New Jersey Structural Inspections

Piscataway, NJ

Stone Building Solutions is your one-stop shop for all Engineering, Reserves, and Insurance Recovery needs, providing high-quality structural and fiscal solutions in Piscataway, NJ.

We specialize in all aspects of commercial and condominium buildings, ranging from design and construction to maintenance, evaluation, and everything in between.

371 Hoes Lane Suite 200 Piscataway, NJ 08854

Frequently Asked Questions

Under the Updated New Jersey Reserve Requirements 2025 (S-3992), the old approach of “we’ll just pay with a special assessment later” is no longer allowed. Current NJ reserve law updated Aug 21, 2025 states:

New communities must immediately fund reserves at the law’s definition of “adequate funding,” which is the baseline method — a 30-year plan that never lets reserves fall below zero.
Existing communities have up to five years to reach that baseline standard. During this transition, they may choose the temporary 85% option, but the timing and amount of any shortfalls over the 30 years must be disclosed.
After five years, every condo and HOA must be fully compliant with adequate funding — no exceptions.

No. Starting January 1, 2025, SIRS reserves cannot be waived or reduced by membership vote. Every association must fund reserves at least to the baseline level.

Traditional reserve components may be waived with a membership vote.

Under the Florida SIRS law, funding begins with the first annual budget adopted in 2025.

For most communities on a calendar year:

Your 2025 budget meeting (held in fall 2025) is when the 2026 budget is voted on.
That 2026 budget must be the first budget that includes full SIRS reserve funding.

So while the law doesn’t say “start in 2026,” the effect is the same for most associations: the budget you adopt in 2025, for the 2026 fiscal year, must include SIRS funding.

📌 Bottom line: If your board meets in 2025 to adopt the 2026 budget, that’s when you must begin funding SIRS reserves.

At Stone Building Solutions, we help associations prepare reserve studies ahead of time so that by your 2025 budget meeting, you’ll have compliant funding plans ready to adopt.

Yes. The 2023 and 2024 updates clarified that “fully funded” now means baseline funding. In simple terms, your reserves must be funded so that when major repairs or replacements come due, the money is in the account — even if the balance dips low, it can’t go negative.

Stone helps associations understand the difference between baseline funding (minimum legal standard) and threshold funding (more conservative, stronger for resale and bank reviews).

Under the Updated Florida SIRS law, associations must contribute enough so that the reserve account never projects below $0 during the 30-year funding plan. This is called baseline funding, and it’s now the legal definition of being “fully funded.”

At Stone Building Solutions, we provide both baseline funding plans (minimum compliance) and threshold funding plans (a safer model that keeps a higher cushion). Your board can choose the option that best fits your community’s needs.

Baseline funding: Keeps the reserve balance at or above $0. This meets the legal requirement.
Threshold funding: Keeps a higher reserve balance as a safety cushion, reducing risk of special assessments.

Owner Notice: Within 45 days of receiving the final SIRS, a notice must be send to the unit owners that the SIRS is part of the official records.

The owners can then access as they would all official records website or by request. You are not required to mail or email the full report to all the owners.

Division Notice: By October 1, 2025, all condominiums and Co-OPs are required to create an online account with the Division of Condominiums. From this online account, you are able to inform the division your association as completed the study.

DPBR SIRS Upload/Login Link: https://www.myfloridalicense.com/datamart/mainMenuFLDBPR.do;jsessionid=nSFl384sdUu5F1EwuL7Lc4ZMzsHkGsBX96YDYK31.DBPR-WPAP100:VO-server-02

When do we have to start funding SIRS?

All condominium and cooperative buildings that are 3 or more stories (measured from the lowest habitable floor) must have a SIRS performed every 10 years.

Older condos/co-ops (CO before July 1, 2022): Must have a SIRS by 12/31/25.

Newer condos/co-ops (CO after July 1, 2022): First SIRS due 10 years after CO..

Key Revisions in 2023–2024

SB 154 (2023) clarified that the 10-year clock starts from the date of the CO, not from July 1, 2022.

HB 1021 (2024) kept the December 31, 2025 hard deadline in place for existing older buildings but added detail to the inspection/notice process.

The term “habitable floor” comes directly from Florida Statute §718.112(2)(g)
A habitable floor is any occupied floor that is above grade (not underground or parking level).
That includes residential units, lobbies, amenity floors, offices, clubhouses, fitness centers, or any other enclosed space designed for people to live in or use daily.
It does not include: open parking garages, mechanical floors, crawlspaces, or roof decks that aren’t designed for occupancy

Condominiums and HOAs that received a qualified study (done by an engineer or RS) and are funding reserves at the baseline level (without relying on the old glide path), and that do not wish to explore lowering monthly assessments, can move forward with their 2026 budget using a study completed within the past 18 months, provided it was compliant with S-2760.

However, if the board wants to evaluate whether the new 85% funding option could provide short-term budget relief and lower monthly dues, a revised study may be beneficial.

Yes. Even if your association already completed a reserve study, you must follow the new law. Your 2026 budget must meet the legal standards of S-3992, the Updated New Jersey Reserve Requirements 2025, which took effect on August 21, 2025.

The law now defines “adequacy” as baseline funding—a 30-year plan that never allows the reserve balance to fall below zero. All reserve studies going forward must include a baseline funding option in order to be compliant with the NJ Association reserve requirement 2025.

The updated law also completely eliminated the old glide path system. Instead, it introduced a temporary 85% funding option, which may help some communities manage costs and keep annual assessments lower while planning for special assessments or loans within five years.

The Updated New Jersey Reserve Requirements 2025 (S-3992) took effect immediately upon being signed into law on August 21, 2025. This means all New Jersey condominium associations and HOAs must now comply with the new NJ association reserve requirement 2025, including the shift to baseline funding and the option for temporary 85% funding with mandatory disclosures.

It’s important to note that the original reserve study law in New Jersey, P.L. 2023, c.214 (S-2760/A-4384), became effective on January 8, 2024. The 2025 update (S-3992) amends and replaces portions of that law, establishing the new compliance standards associations must follow today.