Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS) in Florida: What the Law Requires and How It Gets Done
A structural integrity reserve study, or SIRS, sets how much your condominium or cooperative association must reserve for specific structural components. Florida requires one for buildings three or more habitable stories tall under Fla. Stat. 718.112(2)(g).
Boards routinely confuse a SIRS with a
milestone inspection. They are two different requirements, they run on different statutes, and mixing them up leads to missed deadlines and underfunded reserves. This guide covers what a structural integrity reserve study is, which Florida buildings need one, what it has to cover, how the engineering portion is done, and the deadlines and funding rules that come with it.
What a SIRS Is
A SIRS is a financial planning document. It projects the remaining useful life and replacement cost of a building's major structural components, then sets a reserve funding schedule so the money is there when the work comes due.
It is not a safety inspection. A SIRS does not certify that the building is sound today. That is the job of the milestone inspection. The SIRS answers a money question: is the association setting aside enough, on the right timeline, for the structural work ahead.
SIRS vs. Milestone Inspection
The two are complementary, and Florida law lets you time them together, but they answer different questions.
| SIRS | Milestone inspection | |
|---|---|---|
| Governed by | Fla. Stat. 718.112(2)(g) | Fla. Stat. 553.899 |
| Purpose | Financial: reserves for structural components | Physical: is the structure sound |
| Deliverable | Reserve funding schedule and baseline plan | Phase 1 visual report, Phase 2 if needed |
| Applies to | Reserve funding schedule and baseline plan | Condo and co-op, 3+ stories, at 25 or 30 years |
A milestone inspection or similar local inspection performed within the past five years, if it meets the SIRS requirements, can substitute for the visual inspection portion of the SIRS. That is why associations across Miami-Dade and Broward often schedule both off a single structural evaluation.
Which Florida Buildings Need a SIRS
The requirement applies to residential condominium and cooperative buildings that are three or more habitable stories in height. Four-family dwellings with three or fewer habitable stories above ground are exempt.
Two wrinkles matter:
- Habitable stories. A building with two residential floors over a parking level is treated differently than one with three residential floors. This resolves an ambiguity in the original 2022 language.
- Mixed-ownership buildings. Under SB 154 (2023), the requirement reaches buildings that are, in whole or in part, subject to the condominium or cooperative form of ownership. Strictly commercial condo and co-op buildings are not subject to it.
What a Florida SIRS Must Cover
The study must address the building's major structural components. Under the current statute, that includes:
- Roof
- Load-bearing walls and other primary structural members
- Floor
- Foundation
- Fireproofing and fire protection systems
- Plumbing
- Waterproofing and exterior painting
- Windows and exterior doors
It also captures any other item with a deferred maintenance or replacement cost above the statutory threshold, where letting it fail would affect one of the components above. That threshold is inflation-adjusted each year and sits at $25,675 for 2026.
How a Florida SIRS Gets Done
Most of a SIRS is a reserve-funding exercise, but it rests on a visual structural inspection. The work runs in a clear order:
- A structural engineer or architect performs the visual inspection of each component.
- Each component is assessed for condition and remaining useful life.
- Replacement cost and timing are estimated for each.
- A reserve funding schedule and baseline plan are built from that assessment.
Where a qualifying milestone inspection was performed within the past five years, step one can lean on it instead of repeating the visual work. The
structural design and analysis behind the assessment is the part that has to hold up if the reserve numbers are ever questioned.
What Drives the Scope of a SIRS
No two assessments are identical. What drives the depth of the engineering portion:
- Building size and number of stories
- Age and construction type
- Coastal exposure and its effect on framing, structure, and waterproofing
- The condition found during the visual inspection
- Whether a recent milestone inspection can carry the visual portion
Front-loading the assessment with an engineer who knows South Florida building stock keeps the funding plan defensible and avoids a repeat inspection later.
Deadlines and the No-Waiver Rule
Two points every board should have straight:
- Existing owner-controlled associations that existed on or before July 1, 2022 had to complete their first SIRS by December 31, 2025. Buildings with a milestone inspection due on or before December 31, 2026 may coordinate the SIRS with it, but never later than December 31, 2026.
- Reserves for SIRS-covered structural components can no longer be waived or reduced by owner vote, for budgets adopted on or after January 1, 2025.
There is also an insurance consequence. Citizens Property Insurance is barred from covering associations that have not met their milestone and SIRS obligations, and a willful failure to complete a SIRS is a breach of the board's fiduciary duty.
What HB 913 Changed in 2025
House Bill 913, effective July 1, 2025, refined the framework:
- The study must include a baseline funding plan that keeps the reserve balance above zero.
- It must distinguish mandatory reserve items from other reserve items.
- An association that has completed its milestone inspection may delay the SIRS for up to two budget years to prioritize the repairs the milestone identified.
- Officers and directors must sign an affidavit acknowledging receipt of a completed SIRS.
- Structural reports, including the SIRS and milestone reports, must be retained for 15 years.
For the official board-facing summary, the Florida DBPR maintains a
condominium FAQ on how the milestone and SIRS timelines interact.
Coordinating a SIRS With a Milestone Inspection
If your building's milestone inspection is due in 2025 or 2026, coordinating the two off one structural evaluation saves money and keeps the findings consistent. The milestone inspection answers whether the structure is sound. The SIRS turns that condition assessment into a funding plan. Running them together means one engineer, one site visit, and one consistent read of the building.
MPC Engineering performs milestone and SIRS structural assessments for associations in
Miami Beach,
Sunny Isles Beach,
Fort Lauderdale,
Boca Raton, and
West Palm Beach.
Getting the SIRS Structural Portion Right
The reserve numbers are only as good as the structural assessment underneath them. If your association is timing a SIRS with a milestone inspection, doing both off one evaluation is the efficient path, and it keeps the engineering read consistent from inspection to funding plan.
MPC Engineering provides SIRS structural assessments for condo and cooperative associations across South Florida. Contact us to schedule your assessment before the deadline pressure hits.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Is a SIRS the same as a milestone inspection
No. A SIRS is a financial reserve study for structural components under Fla. Stat. 718.112(2)(g). A milestone inspection is a physical safety assessment under Fla. Stat. 553.899. They are timed to inform each other but serve different purposes.
Which Florida buildings need a SIRS?
Residential condominium and cooperative buildings three or more habitable stories in height. Four-family dwellings with three or fewer habitable stories are exempt.
What does a Florida SIRS have to cover?
The roof, load-bearing walls and primary structural members, floor, foundation, fireproofing and fire protection, plumbing, waterproofing and exterior painting, and windows and exterior doors, plus any other item above the statutory cost threshold whose failure would affect those components.
How often does a SIRS have to be updated?
At least every 10 years for each building, and it should be updated after major structural repairs or replacements.
Can our board vote to waive the SIRS reserves?
No. For budgets adopted on or after January 1, 2025, reserves for the structural components covered by the SIRS cannot be waived or reduced by owner vote.
Who performs a SIRS?
The visual structural portion is performed by an engineer or architect. The reserve funding plan can be prepared by an engineer, architect, or reserve specialist working from that assessment.
What is the SIRS deadline in Florida?
Existing owner-controlled associations had to complete their first SIRS by December 31, 2025. A building with a milestone inspection due on or before December 31, 2026 may coordinate the two, but the SIRS can be no later than December 31, 2026.
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