State Requirements
Florida SIRS Requirements: Deadlines, Buildings Covered, and What Changed
Florida runs the strictest reserve regime in the country, built in the aftermath of the 2021 Champlain Towers South collapse in Surfside. The framework has been amended three times since — SB 4-D (2022), SB 154 (2023), and most recently HB 913 (2025) — which means much of what's published online describes rules that no longer apply. Here's where the law stands now.
This is general information, not legal advice — Florida amends these statutes nearly every session, so confirm current requirements with association counsel or a licensed engineer before acting.
Who Must Complete a SIRS
A Structural Integrity Reserve Study is required for condominium and cooperative buildings three or more habitable stories in height. HB 913 clarified the word habitable — non-habitable levels like ground-floor parking generally don't count toward the three stories, which moved some buildings out of scope that earlier guidance swept in.
Covered associations must complete a SIRS at least every 10 years. The initial compliance deadline, originally end of 2024, was extended by HB 913 to December 31, 2025, with additional accommodation for associations coordinating with milestone inspections.
A SIRS must be performed or overseen by qualified professionals, with the structural inspection portion handled by a licensed engineer or architect — and HB 913 added conflict-of-interest rules requiring design professionals to disclose if they intend to bid on the resulting repair work.
What a SIRS Covers
The study combines a structural condition assessment with a long-range reserve funding plan for a defined list of critical components: roof, load-bearing structure, fireproofing and fire protection, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing and exterior painting, windows and exterior doors, plus other items above a cost threshold (
This sits alongside, not instead of, the milestone inspection program — the separate engineering inspection required at 30 years of building age (earlier for some coastal buildings) and every 10 years after. The SIRS is the funding plan; the milestone inspection is the structural exam. Boards need to track both clocks.
The Funding Rules — Where It Bites
The teeth of Florida's law are in the funding provisions: for budgets adopted on or after January 1, 2025, associations can no longer waive or reduce reserve funding for SIRS components. For decades, waiving reserves by owner vote was routine practice in Florida; for structural components, that era is over.
HB 913 paired the mandate with flexibility on how to fund: with appropriate owner approval, associations may use special assessments, loans, or lines of credit to meet obligations, and the SIRS must now include a baseline funding plan. The practical reality for boards: the obligation is non-negotiable, but the financing path has options. Communities staring at a large gap should read the underfunded reserves recovery playbook — the gradual-correction principles apply, just on a statutory clock.
The County Layer
State law isn't the whole story in South Florida. Miami-Dade and Broward counties run their own building recertification programs that predate Surfside, layering county inspection cycles on top of state SIRS and milestone requirements. Boards in those counties — and in coastal markets like Palm Beach, Pinellas, and Lee County, where salt exposure shortens component lives below national tables — should treat published component lifespans as optimistic and budget accordingly. (County-level guides for Miami-Dade and Broward are coming in this series.)
Compliance Checklist
- Count your habitable stories — that determines scope
- Confirm your SIRS status against the December 31, 2025 initial deadline and the 10-year cycle
- Check your milestone inspection clock separately (building age 30+, earlier for some coastal structures)
- Ensure budgets adopted since January 1, 2025 fully fund SIRS components — no waivers
- File required reporting with the state and keep the SIRS with your official records
The Bigger Picture
Florida's regime is what happens when deferred maintenance becomes a tragedy: the state simply removed the option of not funding structural reality. For boards elsewhere watching this unfold — the same bills are being introduced across the country — the cheapest path is the voluntary version: a current reserve study and a funded plan, adopted before a legislature makes it mandatory. For how Florida compares to every other state, see HOA Reserve Requirements by State.