Typical fees
The table gives typical ranges, rounded; no trade body or state agency publishes fee figures. Treat them as a guide, not a quote. The worked example below shows what a six-year cycle can cost a mid-sized complex.
| Study | Typical fee |
|---|---|
| Full study, under 50 unitsSite visit, full component list, 30-year plan | $1,500 to $5,000 |
| Full study, 50 to 150 unitsMore buildings, more components to measure | $2,000 to $8,000 |
| Full study, 150 to 300 unitsLarge or amenity-heavy communities | $5,000 to $20,000 |
| Mid-rise or high-rise buildingElevators, facades, garages, mechanical plant | $7,000 to $15,000+ |
| Update with a site visitRe-inspection and a refreshed plan | Roughly 50 to 80 percent of the full-study fee |
| Update without a site visitDesk review of costs, balances and timing | Often under $1,000 |
Typical ranges, rounded. No trade body or state agency publishes fee figures, so treat these as a guide, not a quote.
| Year 1 | Full study with a site visit | $3,800 |
|---|---|---|
| Year 2 | Update without a site visit | $800 |
| Year 3 | Update without a site visit | $800 |
| Year 4 | Update with a site visit | $2,300 |
| Year 5 | Update without a site visit | $800 |
| Year 6 | Update without a site visit | $800 |
| Six years | Total study spend | $9,300 |
That is about $1,550 a year, or roughly $37 per unit per year: around three dollars a month on each owner's common charges. Illustrative figures, not a quote.
What moves the price
- Components, not units. A 200-unit townhouse community with one road can be simpler than a 40-unit mid-rise with an elevator, a garage and a rubber roof.
- Height and access. Facades, balconies and roofs that need a lift or rope access take longer to inspect.
- Records. An association that can hand over past repair invoices, plans and the last study saves the firm time.
- Travel. A Cape Cod or Berkshire job may carry travel time for a firm based near Boston. Ask for it as its own line.
- Extras. An insurance replacement cost appraisal, a transition study at developer turnover or a structural assessment are separate pieces of work, usually priced separately.
Full study or update
The Community Associations Institute's reserve study standards describe a full study, with a site inspection and a complete component inventory, then updates with or without a site visit. A first study is always the full kind. After that, many boards alternate: a site visit every few years and a desk update of costs and balances in the years between. That is the pattern the worked example uses.
Getting comparable quotes
Ask each firm the same things: the level of service, whether someone walks every building, who signs the report and what credentials they hold, how many years the funding plan covers, how many draft revisions are included and when the report will be ready. A cheaper quote that skips the site visit is a different product, not a bargain.
Our quote service names one firm that works in your area. You can of course compare it with others from our list of firms.