Key takeaways
The right reserve study provider depends on what your board needs after the study is delivered. SmartProperty does both halves: a credentialed specialist performs an on-site reserve study, and the Living Reserve Study® software keeps it from going out of date between studies. Firms such as Association Reserves and Reserve Advisors deliver report-based studies, and tools such as HomeRun IQ serve the engineering firms that prepare studies, not boards.
- SmartProperty pairs an on-site reserve study by a credentialed specialist with software that updates the funding plan as projects close and balances change.
- Reserve study providers fall into three groups: report-based firms, firms that pair a study with ongoing software, and software built for study producers or management companies.
- SmartProperty publishes its pricing: the Living Reserve Study platform starts at $150 per month billed annually, and a Financial Update Reserve Study starts at $800 per year.
- Compare proposals on scope (site visit or not), credentials (RS, PRA or licensed engineer), state-law compliance and what happens between studies.
Written for: HOA & condo board members, Community association managers, Management company executives
SmartProperty publishes this guide, and SmartProperty is on the list. We have described every provider, including ourselves, using only what each company states publicly, and we say who each one fits best. Facts were checked on November 5, 2026.
Searching for a reserve study provider turns up two kinds of results: firms that prepare reserve studies, and software that promises to make reserve planning easier. They are not the same thing, and most boards need to know which one they are buying before comparing prices.
How we grouped the options
- Report-based reserve study firms. A credentialed specialist inspects the property and delivers a study, usually as a report. Updates happen every one to five years.
- Study plus software. A credentialed specialist still prepares the study, but the result lives in software the board and manager use between studies.
- Software for study producers or managers. Tools used by engineering firms or management companies to produce or track studies. Boards rarely buy these directly.
At a glance
| Provider | Type | Best for | Published pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| SmartProperty | On-site study plus software that keeps it current | Boards and managers who want a professional study that never goes out of date | Yes: platform from $150/month billed annually; financial update from $800/year |
| Association Reserves | Report-based firm (with the uPlanIt scenario tool) | Associations that want the largest national firm | DIY kit $499; other studies by proposal |
| Reserve Advisors | Report-based engineering firm | Engineering-led studies, Florida SIRS, insurance appraisals | No |
| Reserve Study Group | Study plus online planning platform | Associations in its 14 service states | No |
| Reserve Data Analyst | Report-based firm with in-house software | Boards that want free calculators and a sample study before buying | No |
| HomeRun IQ | Software for study producers | Engineering and reserve firms | No |
| AccuReserve | Software and subscription service | Management companies | No |
| Vantaca | Management software | Management companies (reserve planning through partners) | No |
The providers
SmartProperty
What it is: A San Diego reserve study company, founded in 2016, that does both halves of reserve planning. First, a credentialed reserve specialist performs an on-site reserve study to Community Associations Institute (CAI) standards: component inventory, condition, useful lives, replacement costs and a 30-year funding plan. Then, instead of a PDF that goes stale, the study is delivered as the Living Reserve Study®, software that keeps it from ever going out of date. Completed projects, new bids and reserve balances (synced from the general ledger with the accounting integration) update the funding plan all year. Its Atlas™ engine benchmarks each estimate against more than 20,000 reserve studies.
Best for: Boards that want a professional on-site study and numbers they can trust at every budget meeting between studies; management companies that want one current view across many associations; and Florida, Hawaii, California and Nevada associations that need state-specific compliance.
Worth knowing: Pricing is published. It integrates with management platforms including CINC Systems and Vantaca, and Vantaca lists the Living Reserve Study as an integration partner. See how a Living Reserve Study compares with a traditional one.
Association Reserves
What it is: A national reserve study firm founded in 1986 by Robert Nordlund, PE, RS. The company says it has completed more than 100,000 studies, with 13 regional offices and six in California. It offers full studies, updates with and without a site visit, a three-year update plan, consulting and expert witness work.
Best for: Associations that want a long-established national firm and a traditional report, and self-managed boards willing to collect their own measurements for a lower price.
Worth knowing: Its $499 do-it-yourself kit has no site visit; the association supplies the measurements. Its uPlanIt tool lets boards test funding scenarios online and comes with a professional study engagement.
Reserve Advisors
What it is: A Milwaukee-based engineering firm that does reserve studies nationwide, along with Structural Integrity Reserve Studies (SIRS), insurance appraisals, preventive maintenance reports and energy services. The company says it has completed more than 37,000 studies with more than 60 engineers. It operates as Browning Reserve Group in California and Nevada.
Best for: Associations that want an engineer-led study, especially Florida condominiums that need a SIRS.
Worth knowing: Studies are quoted by proposal. Its site does not describe an ongoing software platform.
Reserve Study Group
What it is: A reserve study firm serving 14 states (Virginia, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maryland, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Colorado, Utah, Washington, Oregon and California). It prepares studies for HOAs, condominiums, management companies and commercial properties.
Best for: Associations in its service states that want a study with an online planning platform included.
Worth knowing: Pricing is by proposal.
Reserve Data Analyst
What it is: A reserve study firm with its own in-house study software. It works with condos, HOAs, co-ops, high-rises, clubs, marinas and commercial buildings, and its analysts hold or are working toward CAI's Reserve Specialist (RS) designation.
Best for: Boards that want to self-educate first. It offers free online calculators, a sample study and a guidebook.
Worth knowing: Fees are quoted by proposal.
HomeRun IQ
What it is: Software for the engineering and reserve firms that produce reserve studies, property condition assessments and Florida SIRS. It says it produces reports up to five times faster, with an offline field app and lender templates.
Best for: Firms that prepare studies. Boards usually experience it through the firm they hire, not as a direct purchase.
AccuReserve
What it is: A software platform sold as "Reserve Study as a Service" to association management companies. It emphasizes continuously updated studies, alerts for expiring studies, and ancillary revenue from capital projects for the management company.
Best for: Management companies looking to add reserve planning as a service line.
Worth knowing: Pricing is not published; it offers demos rather than a free trial.
Vantaca
What it is: Community association management software used by management companies. It has reserve project tracking and a reserves roll-forward in its financial reporting, and handles reserve planning through integration partners rather than producing reserve studies.
Best for: Management companies that already run on Vantaca and want reserve data inside it.
How to compare reserve study proposals
- Scope. Is it a full study, an update with a site visit, or an update without one? Prices only compare within the same level. (Reserve study levels explained.)
- Credentials. Who signs the study: a Reserve Specialist (RS), a Professional Reserve Analyst (PRA), or a licensed engineer? Some states, and Florida SIRS, require specific credentials. (Who is qualified to prepare a reserve study?)
- State law. Does the provider know your state's study cycle, disclosure and funding rules? (Is a reserve study legally required?)
- What happens between studies. Will you get a PDF to file, or a plan you can update as projects close and balances change? (Living vs. traditional reserve studies)
- Who can see it. Can every board member and the manager access the current plan, or only whoever has the report?
- Total cost over the cycle. Compare the full study plus every update until the next full study, not just the first invoice. (Reserve study cost and timeline)
The bottom line
If your board needs a professional study for a statutory deadline and will file it until the next one, a report-based firm will serve you well, and the national firms above have long track records. If you want a professional on-site study that stays current and drives every budget between studies, choose a provider that does both, which is what SmartProperty is built for. If you are a management company or a study producer, the software-only tools are built for you, not your boards.
