What Goes Into a Florida SIRS Report, and Who Can Sign It?
What is a Florida SIRS report? See which buildings need one, what it must cover, who can sign it, the state filing rule and the 2025 funding changes.
What matters most
- Florida requires a SIRS for condo and co-op buildings three or more habitable stories tall, at least every 10 years.
- A SIRS covers roof, structure, fire protection, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing, windows and exterior doors, and related items over $25,000.
- A licensed engineer or architect, or a certified reserve specialist or professional reserve analyst, must perform or verify the SIRS.
- Associations must file a SIRS reporting form with Florida's condominium division within 45 days of completing the study.
- SIRS reserves cannot be waived; HB 913 allows baseline funding, pooling and a limited pause tied to milestone repairs.
A SIRS report is Florida's structural integrity reserve study: a reserve study focused on the parts of a condominium building that keep it standing and dry, with a funding plan the association cannot waive. It came out of the laws Florida passed after the Champlain Towers South collapse in Surfside in 2021, and it has changed how thousands of condo boards budget.
I build software for the firms that prepare reserve studies, including the funding engine that produces the 30-year plan. This guide explains what a SIRS report contains, who can prepare it, what has to be filed with the state, and what changed in 2025, in plain language for board members and managers.
Here is what matters most:
- A SIRS is required for Florida condominium and cooperative buildings three or more habitable stories tall, and must be redone at least every 10 years.
- It covers specific structural items: roof, structure and load-bearing walls, fireproofing and fire protection, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing and exterior painting, windows and exterior doors, and other items over $25,000 whose failure would harm those systems.
- It must be performed or verified by a licensed engineer or architect, or a certified reserve specialist or professional reserve analyst.
- Associations must submit a SIRS reporting form to the state's condominium division within 45 days of completing the study.
- Reserves for SIRS items can no longer be waived or reduced. A 2025 law, HB 913, added some flexibility, including baseline funding and pooled reserves under conditions.
Which buildings need a SIRS
Florida Statutes section 718.112(2)(g) requires a structural integrity reserve study for condominium buildings three or more habitable stories in height. Cooperatives have a parallel requirement. HB 913 clarified the threshold as habitable stories, which matters for buildings with parking or storage levels.
The study must be redone at least every 10 years. For most associations that existed when the law took effect, the first study was due by December 31, 2025, after earlier deadlines were extended. Associations whose milestone inspection fell due around the same time were allowed to coordinate the two.
If your association missed the deadline, talk to your attorney now. Board members have a duty to comply, and lenders, insurers and buyers increasingly ask to see the SIRS.
What a SIRS report must cover
A standard reserve study covers everything the association must maintain and replace. A SIRS narrows the focus to items that affect structural integrity and life safety. The statute lists:
- Roof
- Structure, including load-bearing walls and other primary structural members
- Fireproofing and fire protection systems
- Plumbing
- Electrical systems
- Waterproofing and exterior painting
- Windows and exterior doors
- Any other item with a deferred maintenance or replacement cost over $25,000 whose failure would negatively affect the items above, as determined by the professional preparing the study
For each item, the study estimates remaining useful life and replacement cost, and sets out a reserve funding schedule. A visual inspection of the building is part of the work.
Many associations get the SIRS done as part of a full reserve study covering everything else too, such as pools, paving and amenities. Those non-structural items are still subject to Florida's general reserve rules, which work differently.
Who can prepare and sign a SIRS
The study must be performed or verified by a licensed engineer or architect, or by a person certified as a reserve specialist or professional reserve analyst. In practice, many reserve firms partner with engineers for the structural assessment, and many engineering firms have added reserve analysis.
That split is where most of the time goes. The engineer walks the building and records condition. Someone then has to turn hundreds of photos and pages of notes into a component inventory, price every item, build the 30-year funding schedule and write the report in the format the association needs. With so many buildings needing a SIRS at once, that reporting work became the bottleneck for many firms.
The DBPR filing requirement
Since July 1, 2024, a condominium association must submit a completed SIRS reporting form electronically to the Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares and Mobile Homes within 45 days of completing the study. The division publishes the information in its online SIRS reporting database, as submitted.
A draft of the state's updated form asks for details including the firm, the professional's name and license or certification. Check the current form on the division's website before filing.
The funding rules, and what changed in 2025
The original laws said associations could no longer waive or reduce reserve funding for SIRS items, starting with budgets adopted after December 31, 2024. Many associations saw large increases in dues or special assessments as a result.
HB 913, signed in 2025 and effective July 1, 2025, adjusted the rules. Summaries from Florida community association law firms describe these changes:
- Baseline funding allowed. Associations may fund SIRS items on a baseline plan, which keeps the reserve balance above zero, rather than being pushed toward full funding immediately.
- Pooled reserves. Reserves for SIRS items can be pooled rather than held in separate accounts per item, with limits.
- Temporary pause after a milestone inspection. If a milestone inspection recommends repairs, owners can vote to pause or reduce reserve contributions for up to two consecutive budget years while the repairs are funded. The SIRS must then be updated before regular funding resumes.
- Clarified scope. The three-or-more habitable stories threshold, and other definitions.
The details and vote thresholds matter, and they are exactly the kind of thing that changes between legislative sessions. Have your attorney and your reserve preparer confirm how they apply to your building.
How a SIRS fits with the milestone inspection
The milestone inspection is a separate structural inspection by a licensed architect or engineer, required when a building reaches 30 years of age (25 in some local jurisdictions) and every 10 years after. Phase one is a visual inspection; phase two follows if substantial structural deterioration is found.
The two documents work together. The milestone inspection tells you what condition the structure is in today and what must be repaired. The SIRS tells you what it will cost to keep those structural items in good condition over time, and how much to put aside each year. Our guide to the Florida milestone inspection covers the inspection side.
What boards should do now
- Confirm you have a current SIRS and that the reporting form was filed with the division within 45 days.
- Read the funding schedule, not just the summary. Find the contribution required for SIRS items and check that the budget includes it.
- Check your percent funded and the 30-year cash flow for the whole reserve, not only SIRS items. Our free HOA reserve fund calculator runs the same projection with your own numbers.
- Ask your preparer about the HB 913 options before your next budget: baseline funding, pooling and any pause tied to milestone repairs.
- Put the next SIRS date on the calendar. Ten years passes quickly, and so will the rush of buildings needing a second study.
Frequently asked questions
What is a SIRS in Florida?
A SIRS is a structural integrity reserve study required for Florida condominium and cooperative buildings three or more habitable stories tall. It covers the roof, structure, fire protection, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing, windows and exterior doors, and other costly items that affect them, and sets a reserve funding schedule for those items.
How often is a SIRS required?
At least every 10 years. Many associations also update their broader reserve study more often, and HB 913 requires the SIRS to be updated in some situations, for example before resuming regular funding after a pause tied to milestone inspection repairs.
Who can prepare a SIRS report?
The study must be performed or verified by a licensed engineer or architect, or a person certified as a reserve specialist or professional reserve analyst. Many firms combine an engineer's inspection with a reserve professional's financial analysis.
Can a Florida condo association waive SIRS reserves?
No. Reserves for SIRS items can no longer be waived or reduced. HB 913 added flexibility, including baseline funding, pooling and a temporary pause tied to milestone inspection repairs with owner approval, but the obligation to fund SIRS items remains.
For firms preparing SIRS reports
If your engineers' site visits are fast but the reports pile up, our engine turns inspection notes and photos into the SIRS component inventory, the 30-year funding schedule and a branded draft in your template, ready for your licensed professional to review and sign. See AI reserve study software.