Roof
Assembly, covering, and remaining useful life, the component most likely to drive the near-term funding number.
compliance · Condo Management
Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS) coordination in Florida.
Florida condominium associations three stories or more must commission a Structural Integrity Reserve Study by their statutory deadline. Edison coordinates the engineer, manages the deliverable, and helps your board build a funding plan that meets the mandate.
Florida Statute § 718.112(2)(g) · SB-4D
Applies to
Condos 3+ stories
Statute
Ch. 718 · SB-4D
Cadence
Every 10 years
Components
8 mandated
What a SIRS actually is, and why it's not a normal reserve study
A Structural Integrity Reserve Study is a Florida-specific reserve assessment created by Senate Bill 4D after the Champlain Towers South collapse. It applies to condominium and cooperative buildings three stories or more, and it requires a licensed engineer or architect to inventory and price the remaining useful life of eight specific structural and life-safety components, roof, load-bearing walls, floor, foundation, fireproofing, plumbing, electrical, and waterproofing.
A SIRS is not interchangeable with a traditional reserve study. The traditional reserve study covers a broader set of community assets, pools, paving, clubhouses, amenity replacements, but isn't sufficient on its own under FL Ch. 718. Most associations now need both: a SIRS for statutory compliance, and a comprehensive reserve study for full capital planning. Edison coordinates both, sequences them, and translates the engineering findings into a fundable plan.
Boards routinely ask how the SIRS relates to the milestone inspection, because SB-4D created both. The milestone inspection answers a condition question: is the structure sound today? The SIRS answers a money question: what will those structural components cost to maintain and replace, and what does the association need to bank each year to get there. They are usually sequenced, milestone first, SIRS second, so the reserve numbers reflect what the engineer actually found on the building.
The compliance dates have moved more than once. The original SB-4D deadline for existing buildings was December 31, 2024, and subsequent legislative sessions extended relief to associations whose milestone inspection was due at the end of 2024, pushing them to December 31, 2025. Both dates are now behind us. An association without a completed SIRS is not exempt, it is behind on a statutory obligation the board has a fiduciary duty to remedy, and Edison's intake starts by confirming exactly which deadline applied to your building. For the broader picture of how reserve studies work in Florida, our reserve study guide for Florida boards covers the fundamentals.
Know the difference
SIRS vs. a traditional reserve study
Boards are often told they already have "a reserve study." Under Ch. 718, that answer is usually incomplete. Here is where the two actually diverge.
The mandated eight
What a Florida SIRS must inventory
Every SIRS engagement covers these components at minimum. The engineer may add anything else with a deferred maintenance or replacement cost above the statutory threshold that bears on structural integrity.
Load-Bearing Walls
Load-bearing walls and other primary structural members, assessed for condition and remaining life.
Floor
Floor structure and slabs, including the deterioration patterns coastal buildings see first.
Foundation
Foundation systems, evaluated against the building's settlement, drainage, and water-intrusion history.
Fireproofing
Fireproofing and fire protection systems, a life-safety component boards frequently under-reserve.
Plumbing
Supply, waste, and vertical stack systems, where age-based repiping decisions get expensive fast.
Electrical
Electrical systems, including distribution equipment that predates current code expectations.
Waterproofing
Waterproofing and exterior painting where related to structure, the recurring cycle that protects everything above.
What Edison handles
What Edison's SIRS coordination covers
Edison doesn't perform the engineering. We handle everything around it: engineer selection, scope review, document coordination, board presentation, and the post-study funding plan.
Engineer Selection & Bid Review
Edison sources 3+ qualified Florida-licensed structural engineers and helps the board select on scope and credentials, not just price.
Document & Access Coordination
Historical inspection records, building permits, prior reserve studies, and capital expenditure history assembled for the engineer.
Site Visit Logistics
Resident notification, common-area access, vendor coordination, and roof/equipment access scheduling.
Draft Report Review
Edison's accounting team reviews the draft against actual capital history and flags discrepancies for revision before final issuance.
Board Presentation Support
Board-friendly summary of findings, what's failing, what's funded, what's not, plus a recommended funding strategy.
Funding Plan Integration
SIRS components integrated into the annual budget, reserve banking strategy, and 5-year capital plan.
The process
How Edison runs a SIRS engagement
From engineer selection through board adoption, usually 90–150 days end to end.
01
Discovery & Scoping
Edison reviews governing documents, building age, last reserve study, and SB-4D filing status. Statutory deadline confirmed.
02
Engineer Sourcing
Three competing bids from FL-licensed engineers. Board approves; Edison handles contracting and access.
03
Site Work & Draft Review
Engineer performs site work. Edison reviews the draft and coordinates revisions before the final is issued.
04
Board Adoption & Funding Plan
Findings presented with a recommended funding plan. Plan integrated into the next annual budget.
Behind on your SIRS? Not sure if you're behind?
Edison's first conversation is free. We'll review your association's status against Ch. 718 / SB-4D requirements and tell you exactly where you stand.
Statutory FAQ
What boards ask about this most
Does our community need a SIRS?
If your association governs a condominium or cooperative building three stories or more (counting habitable stories above grade), yes. Buildings under three stories aren't subject to the SIRS requirement but typically still need a traditional reserve study.
When is the SIRS due?
The original SB-4D deadline was December 31, 2024 for existing buildings, with later legislative relief extending some associations to December 31, 2025. Both dates have passed. Associations that missed them are still subject to the requirement, and the study is then updated at least every 10 years. Newer buildings have deadlines tied to their certificate of occupancy, so Edison's intake confirms which date applies to your specific building rather than assuming.
What's the difference between a SIRS and a milestone inspection?
The milestone inspection is a structural condition assessment. The SIRS is a reserve study scoped to the structural components the milestone identifies. Many associations need both, sequenced, milestone first, SIRS second.
What are the 8 components a SIRS must cover?
Roof; load-bearing walls or other primary structural members; floor; foundation; fireproofing and fire protection systems; plumbing; electrical systems; and waterproofing and exterior painting (where related to structure).
Can our existing reserve study count?
Usually no, a traditional reserve study isn't typically scoped to the SIRS-required components and doesn't follow the same engineering standard. Some studies completed after SB-4D may be compliant if specifically scoped for it.
How much does a SIRS cost?
Typical range is $8,000–$25,000 for the engineer's work, depending on building size and complexity. Edison's coordination is included in the management agreement.
Does the SIRS require us to fully fund reserves?
The SIRS quantifies the funding need; FL Ch. 718 as amended requires associations to fund SIRS components on a pooled-or-component basis. Boards cannot waive funding for SIRS components the way they could for some traditional reserves.
What happens if we don't comply?
Non-compliance creates personal liability exposure for board members and is increasingly scrutinized in unit-sale due diligence. Edison's first step is to assess current status and build the fastest credible remediation path.
How does Edison handle this differently?
We treat the SIRS as a multi-year capital planning exercise, not a one-time filing. Engineer selection, document prep, board education, funding plan integration, and ongoing reserve banking strategy are all coordinated by the same accounting team responsible for your monthly financials.
Who is qualified to perform a Structural Integrity Reserve Study in Florida?
The structural portion of the study must be performed by a Florida-licensed engineer or architect. The visual inspection component may be performed by other professionals the statute qualifies, but the association's credibility, and the study's defensibility if it is ever challenged, rests on the credentials behind it. Edison sources bids only from firms with documented Florida SIRS experience and reviews scope before the board selects.
How long does a SIRS take from start to finish?
Typically 90 to 150 days. Engineer sourcing and board selection run 3–4 weeks, document prep and site work another 4–6 weeks depending on building access and engineer backlog, and draft review through final issuance a further 3–4 weeks. Boards that start the process before their budget cycle can fold the funding plan into the same year's budget rather than waiting a full cycle.
Does the SIRS affect our monthly assessments?
Frequently, yes. The study quantifies a funding obligation for components that cannot be waived, so if the association has been under-reserving on structural items, the gap becomes visible and has to be funded. Edison's accounting team models the funding paths, phased assessment increases, reserve banking adjustments, capital sequencing, before the board votes, so the decision is made with the trade-offs in front of it rather than after homeowners react.
Our building is two stories. Do we need a SIRS?
No. The SIRS requirement applies to condominium and cooperative buildings three habitable stories or more. Two-story buildings still benefit from a traditional reserve study for capital planning, and lenders, insurers, and buyers increasingly expect one, but the Ch. 718 structural mandate does not reach them.
How does the SIRS affect unit sales and lending?
Buyer-side due diligence now routinely asks for the SIRS and the milestone inspection report. A missing or outdated study stalls closings, complicates lender approval, and gives buyers a reason to renegotiate. Boards that treat compliance as a paperwork problem tend to discover it as a property-value problem.
Get started
SIRS compliance is a project, not a panic.
Tell us what you know about your building's status. We'll respond with what's required, what it costs, and how to sequence it, within one business day.