Colorado Reserve StudiesGet a quote

Colorado reserve study cost

Most Colorado associations pay somewhere between $1,500 and $20,000 for a full study, and much less for an update. Where yours lands depends on what the study has to count.

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Full study fees by community size

The fee follows the component list, not the number of owners: a 40-home community with a pool, a clubhouse and private roads can cost more than 120 townhomes with shared roofs and a parking lot. Mountain jobs may carry travel time.

Typical ranges from published fee guides. A guide, not a quote.

Under 50 homesFew amenities: a pool, a fence line, some paving.
$1,500 to $5,000
50 to 150 homesClubhouse, private roads, several roof types.
$2,000 to $8,000
150 to 300 homesLarger component lists, more buildings to walk.
$5,000 to $20,000
Over 300 homesPriced on scope; no published range tops out.
From $10,000
Mid- or high-rise condominiumMid- and high-rise condominium buildings with mechanical systems, elevators and facades.
$7,000 to $15,000+

Fees by study level

The Community Associations Institute's reserve study standards define three levels. The level, more than the firm, sets the fee.

  • Full study with a site visit

    The ranges above

    CAI Level I: a component inventory, condition check, life estimates and a funding plan, built from nothing.

  • Update with a site visit

    About 50 to 80 percent of a full study

    CAI Level II: the inventory is kept, the preparer walks the site again and reruns the numbers.

  • Update without a site visit

    Often under $1,000

    CAI Level III: the numbers are refreshed from the last study and the board's notes.

Typical ranges from published fee guides. A guide, not a quote.

What moves a Colorado fee

  • The component list. Each pool, clubhouse, elevator, boiler, retaining wall and private road adds inspection and modeling time.
  • Buildings and roof types. A condominium with several roof systems, balconies and a parking structure takes longer to walk than a single-family HOA with a fence and an entry sign.
  • Recent hail. If roofs were replaced after a storm, the preparer has to reset their ages and may need the insurance scope and the contractor invoices.
  • Travel. Communities in Summit, Eagle, Pitkin or Routt counties sit hours from most Front Range offices.
  • Scenarios. Full, threshold and baseline funding plans side by side cost more to prepare than one plan.

Keeping the cost down

Send the firm the last study, the current budget, the reserve balance, a list of work done since and any recent bids. A firm that does not have to rebuild your component history from scratch can quote an update rather than a full study. Some boards also alternate: a site visit every other cycle and a desk update in between, which the policy sentence on our homepage can put into words.

Sources

Questions on this topic

Is the reserve study fee a reserve expense or an operating expense?

Associations treat it either way; many pay it from the operating budget because it is a recurring professional fee. Your accountant or management company will know how your budget handles it.

Why do two firms quote such different fees?

They are often quoting different things: one a full study with a site visit, the other an update from your last report. Ask each firm which CAI level it is quoting, how many site hours it expects and whether a funding plan with several scenarios is included.

Does a mountain location raise the fee?

It can. Travel time to a resort community and a short snow-free season for the site visit are both things firms price in. Booking the visit for late spring or summer gives the preparer clear roofs and paving to look at.

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Three short steps: the ZIP code of the community, how to reach you, then a few taps about the association.

Colorado Reserve Studies introduces; it does not prepare studies. One firm active near your community gets picked, you learn its name, and the request travels only after your yes.

Step 1 of 3

Which part of Colorado?
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