Pennsylvania guide
Pennsylvania condo reserve study requirements
Pennsylvania does not require reserve studies or specific reserve funding under either the Condominium Act or the Uniform Planned Community Act. The statutes require associations to adopt budgets including reserves, and the Section 3407/5407 resale certificate must disclose existing reserves.
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But there is no mandate for a professional study, no funding-percentage requirement, and no update cadence. Practical reserve adequacy becomes the diligence question.
What Title 68 requires
Section 3302(a)(2) empowers associations to adopt budgets for revenues, expenditures, and reserves. The certificate must disclose reserve amounts and allocations. Beyond that, reserve discipline is voluntary.
Practical adequacy test
Compare projected reserves (current balance plus future contributions) against realistic 10-year capital obligations. For Philadelphia high-rises with PM-315 obligations, capital trajectory should reflect inspection-driven work. For older Pittsburgh buildings, similar logic applies under the 5-year exterior inspection regime.
PM-315 and 5-year inspection as reserve drivers
For Philadelphia covered buildings, PM-315 inspection identifies specific exterior work. Reserves should reflect that work's anticipated cost. For Pittsburgh non-R-3 buildings, similar inspection-driven reserve obligations apply. Reserve studies (where they exist) should incorporate inspection findings.
Voluntary studies as governance signal
Even without a mandate, a current professional reserve study signals board discipline. The absence of any study for an older covered building is a meaningful finding.
Pennsylvania legal references
Informational only. Not legal advice. Always confirm against current statute and counsel.
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Find a Pennsylvania specialist →Reviewer's checklist
- Request any voluntary reserve study and current reserve balance
- Compare reserve adequacy to realistic 10-year capital exposure
- For Philadelphia: include PM-315 inspection findings in capital trajectory
- For Pittsburgh: include 5-year inspection findings
- Read 24 months of minutes for capital-planning discussions
- Identify recent special-assessment activity
- Verify any voluntary reserve policy adopted by the board
- For HOAs: confirm budget includes reserve allocation
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Insurance risk
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
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We can introduce your board to vetted reserve fund engineers, HOA lawyers, property managers, building envelope consultants, and restoration contractors — free intros, no obligation.
- Reserve fund engineer
- Property manager
- Building envelope consultant
- Restoration contractor
Risk Intelligence
Get a Free Structured Read on Your Association's Documents
Reserve studies, audit findings, attorney memos, milestone inspections — CondoSignal produces a free, structured review with page citations your board can act on. No cost to the association.