Stage 1
Reserve Study and Reserve Study Plus
The money plan, prepared to CAI's National Reserve Study Standards and presented to the board. Plus adds the work plan from the same walk.
A reserve study is the money plan: the list of everything the association owns in common, how long each item has left, and a 30 year plan to fund the replacements. TruPoint prepares it to CAI's National Reserve Study Standards, presents it to the board, and hands the treasurer a study that works for the budget and the annual report.
$2,500 for a community under 50 units. $3,500 for 50 to 150. $5,000 over 150. Complex buildings quoted from $8,000.
Minnesota law has associations recheck the adequacy of their reserves at least every third year. Minn. Stat. 515B.3-1141.
What the board gets
- The component inventory, built from a site walk of every building.
- The remaining life and the replacement cost of each component, at current Twin Cities prices.
- The 30 year funding plan, with the reserve contribution the association needs each year.
- A presentation to the board, and the study in a form the treasurer uses for the budget and the annual report.
- Where an item is structural, or beyond what a walk can diagnose, an engineer brought in, and the study says so.
How it works
Send what you have
The current study, if there is one, the budget, and the component list the manager keeps.
We walk the property
Every building, roof to grade. The inventory gets built from the walk.
The plan comes to the board
Current Twin Cities costs, the funding plan, and a presentation at a board meeting, on site or virtual.
The price, by community size
| Product | Under 50 units | 50 to 150 | Over 150 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reserve StudyComplex buildings (elevators, pools, parking structures, high rise) quoted from $8,000 | $2,500 | $3,500 | $5,000 |
| Reserve Study PlusThe study and the Action Plan from one site walk, worked to get the most life out of every component. About 15 percent off buying both. | $3,750 | $5,250 | $7,500 |
| Reserve Study UpdateA new walk, new costs, and a refreshed plan, on an existing study, ours or anyone's | $1,500 | $2,000 | $3,000 |
The fee is set in writing before the work starts. The study can be paid from the reserves it plans, and the treasurer takes it straight to the budget.
What a reserve study costs in Minnesota
Published figures from sources other than TruPoint. Marketplace figures are estimates, not quotes. Every source is on the pricing page. Updated September 2026.
| Figure | Range | Tag |
|---|---|---|
| A full reserve study, Minnesota | $2,500 to $8,000 | National marketplace estimate. Higher end for pools, elevators, parking structures. |
| By community size | $1,500 to $4,000 small $2,000 to $7,500 mid approaching $10,000 large | National marketplace estimate |
| A desktop update between full studies | 25 to 50 percent of a full study | National. Often under $1,000 for small communities. |
| What Minnesota law asks of reserves | Every third year | Reserves budgeted, held separately, adequacy rechecked at least every third year. For reference: Minn. Stat. 515B.3-1141. |
| TruPoint | $2,500 to $5,000 | By community size. Prepared to CAI's National Reserve Study Standards. |
TruPoint is a member of the Community Associations Institute, and Matt Hardinger serves on its board. Every reserve study is prepared to CAI's National Reserve Study Standards.
Questions boards ask
Does Minnesota require a reserve study?
Minnesota law requires associations to budget for reserves, hold them separately, and recheck their adequacy at least every third year. A study is how a board shows the recheck was done, and how the treasurer takes it to the budget. The statute for reference: Minn. Stat. 515B.3-1141.
Does an engineer have to sign it?
TruPoint prepares the study to CAI's National Reserve Study Standards. Where a component is structural, or beyond what a site walk can diagnose, we bring in an engineer and the study says so. The statute for reference: Minn. Stat. 515B.3-1141.
How often should we update it?
A full study on the three year cycle the law sets, with an update between when costs move. The update works on any existing study, ours or anyone's.
What is the difference between a reserve study and an Action Plan?
The reserve study is the money plan. The Action Plan is the work plan: every component's condition, when it is due, and repair or replace options with cost ranges. Reserve Study Plus builds both from one site walk.
Is the Initial Community Review really free?
Yes. Send the current study, the community basics, and the hot button items, and we present what fits at your board meeting and put it in writing.
Put us on your next agenda for fifteen minutes.
Send the reserve study and the hot button items, the two or three things keeping the board up at night. We read them before the meeting, present what fits in the room, and follow up in writing based on the board's needs and real actionable solutions. The review is free.