The three kinds of study
| Type | When | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|
| Full study, site visit | First study, or when the component list needs rebuilding | $1,500 to $20,000 |
| Update, site visit | The three-year inspection required by Civil Code 5550 | Roughly 50 to 80 percent of a full study |
| Update, no site visit | The annual review in the years between | Often under $1,000 |
The level names follow the reserve study standards of the Community Associations Institute. A California board on a regular cycle will usually buy one site-visit update and two desk updates every three years.
What moves the price
- Number and kind of components. Elevators, garages, boilers, pools and long private streets each add time.
- Building height. High-rise roofs, facades and balconies are slower to inspect.
- Records. Good repair history and past studies shorten the job.
- Extras. The balcony inspection under Civil Code 5551 is priced separately, often by a different professional.
- Funding scenarios. Asking for more than one plan, such as full funding and threshold funding, can add to the fee.
Where these numbers come from
No state agency or trade body publishes reserve study fee ranges. The ranges are rounded from prices published online. Service definitions come from the CAI reserve study standards.