The Structural Integrity Reserve Study examines your building’s condition and calculates the funds you will need to maintain your building or carry out any repairs that you may need to complete it. The Structural Integrity Reserve Study is an inspection that must be completed by a Florida-licensed engineer or architect.
The Florida Structural Integrity Reserve Study is part of the new Senate bill D4. The law states the following:
- Requires associations existing on or before July 1, 2022, to have a Structural Integrity Reserve Study completed by December 31, 2024.
- Condominiums that are three stories in height or more need to complete a SIRS every 10 years.
- Provides that it is a breach of a board member or officer’s fiduciary duty if an association fails to complete a structural integrity reserve study.
The study is designed to ensure that Condo Associations are reserving funds for the long-term maintenance and necessary replacement of critical structural elements in their buildings. This is an inspection that evaluates the existing condition of your building and calculates the projected cost to perform any maintenance or repairs required on your building.
Many experts view the SIRS report as a crucial step toward preventing another catastrophic incident similar to the Surfside tragedy.
The SIRS is an essential financial planning tool. Condo Associations must fully fund the “SIRS” reserves for said structural components for any budgets passed on or after January 1st, 2025. At Hillman Engineering, we can help guide you in exploring financial assistance programs so you can ensure your building meets safety standards.
The structural elements of the SIRS include:
- Roof/Roof Covering
- Structural Components
- Fireproofing & Fire Protection Systems
- Plumbing System
- Electrical System
- Windows & Exterior Doors
- Exterior Painting & Waterproofing
- Any other item that has a deferred maintenance expense or replacement cost that exceeds $10,000 and the failure to replace or maintain such item will negatively affect the item.
Things to Remember About Milestone Inspections:
Even if visual signs of deterioration are not visible to condo owners, additional testing may be required, based on the age and composition of structural materials. Valid reports must be signed and sealed by a licensed professional who performed the inspections, and the reports will be issued to the association. A summary must also be posted in the building and given to all unit owners.
If you have any questions regarding the Structural Integrity Reserve Study process, please feel free to contact us at Hillman Engineering. We have extensive experience in Structural Reserve Studies and will walk you through the process so you can fully understand the study’s requirements, what needs to be done, and put your mind at ease.
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RESULTS
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METHODOLOGY
At Hillman Engineering, Inc., we’ve taken our collective experience to create our own methodology to keep your project on track and under budget.
3 PHASES TO COVER ALL YOUR NEEDS
Initial Inspection
Hillman Engineering will conduct the inspection as per the guidelines and provide a written engineering report on our findings. This report will identify all deficient items that need to be corrected to pass the inspection. These inspections will include interior inspection of the of the units of the building. The firm will visually examine all of the Electrical Elements of your buildings and prepare the Electrical portion(s) of the 40-year Re-certification report with our findings. The structural inspections cover all the structural components of your building including beams, columns and decks of parking garages, plaza decks, pools, balconies catwalks, and roofing assemblies.
Design
Hillman Engineering will prepare a complete set of construction documents including plans and specifications with a cost estimate and bid tabulations. In addition the firm will prepare the bid documents to obtain bids from qualified contractors for the necessary work to bring the building(s) into compliance for the 40-year recertification. The firm will assist the Board of Directors in acquiring & evaluating competitive bids for the necessary repairs.
Construction Management
Hillman Engineering will be the Engineer of Record for the project(s) and provide the Building Department required daily ongoing observations during the reconstruction to assure quality work and adherence to the plans, specifications and code requirements. We will conduct weekly meetings with the contractor and the building's representative to update construction schedules and budgetary issues.