Structural integrity reserve studies (SIRS) in Pinellas County

Local rules that shape a SIRS in Pinellas County

• The county uses the 30-year schedule with the state's legacy dates and no separate coastal rule, so a Gulf-front tower on Indian Rocks Beach has the same first deadline as an inland building.
• Buildings that reached 30 years before 1 July 2022 had to be inspected before 31 December 2024, those reaching 30 by 31 December 2024 before 31 December 2025, and later buildings by 31 December of the year they turn 30.
• The county says that if a building is in a Special Flood Hazard Area, the 49% rule applies to repairs, which can change the scope and cost of a large repair project.
• In the state's 2024 data, 8 Pinellas buildings were found unsafe or uninhabitable after milestone inspections, out of 30 statewide and behind only Osceola County.
• Ordinance 24-18 sets the county process, and associations register on the Pinellas County Access Portal before reports can be filed.
• The county counts a garage or parking area beneath the living space as a story, which can bring a building over parking into the three-story rule.
• Notices go to the association and any non-association owner by certified mail, and the association tells unit owners within 14 days, by email or a website posting where owners have agreed to that.
• For Phase 2, the county page notes the inspector prefers the least disruptive and most easily repaired locations for testing.

How we handle structural integrity reserve studies in Pinellas County

Gulf-front associations in Pinellas carry a risk the reserve study has to price: the county applies the 49% rule to repairs in a Special Flood Hazard Area, and 8 county buildings were found unsafe or uninhabitable in 2024. We make sure the reserve professional knows the flood zone and the milestone findings before the funding schedule is set.[1][2]

Permits for structural integrity reserve studies (sirs) in Pinellas County

• Pinellas County, Condo Milestone Inspections: Milestone inspection registration and reports through the Access Portal

What does a SIRS cover?

At a minimum the roof; the structure, including load-bearing walls and primary structural members and systems; fireproofing and fire protection systems; plumbing; electrical systems; waterproofing and exterior painting; windows and exterior doors; and any other item above the reserve threshold whose failure would harm those items. For each item the study gives the estimated remaining useful life and the replacement cost or deferred maintenance expense, and it includes at least a baseline funding plan that keeps the reserve cash balance above zero in every budget year.[3]

Who may perform or verify the study?

An engineer licensed under chapter 471, an architect licensed under chapter 481, or a person certified as a reserve specialist or professional reserve analyst by the Community Associations Institute or the Association of Professional Reserve Analysts. The rule covers the visual inspection portion too. We arrange the study with one of these professionals and coordinate the schedule; the professional signs the study.[3][4]

What are the deadlines?

• Owner-controlled associations existing on or before 1 July 2022 had to complete a SIRS by 31 December 2025.
• With a milestone inspection due on or before 31 December 2026, the SIRS may be done at the same time, but no SIRS may be completed after 31 December 2026.
• After that, at least every 10 years.
• Within 45 days of receiving the study, owners get a copy or notice and the association files a statement with the Division.

How does the SIRS change the budget?

Reserves for the SIRS items must be based on the most recent study, and for budgets adopted on or after 31 December 2024 an owner-controlled association that must have a SIRS cannot vote to waive or reduce those reserves, except a multicondominium with a Division-approved alternative funding method. SIRS items may be funded by regular assessments, special assessments, lines of credit or loans; the last three need a majority of the total voting interests.[3]

Frequently asked questions