The four credentials
| Professional | Licensed or certified by | Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Professional engineer | Licensed under Florida Statutes chapter 471 | The usual choice where structure, balconies or a garage deck are the worry. |
| Registered architect | Licensed under chapter 481 | Common on envelope work: windows, doors, waterproofing and roofs. |
| Reserve Specialist (RS) | Certified by the Community Associations Institute | A reserve analyst credential, strong on costing and the funding plan. |
| Professional Reserve Analyst (PRA) | Certified by the Association of Professional Reserve Analysts | The other reserve analyst credential the statute names. |
The wording is "performed or verified", so a study can be prepared by a team and verified by one of these four. Many Florida firms pair a reserve analyst who builds the cost model with an engineer who signs off the structural judgment. Ask who will visit the building, who will sign, and under which credential.
Matching the signer to the building
A low-rise garden-style condo with a sound frame and a roof coming due needs good costing more than structural depth. A 1980s tower with spalling balconies and a phase two milestone finding needs an engineer's eye on items b and f. Three questions sort most cases:
- Has a milestone or county inspection found substantial structural deterioration? If so, favor an engineer.
- Is the hard part the envelope, meaning roof, windows and waterproofing? An architect or an engineer with envelope experience fits.
- Is the hard part the money, meaning a thin reserve and a large backlog? A credentialed reserve analyst with an engineer verifying is a common answer.
The conflict rule
Paragraph (g)3.b covers firms that might want the repair work as well as the study. A design professional or licensed contractor bidding for the SIRS must tell the association in writing if it intends to bid on any maintenance, repair or replacement the study may recommend. A firm bidding on recommended work may not have an interest in the firm that did the study, directly or through a close relative, unless that is disclosed in writing.
If the disclosure is missing, the services contract is voidable and ends when the association files a written notice, and the professional may face discipline under its practice act. Ask every bidder to put its answer on the proposal.
Firms that list SIRS work in Florida
These firms say on their own websites that they prepare structural integrity reserve studies in Florida. We list what each site states and nothing more; no firm pays to appear here, and being listed is not a recommendation.
| Firm | Based | Credentials stated |
|---|---|---|
| Alliance Reserve ServicesReserve studies, SIRS | Orlando | Not stated |
| Beryl Engineering & InspectionSIRS, milestone inspections, reserve studies | Tampa | PE |
| Criterium-Cromer EngineersSIRS, reserve and transition studies | Miami | PE |
| FPAT (Felten Property Assessment Team)Reserve studies, SIRS, insurance appraisals | Safety Harbor | CAI and APRA member |
| J. R. FrazerReserve studies, SIRS, insurance valuations | Wellington | Not stated |
| m2e Consulting EngineersSIRS, milestone inspections | Coral Gables | PE |
| Souffront Construction & EngineeringSIRS, milestone inspections | Sunrise | Not stated |
| Stone Building SolutionsReserve studies, SIRS, milestone inspections | Coral Gables and St. Petersburg | Not stated |
| Structural Integrity EngineersSIRS, milestone inspections | Tampa, Naples, Fort Myers, Miami, Orlando | Not stated |
| Team CompleteSIRS, milestone inspections | Pensacola and Miami | PE |
| KipconReserve studies, SIRS, transition studies | Kissimmee office | RS, PE |
| Global Solution PartnersReserve studies, SIRS, insurance appraisals | National, Florida page | RS, PE |
| Reserve AdvisorsReserve studies, SIRS, insurance appraisals | National (Milwaukee) | Not stated |
| Reserve Data AnalysisReserve studies, SIRS | National | Not stated |
| The Falcon GroupReserve studies, SIRS, transition studies | National (Warren, NJ) | RS, PRA |
"Not stated" means the website was silent on it, which is different from the firm lacking it. Confirm a license on the Florida DBPR lookup before signing.