Washington HOA reserve study requirements

A plain-language summary of RCW 64.90.545. Last checked October 2026.

Who it applies to: Associations under the Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act. Exemptions include nonresidential communities, those with only nominal reserve costs, and those where the study would cost more than 10 percent of the annual budget. Older communities may fall under earlier Washington statutes, so confirm which applies to yours.
How often: Updated every year. At least every third year the update must be prepared by a reserve study professional and based on a visual site inspection.
Who can prepare it: A reserve study professional for the initial study and for every third-year update. The statute does not restrict who prepares the updates in the years between.
What it must contain: Set out in a companion section of the same act.

Can a board do its own reserve study in Washington?

Board may prepare part of it

The initial study and every third-year update need a reserve study professional and a site inspection. The workbook suits the yearly updates in between.

Your governing documents may set stricter rules than the statute. Check them too.

The workbook

Reserve Study Kit is an Excel workbook that builds a 30-year reserve funding plan from your component list: every year's balance, percent funded, and the contribution that keeps you above your minimum.

See how it works

Source

RCW 64.90.545. Read the statute itself before relying on this summary.