Massachusetts Reserve Study
The law asks every Massachusetts condominium for an adequate reserve but sets no figure. We name one firm that can price your study.
Adequate
The only reserve standard in M.G.L. c. 183A, § 10(i). No study is required.
10%
Of the budget set aside for reserves: the floor Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac check.
$1,500 to $8,000
A typical full study up to 150 units. A guide, not a quote.
Why boards order one when no law makes them
Chapter 183A says adequate and stops there. A study turns that word into a yearly figure trustees can defend when a roof fails.
It protects owners too. Special assessments fall outside the six-month lien priority, so reserves saved through the budget collect far better.
What Chapter 183A asks of reservesWhat a buyer's lender checks
Three loan programs and four tests, with the changes that start on August 3, 2026.
| What the lender checks | Fannie Mae | Freddie Mac | FHA |
|---|---|---|---|
| At least 10% of the budget goes to reserves | Yes: 10% of assessment income | Yes: Special assessments do not count | Yes: Confirm with the lender |
| A reserve study can replace the 10% test | Yes: If reserves are funded to it | Yes: Under Guide 5701.5 or 5701.6 | Ask the lender: May ask for one under 24 months old |
| Baseline funding accepted from Aug 3, 2026 | No: Highest recommendation used | No: Highest recommendation funded | Ask the lender: Not addressed |
| A light review still open after Aug 3, 2026 | No: Limited Review retired | No: Streamlined Review ends | Ask the lender: Own project approval |
Yes No Ask the lender
From Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac FAQs (2026) and HUD guidance. The full lender page.
What a study costs, set against a roof
Fee ranges and the worked example are in the full cost guide.
With a study and a reserve
$221 in study fees
$125 a month into the reserve
$9,221 in all
No plan, then a special assessment
$9,000 billed at once when the roofs go
Illustrative figures, not a quote.
Get a quote
Start with the condominium's ZIP code. Then your contact details, then some quick taps about the trust and its buildings.
This site arranges quotes; it does not prepare reserve studies. For each request we pick a single firm working near the condominium, give you its name, and forward your details only after you confirm. That firm, not you, pays us for the introduction.
Received. Here is what happens next.
- We look up which reserve study firms take work in your ZIP code and choose one. You get its name from us within one business day.
- Reply to confirm and we send that firm your request. Decline, or say nothing, and your request stays with us.
- The firm then talks to you about the buildings, the documents it needs and its fee. Your contact details are not added to any mailing list.