Key Takeaways

  • Oregon does require reserve studies, but the responsibility falls heavily on the board. Under ORS 94.595 and ORS 100.175, most Oregon Condo and HOA boards must maintain reserve studies and review them annually. Unlike states with stricter enforcement, Oregon gives boards flexibility, which means mistakes are easier to make and easier to overlook.
  • Skipping updates is the fastest path to special assessments. Most financial shocks do not come from surprise failures. They come from outdated assumptions about useful life, replacement cost, and deferred maintenance that quietly stack up over time.
  • Structural components deserve extra attention in Oregon’s climate. Moisture, freeze-thaw cycles, and wood construction mean foundations, balconies, roofing, and load-bearing elements tend to degrade faster here than in dry climates. A structural integrity reserve study is not optional if safety and property values matter.
  • Doing the minimum may be legal, but it is rarely smart. Oregon allows boards to self-perform reserve studies, but aging buildings, inflation, and complex deterioration patterns make DIY studies risky. Underfunded reserves are still the number one cause of major financial stress in associations.
  • The right reserve study software is what turns planning into action.A reserve study that lives in a PDF gets forgotten. Reserve study software like Solume turns static data into a working system by connecting reserve studies to budgets, maintenance decisions, and long-term financial planning, so the study actually protects the community instead of collecting dust.

If you serve on a Condo or HOA board in Oregon, this topic probably lands with a mix of curiosity and quiet stress. Reserve studies have a way of sitting in the background until something breaks, a big bill shows up, or a homeowner starts asking uncomfortable questions. Oregon law does require reserve studies, but there is nuance, and the real story is not just about compliance. It is about whether your association is actually prepared.

This is personal for us. The founder of Solume was born and raised in Eugene, Oregon. Many of our team still have close ties to Eugene, Portland, and communities throughout the southern Oregon coast. We know the buildings, the climate, and the love-hate relationship people here have with HOAs. That perspective matters because Oregon reserve study requirements are very real, but they are also often misunderstood.

What Are Oregon HOA Reserve Study Requirements?

At a high level, Oregon HOA reserve study requirements exist to make sure homeowners associations and Condo Associations are planning for major costs instead of reacting in an emergency to them. The law is less rigid than in states like Florida, but that flexibility puts more responsibility on board members to make good decisions. For example, Florida law requires certain reserve studies to be performed by outside licensed professionals for mid- and high-rise buildings. Oregon does not impose that same requirement, which means an Oregon board can legally conduct its own reserve study. That freedom can be helpful, but it also means the board owns the outcome.

An HOA Reserve Study is not just a document. It is a process that ties together maintenance planning, funding decisions, and long-term financial health.

Defining an HOA Reserve Study

A Traditional Reserve Study looks at the shared assets an association is responsible for and answers three basic questions. What do we own? When will it need repair or replacement? How much will that cost?

The purpose of a traditional reserve study is to identify major components with an estimated remaining useful life of more than one year and less than thirty years. These are the items that drive capital expenditures and special assessments if they are ignored.

A structural engineer, Reserve Specialist, or reserve study company typically helps identify these components, estimate the replacement cost, and build a reserve funding plan. Even though Oregon does not require a licensed engineer to conduct the study, many associations choose to work with professionals because of the complexity involved.

At its core, an HOA Reserve Study should be your community’s maintenance and financial planning tool. It connects your annual budget to long-term obligations, helping boards understand financial reserve contributions needed to maintain financial stability.

Reserve Study requirements for Oregon are governed primarily by ORS 94.595 for planned communities and ORS 100.175 for condominiums.

Under these Oregon state law statutes, most homeowner associations and Condo Associations must establish the community’s Association Reserves, complete an initial reserve study, and adopt a written maintenance plan. The reserve account must be funded and kept separate from operating funds (as they should be to prevent accidental overspending).

In addition to conducting a reserve study, boards are also required to review it annually and determine whether a reserve study update is needed. This review typically happens every year and should consider how much your community has in current balances, updated costs (don’t forget to factor in inflation), and any changes to common area components.

While Oregon law does not impose Milestone Inspections like Florida Statutes do under Chapter 718 and HB 913, the legal requirements still place responsibility squarely on the board of directors. Washington law is different again. Even though Oregon and Washington share similar weather and building conditions, Washington does not use milestone-style inspection triggers either. Instead, it relies on required reserve studies tied to significant assets under state law. The takeaway is simple. Climate may be similar across states, but reserve study laws are not. Boards cannot assume compliance just because neighboring states look alike on a map.

Why Reserve Studies Are Crucial for Oregon HOAs

Some boards treat reserve studies as a legal checkbox. That mindset usually ends badly. I’ve seen this firsthand, where a board had a reserve study conducted because they were legally required, but they chose to actively ignore it because it was “not practical.”

Protecting Property Values and Structural Integrity

Oregon’s climate is hard on buildings. Moisture, freeze-thaw cycles, and time all take a toll. Structural integrity does not fail overnight. It degrades slowly through wear and tear.

A structural integrity reserve study focuses attention on load-bearing walls, foundations, balconies, roofing systems, and other structural components that directly affect safety and property values. Roof replacement, siding failures, and drainage issues are not cosmetic problems. They are major repairs that can threaten both Real Estate value and resident safety.

Ignoring these issues in common elements often leads to deferred maintenance expense that compounds over time.

Financial Health and Avoiding Special Assessments

Special assessments are rarely a surprise to boards. They are a surprise to homeowners.

Maintaining adequate reserves helps protect financial health and prevents underfunded reserves from becoming emergencies. When boards consistently underfund reserve contributions, future repairs are paid for through sudden assessments that strain trust and finances.

Long-term planning matters. Future repairs should not be treated as unknowns when they can be forecast with reasonable accuracy.

Key Elements of an Oregon HOA Reserve Study

Inspections and Reserve Analysis

A reserve study typically begins with a site inspection or visual inspection of common area components. This is not the same as Milestone Inspections required in some states, but it serves a similar purpose.

During reserve analysis, components are evaluated for condition, estimated remaining useful life, and estimated cost of replacement. This information feeds into a reserve funding plan that projects needs across multiple fiscal years.

Capital expenditures like pavement resurfacing, building painting, and system replacements are planned rather than guessed.

Important Reserve Items and Common Elements

Regardless of the state, most reserve studies end up covering many of the same core elements. Roofs, pavement, utilities, and structural components show up almost everywhere. What changes is how quickly those elements decay and what risks rise to the top. In western Oregon, moisture and seasonal weather accelerate issues like wood rot, drainage failures, and exterior deterioration in a way you simply do not see in drier climates like Arizona (or Bend, for that matter). That difference matters when setting priorities and funding timelines. With that context in mind, common reserve items in Oregon include:

• Mold and wood rot

• Electrical systems and fire protection systems• Pavement resurfacing and parking areas• Building painting and exterior finishes• Plumbing, drainage, and waterproofing systems

These major components are often the largest drivers of reserve requirements and long-term costs.

Best Practices for HOA Reserve Planning in Oregon

Working with Professionals

While Oregon does not mandate a licensed engineer for reserve studies, many boards benefit from working with a professional reserve study company. Property managers can also play a role in maintaining financial stability by ensuring studies are reviewed and updated regularly.

Regular reserve study updates help boards respond to changing costs, inflation, and unexpected deterioration.

Engaging HOA Boards and Members

Reserve planning works best when board members understand the numbers and communicate clearly.

Key decisions often require a majority vote by the board of directors. Seeking legal advice can also help boards ensure legal compliance, especially when reserve funding decisions affect dues or assessments.

Ensuring Long-Term Success for HOAs in Oregon and Beyond

Well-run associations do not rely on a hope and a prayer. They rely on best practices, clear reserve planning, and realistic funding decisions.

Compared to states like Washington, Oregon offers flexibility but less enforcement. That makes discipline even more important. Boards that plan proactively maintain stronger financial stability and avoid the cycle of fewer reserves leading to bigger problems.

Solume does not conduct reserve studies directly. We partner with professional providers and provide the software that allows boards to manage their reserve data, track reserve analysis, and connect daily operations to long-term planning.

A well-run association does not need to be professionally managed to operate professionally. With foresight and the right tools, Oregon Condo Associations and homeowner associations can protect property values, support their communities, and avoid unnecessary financial stress.

The question is not whether Oregon HOA reserve study requirements apply to your community. The question is whether your board is using them as a roadmap or waiting for the next surprise.

How Solume Helps Oregon Boards Turn Reserve Studies Into Action

Most reserve studies end their life as a PDF. It gets reviewed, approved, maybe referenced during budget season, and then quietly filed away until the next big repair forces it back into the conversation. That is not just because the board doesn’t care; they have a tools problem.

Solume exists to help Condo and HOA boards stay legally compliant with Oregon Reserve Study laws without living in spreadsheets or hunting through static documents. Our Reserve Study software takes the output of a Traditional Reserve Study and turns it into something usable. Reserve items become trackable. Funding plans connect directly to the annual budget and fiscal year decisions. Boards can see how today’s choices affect long-term outcomes.

This matters because most financial disasters in HOAs are not caused by bad intentions. It’s neglect. They happen when deferred maintenance, underfunded reserves, and an “out of sight, out of mind” collide. Special assessments look sudden to homeowners because there was no system for oversight, tying maintenance, reserve contributions, and future repairs together in one place.

Solume is the only all-in-one condo and HOA management system that includes a Reserve Study software. By making your data accessible and understandable, boards have all the necessary information available to plan ahead, show homeowners the various funding scenarios, and avoid unnecessary surprises (i.e., special assessments). It also helps ensure legal compliance by keeping reserve study updates, maintenance plans, and funding decisions organized and easy to revisit.

Here is the question boards eventually face, whether they ask it now or later. Is it less costly to spend time understanding your reserve data today, or to explain to homeowners why a five or six-figure special assessment suddenly became unavoidable?

If you are curious whether Solume is the right fit for your community, the next step does not have to be a commitment. A simple demo is often enough to see whether managing reserve studies and maintenance in one system would make board service easier. For many Oregon communities, that clarity alone is worth the conversation.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Are reserve studies required for HOAs and Condos in Oregon?

Yes. Oregon law requires most HOAs and Condos to establish reserves and complete a reserve study under ORS 94.595 and ORS 100.175. Unlike Florida, Oregon does not spell out the process step by step, which leads some boards to assume they are compliant when they are not. The requirement exists, but the responsibility to interpret and apply it sits with the board.

2. How often does Oregon law say the reserve study must be updated?

Oregon expects an annual review of the reserve study. That review can be a full update or a documented assessment of existing assumptions. In practice, many associations skip the yearly review until a major repair forces the issue. That delay is where problems usually start.

3. Does Oregon require a licensed engineer to conduct the reserve study?

No. Oregon does not require a licensed engineer or contractor to prepare a reserve study. A board can legally complete the study itself. However, many older Oregon buildings, especially from the 1970s, face issues like water intrusion and wood rot. Those risks are easy to underestimate without professional input.

4. What elements must be included in an Oregon reserve study?

Any shared component expected to need repair or replacement within thirty years must be included. This typically means roofs, siding, asphalt, plumbing, drainage, and structural elements. If it affects safety, function, or carries a major cost, it belongs in the reserve study.

5. How much should Oregon HOAs be setting aside each year?

Most associations should be reserving between fifteen and forty percent of their annual budget. Many Oregon HOAs fall below that range due to outdated studies or no updates at all. Underfunded reserves are the most common reason boards end up approving special assessments later.

6. What happens if an Oregon HOA or Condo skips doing its reserve study?

The risk builds quietly. Associations face increased legal exposure, lender concerns, and buyer hesitation. Deferred maintenance eventually turns into emergency repairs and large special assessments. The cost of skipping a reserve study is almost always higher than doing one.

7. How do Oregon’s reserve study rules compare to Washington's and California's?

Oregon sits between Washington and California. Washington requires reserve studies tied to significant assets. California mandates full reserve studies every three years with interim visual inspections. Oregon’s law is less prescriptive, which gives boards flexibility but also increases financial risk if they only aim for the minimum.

8. What does an Oregon reserve study cost?

Most professional reserve studies in Oregon cost between $2,500 and $7,500. Price varies based on size and complexity. Low-cost spreadsheet studies often miss critical assumptions and create false confidence. One unexpected roof replacement usually costs far more than the study itself.

9. Can a volunteer board member complete the reserve study themselves?

Yes, legally. But it is risky in practice. Volunteer studies often overlook inflation, underestimate deterioration, or rely on outdated pricing. The result is a study that looks fine on paper but fails when real costs show up.

10. What software tools help Oregon HOAs manage ongoing reserve planning?

Most reserve studies fail because they live as static PDFs. Boards lose visibility over time and only react when something breaks. Modern tools like Solume turn reserve studies into living data. Maintenance, funding, and long-term planning stay connected so decisions are made before emergencies happen.