Tool
Special assessment risk calculator
Get a directional estimate of per-unit special assessment exposure based on your association's reserves, projected capital need, funding percentage, and the age of the last reserve study.
Already know your answer? Skip the tool and go straight to the full document review or talk to a specialist.
Estimate
Enter your association's details to estimate per-unit risk.
Adjust the inputs on the left or click Recalculate to see the per-unit estimate, the severity grade, and recommended next steps.
- • Units in the association
- • Projected capital improvement need (5 years)
- • Current reserves on hand
- • Funding percentage from the reserve study
- • Age of the last reserve study
How this estimate is calculated
The estimate divides the shortfall between projected capital need and current reserves by the number of units. Severity is graded by the funding percentage reported in the most recent reserve study, with an upward adjustment when that study is more than five years old. The result is a rough range, not a forecast.
Where the inputs come from
Current reserves is the reserve-fund balance on the most recent audited financial statement or the operating budget. Some associations report this monthly; some only annually.
Projected capital need comes from the reserve study's component list and the engineer's replacement-cost schedule for the next 5–10 years. If the study only forecasts 30 years and you want a 5-year window, use the engineer's recommended annual contribution × 5 as a proxy.
Funding percentage is the reserve-study's "percent funded" calculation — current balance divided by fully-funded balance. Anything under 70% is generally considered weak; under 30% is critical. The famous 6.9% Champlain Towers number was extreme.
What the calculator can't see
A real special assessment depends on board decisions, financing options (bank loan vs. lump sum vs. multi-year levy), bid outcomes, the legal vote threshold for assessments under your governing documents, and statutory requirements that vary by state. Florida's SIRS regime can force assessments that boards would otherwise defer. Texas associations have more discretion. Arizona associations have the most.
What the documents actually disclose is the leading indicator: a board that has discussed a project in minutes for 18 months but not voted is signaling either funding gymnastics or political stalemate. Either way, you want to read those minutes. See cross-referencing budgets with minutes for the workflow, and the reserve study review guide for how to read a study against the funding it implies.
When to act on the output
Treat the estimate as the conversation-starter with the seller, the seller's agent, or the property manager. If the directional range is materially above your comfort threshold, ask for the most recent reserve study and the past 24 months of board meeting minutes. Then read them — or upload them to CondoSignal for a page-by-page review.
Want this run against your actual documents?
Upload your reserve study, budget, and meeting minutes — we'll produce a page-by-page review of where the real risk is.