confirm the study went to every owner. Keep the study in your official records for 15 years.

Adopting a Budget That Does Not Match the Study

If your budget funds reserves differently than your latest SIRS, you must get an updated study before you adopt that budget.

Treating the SIRS Like a Regular Reserve Study

SIRS reserves cannot be waived or redirected. Mixing them into one fund with other reserves makes compliance hard to prove.

What Buyers Look For in Your SIRS

Buyers now ask about SIRS status before they make an offer. Sellers must disclose it, and the standard condo rider for resales asks about it.

Some lenders also review reserve status before they approve a loan.

A clean, current study makes units easier to sell, especially to first-time Fort Lauderdale buyers who are new to condo documents.

Many buyers also pair the board’s records with their own Fort Lauderdale home inspection.

Your Board’s Next Move Before December 31

If your building pairs its SIRS with a 2026 milestone inspection, the hard cap is December 31, 2026.

Pull your study, check the DBPR filing, and compare it to next year’s budget this month. Bring in your association attorney and a licensed engineer for any gap.

This article is general information, not legal advice. If you want a condition baseline, call us at 954-861-0666.

Structural Integrity Reserve Studies (SIRS): What Broward Condo Boards Need to Know