Your Roof and Florida's Reserve Study Law: A Condo Board's Guide
Florida's structural integrity reserve study statute lists the roof as the first component every qualifying association must study — and for budgets adopted since the end of 2024, owners can no longer vote to fund it at less than the study requires. Here is what that actually means for your building, your budget, and your next roof.
Florida law requires every residential condominium association to complete a structural integrity reserve study (SIRS) at least every 10 years for each building on the property that is three habitable stories or higher. The statute names eight components the study must cover, and the roof is listed first. For budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024, a unit-owner-controlled association that must obtain a SIRS may not vote to provide no reserves or reduced reserves for those components. In practical terms: if your building qualifies, your roof now has a funded replacement schedule attached to it whether the board wants one or not — and the quality of the roof information feeding that study determines whether your reserve number is realistic or fiction.
On this page
- Which buildings this applies to (and which don't)
- Why the roof is the component that matters most
- The funding rule that changed everything
- What HB 913 changed in 2025
- SIRS vs. milestone inspection — they're not the same thing
- Where your roof reserve number comes from
- What to require when you take roofing bids
- Frequently asked questions
Most of the board members and community association managers we work with in Hillsborough County found out about the reserve study requirement the way you'd expect — a deadline, an engineer's invoice, and a number at the bottom of a report that nobody was prepared for. The roof is usually the largest single line in that report, and it is almost always the one with the least reliable data behind it.
This page is written for the people who have to make the decision: board members, treasurers, and the CAMs who have to walk a board through it. It is not legal advice, and the disclaimer at the bottom is a real one — but it should let you walk into the conversation knowing what the statute actually says.
Which buildings this applies to
This is the first place boards get tripped up, because "reserve study" gets used loosely and the SIRS requirement is narrower than people assume.
A residential condominium association must have a structural integrity reserve study completed at least every 10 years
for each building on the condominium property that is three habitable stories or higher in height.
| Property type | SIRS required? |
|---|---|
| Residential condominium, building three habitable stories or higher | Yes — at least every 10 years |
| Residential cooperative, three habitable stories or higher | Yes — cooperatives are covered by a parallel requirement |
| Condominium buildings under three habitable stories | Not required by the SIRS statute |
| Homeowners' associations (Chapter 720) | Not subject to the SIRS requirement |
That last row matters and it is widely misunderstood. An HOA is not a condominium. If your community is governed under Chapter 720 — single-family homes, townhomes with individually owned roofs, most villa communities — the SIRS requirement does not reach you. That does not mean roof reserves are a bad idea; it means the legal obligation described on this page isn't the reason you'd fund them. Ask your association's attorney which chapter governs your documents before you assume either way.
Why the roof is the component that matters most
The statute doesn't leave the scope of the study to interpretation. It lists the components:
a. Roof · b. Structure, including load-bearing walls and primary structural members · c. Fireproofing and fire protection systems · d. Plumbing · e. Electrical systems · f. Waterproofing and exterior painting · g. Windows and exterior doors · h. Any other item with a deferred maintenance or replacement cost exceeding $25,000 that affects any of the above
The roof is listed first. That ordering carries no legal weight on its own, but it reflects something practically true: of the eight components, the roof is the one most likely to fail within the study's ten-year horizon, the one whose failure damages the other seven, and the one where a bad estimate does the most damage to a funding plan.
It's also the component with the widest range of legitimate answers. A reserve specialist can estimate the remaining useful life of a plumbing system from its age and material with reasonable confidence. A roof's remaining life on a Gulf Coast building depends on the specific system installed, the fastening schedule, the ventilation, the drainage, the storm history since installation, and the condition of the deck underneath — none of which is visible from an age record or a walk around the parking lot.
That's the gap we get called into. A reserve study is only as good as the roof data handed to it.
The funding rule that changed everything
For decades, Florida associations could vote at the annual meeting to waive reserves or fund them at less than full. Plenty did. That option is gone for SIRS components.
For a budget adopted on or after December 31, 2024, the members of a unit-owner-controlled association that must obtain a structural integrity reserve study may not determine to provide no reserves or less reserves
than required by the statute.
Read that alongside the component list and the consequence is direct: if your building qualifies, your roof has a mandatory funding line and the membership cannot vote it down.
For boards, this reframes the roof conversation entirely. The question is no longer "can we defer this another year." It's "what is the real number, and are we funding toward it or toward a guess." Boards that get an accurate roof assessment early tend to find the reserve contribution is more manageable than feared, because they can plan a replacement on their own schedule rather than after a failure. Boards that don't tend to discover the gap when a tropical system finds it for them.
What HB 913 changed in 2025
Florida amended the condominium statutes again with HB 913, effective July 1, 2025. It didn't undo the funding requirement, but it added flexibility that boards should know about:
A limited pause after a milestone inspection
An association that has completed a required milestone inspection may delay a SIRS and pause reserve contributions for up to two consecutive budget years in order to fund repairs the inspection identified. If contributions are paused, a new SIRS must be completed before regular funding resumes.
More ways to fund reserves
Associations may now fund reserves through special assessments or by borrowing — a loan or a line of credit — with the required board or member approval, rather than relying on contributions alone.
A higher component threshold
The catch-all threshold for items that must be included rose from $10,000 to $25,000, indexed for inflation. The roof is named explicitly, so this doesn't change its inclusion.
A baseline funding plan
SIRS reports must now demonstrate a funding plan that keeps the reserve balance above zero across the funding period — which means the roof number has to be defensible, not aspirational.
The pause provision is the one most likely to be misapplied. It is tied to completing a milestone inspection and to funding the repairs that inspection identified — it is not a general-purpose deferral. Your association's attorney should sign off before a board relies on it.
SIRS vs. milestone inspection — they're not the same thing
These two requirements arrived together, apply to similar buildings, and get conflated constantly. They do different jobs.
| Structural Integrity Reserve Study | Milestone Inspection | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Determine what must be reserved, and how much | Determine whether the building is structurally sound |
| Applies to | Condominium and cooperative buildings three habitable stories or higher | Condominium and cooperative buildings three or more stories |
| Timing | At least every 10 years | At 30 years of age statewide, then on a recurring cycle |
| Who performs it | Reserve specialist, engineer or architect as permitted by statute | Licensed engineer or architect |
| Roof's role | Named component — must be studied and funded | Assessed as part of overall structural condition |
One nuance worth flagging to your board: while the statewide milestone trigger is 30 years, local enforcement agencies retain authority to require inspections earlier — as early as 25 years — based on local conditions such as coastal proximity. Buildings in Hillsborough County's coastal communities should confirm the local requirement rather than assuming the statewide default.
Where your roof reserve number actually comes from
A reserve study needs two numbers for the roof: remaining useful life and estimated replacement cost. Both are frequently wrong, and in opposite directions.
Remaining useful life is often taken from the roof's installation date against a generic service-life table. That table wasn't written for a building that has taken twenty years of Tampa Bay sun, afternoon thermal cycling, and a named storm or three. Two identical buildings installed the same year can be a decade apart in real remaining life depending on ventilation and how the last repair was handled.
Replacement cost is often a square-footage multiplier with nothing behind it. On a multi-family building the cost drivers that actually move the number are structural and logistical: deck condition once the existing system is off, code-required upgrades triggered at re-roof, access and staging around occupied units, disposal, phasing across buildings, and whether the work has to be scheduled around residents.
What a proper roof assessment gives your study
Documented current condition
A physical inspection of each building's roof system — not an age estimate — with photographs tied to specific locations and elevations.
A defensible remaining-life estimate
Based on what the system actually is, what condition it's in, and what this climate does to it, with the reasoning written down so it holds up when a member questions the assessment.
A real replacement cost, in writing
Scoped to your buildings: tear-off, deck repair allowance, code-required upgrades, accessories, phasing, and disposal — not a per-square average.
A phasing option
On a multi-building property, replacing in phases across budget years is often the difference between a manageable reserve contribution and a special assessment. That has to be planned before the study is finalized, not after.
We provide this assessment to associations at no cost, in a written format your reserve specialist can work from directly. We are not reserve specialists and we don't prepare the study — we give the person who does a real set of roof numbers instead of a table lookup.
What to require when you take roofing bids
Once the reserve line exists, the board eventually has to spend it. A few requirements separate comparable bids from an unusable stack of paper — include these in your request and every proposal you receive becomes directly comparable:
- A written scope, not a total. Every bid should state the specific system being installed by manufacturer and product line, the underlayment, the fastening schedule, and the accessories. A single number with a product name is not a scope.
- A stated deck repair allowance. Deck condition is unknown until tear-off. A bid that ignores it will produce a change order; a bid that states a per-sheet rate and an included allowance will not surprise you.
- Manufacturer certification level, in writing. The strongest system warranties can only be issued by contractors the manufacturer has certified, and certification levels differ. Ask which warranty the contractor can actually issue on your building, not which warranties the manufacturer offers.
- License and insurance verification. Florida license number, general liability, and workers' compensation certificates naming the association as certificate holder. Verify the license yourself rather than accepting a number on a letterhead.
- An occupied-building plan. Resident notification, daily site cleanup, protection of vehicles and landscaping, working hours, and staging locations. On a multi-family property this is where projects go wrong, and it belongs in the bid.
- Phasing and schedule. If the work spans budget years or buildings, the sequence and the price protection across phases should be stated up front.
Boards sometimes worry that requirements like these will narrow the field. They will — that's the point. A contractor who can't produce a written scope and a certificate of insurance for an association project is not a contractor you want on an occupied building.
We've written the longer version of this separately, including how to score proposals so the decision holds up when an owner questions it: How to Bid an Association Roof Replacement.
Frequently asked questions
Does a structural integrity reserve study have to include the roof?
Yes. Florida Statutes § 718.112(2)(g)1 lists the components a SIRS must include, and the roof is the first one named. The study must be completed at least every 10 years for each building on the condominium property that is three habitable stories or higher.
Can our members still vote to waive reserves for the roof?
No. For budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024, members of a unit-owner-controlled association required to obtain a SIRS may not vote to provide no reserves or reduced reserves for the components that study covers — which includes the roof. HB 913, effective July 1, 2025, added a narrow option to pause contributions for up to two budget years following a required milestone inspection in order to fund repairs that inspection identified, but that is tied to specific conditions and should be reviewed with your association's attorney.
Does the SIRS requirement apply to our HOA?
No. The structural integrity reserve study requirement sits in Chapter 718, which governs condominiums, with a parallel requirement for cooperatives. Homeowners' associations governed by Chapter 720 are not subject to it. Many HOA communities still choose to reserve for shared roofs, but the legal obligation described here does not apply to them. Confirm which chapter governs your association with your attorney.
What is the difference between a milestone inspection and a reserve study?
A milestone inspection is a structural safety assessment performed by a licensed engineer or architect, generally required when a condominium or cooperative building three or more stories tall reaches 30 years of age, though local enforcement agencies may require it as early as 25 years. A structural integrity reserve study is a financial planning document that determines what must be reserved and how much, and must be completed at least every 10 years. They are separate requirements with separate purposes, and a building may need both.
Who pays for a condo roof replacement in Florida?
In most Florida condominiums the roof is common element, so replacement is an association expense funded through reserves, a special assessment, borrowing, or an insurance claim where a covered loss applies. Your declaration is the controlling document and definitions vary between associations, so confirm how yours allocates roof responsibility before budgeting. Since December 31, 2024, associations required to obtain a SIRS must fund the roof reserve at the level the study requires.
Can a roof replacement be phased across budget years?
Often, yes, and on multi-building properties it is frequently the better plan. Phasing spreads the expense across budget years, keeps reserve contributions manageable, and reduces disruption to residents. It has to be planned before the reserve study is finalized so the funding schedule matches the replacement schedule, and the bid should hold pricing across phases.
How long does a multi-family roof last in Tampa Bay?
It depends far more on the system, the ventilation, the drainage and the storm history than on the installation date alone. Two identical buildings roofed in the same year can differ by a decade in real remaining life. That is exactly why a physical assessment produces a better reserve number than an age-based service-life table, and why we recommend one before a study is finalized.
Do you provide roof assessments for reserve studies?
Yes. We provide written roof condition assessments and replacement cost estimates for Tampa Bay condominium and cooperative associations at no cost, in a format your reserve specialist can work from. We do not prepare reserve studies and we are not reserve specialists — we supply the roof data the study depends on. Call (813) 643-8333 or request an assessment through our contact page.
Give your reserve study a real roof number
We inspect each building, document condition with photographs, and provide a written remaining-life and replacement cost estimate your reserve specialist can use — at no cost to the association. Serving condominium and cooperative communities across Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Manatee and Sarasota counties.
- 45+ years in Tampa Bay
- GAF Master Elite®
- Multi-family & occupied-building experience
- Licensed CRC1331169 & CCC1330676
This page is general information, not legal or financial advice. We are roofing contractors, not attorneys, reserve specialists, or accountants. Florida's condominium statutes have been amended repeatedly since 2022 and continue to change; local enforcement agencies impose additional requirements. Statutory references on this page reflect Florida Statutes § 718.112 as of September 2026. Before your board acts on anything described here, confirm the current requirements with your association's attorney and your reserve specialist.
Alex Sanchez
President, Certified Roofers & General Contractors, Inc. — a family-run, GAF Master Elite® roofing contractor serving Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Manatee and Sarasota counties for more than 45 years, including condominium, cooperative and apartment communities. Licensed CRC1331169 & CCC1330676.
Related: Multi-Family & Association Roofing · How to Bid an Association Roof · Who Pays for the Roof · What Residents Can Expect · Roof Insurance Claims