No state agency or trade body publishes reserve study fees, in Hawaii or anywhere else. The ranges below are typical US ranges: a guide, not a quote. They are national, not Hawaii-specific, and we explain where Hawaii jobs tend to land within them.
Fees by type of study
CAI's Reserve Study Standards describe three levels of service. The level, more than anything else, sets the fee.
| Study | CAI level | Typical fee | When boards use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full study with a site visit | Level I | $1,500 to $20,000+ | First study, a new board taking over from the developer, or after major work changed the building. |
| Update with a site visit | Level II | a little over half, up to most, of the full-study fee | Every few years, so the preparer sees the roof, decks, elevators and concrete again. |
| Update without a site visit | Level III | often under $1,000 | The years in between, to roll costs and balances forward for the next budget. |
The usual rhythm is a full study, then updates. Because HRS 514B-148 asks for a study behind every budget, most associations order a desk update each year and a site visit every three years or so. If your board prepares the study in-house, the statute's three-year independent review is a separate, smaller job; ask for it by name.
Fees by size of association
| Association | Typical fee |
|---|---|
| Walk-up of up to 60 apartments | $1,500 to $5,500 |
| Low-rise, 60 to 200 apartments | $2,500 to $9,000 |
| Large complex, over 200 apartments | $6,000 to $20,000 |
| Residential high-rise (elevators, spalling scope) | $7,000 to $15,000+ |
Associations over 300 units are priced individually; published guides start their top band at about $10,000 with no upper figure.
What pushes a Hawaii fee up
Getting there
Most providers serving Hawaii are based on Oahu or the mainland. For a Maui, Kauai or Hawaii Island property, ask whether the fee includes airfare, a car and a night's stay, or bills them on top. Grouping a site visit with other jobs on the same island is the provider's problem to solve, but it is fair to ask whether they can.
Height and machinery
A walk-up of 24 units has a roof, paint, paving and not much else. A 30-story Waikiki tower adds elevators, fire pumps, a fire alarm system, emergency generators, a parking structure and a facade that needs a lift or drone to see. Each system is another line to inspect and price, which is why high-rise studies start where small ones end.
Concrete and salt air
Spalling and rusting rebar are the costliest surprises in Hawaii buildings. A reserve study is a visual review: it can flag spalling and set aside money for a repair cycle, but it does not test the concrete. If the board needs to know how much repair is coming, budget separately for an engineer's condition assessment, and ask the reserve provider to use its findings.
Insurance appraisals
Some providers also prepare insurance replacement-cost appraisals. With condo insurance as tight as it has been in Hawaii, boards often order both at once. It is a separate product with its own fee, so ask for it as a separate line.
Comparing two proposals
Put the proposals side by side and check:
- Level. Is it a full study, an update with a visit, or a desk update? Quotes for different levels are not comparable.
- Who signs it. The name and credential of the preparer, which the budget summary will need anyway.
- Funding methods. Whether the report shows both percent funding and a cash flow plan, so the board can choose.
- Component list. Every component over $10,000 on its own line, with a remaining life and a replacement cost.
- Travel. Whether inter-island travel is included.
- Timing. When the draft arrives, and whether a board meeting to walk through it is included.
The cheapest proposal is often a desk update priced against someone else's full study. That can be the right choice in an off year. It is the wrong choice for a building that has not had a site visit in five years.
Paying for it
Boards usually pay for the study out of the yearly operating budget, not the reserve account, so put it in the budget for the year you plan to order it. A provider will usually ask for a deposit on signing and the balance on delivery of the final report. Spread over the units, even a high-rise study is a small line next to the reserve contribution it sets.
Where these figures come from
- CAI, Reserve Studies and Funding Resources, including the 2023 Reserve Study Standards (levels of service)
- Association of Professional Reserve Analysts (APRA)
- HRS 514B-148 (Hawaii State Legislature)
- Fee ranges: typical US ranges, a guide, not a quote. Neither CAI nor any government body publishes fees; CAI is cited above only for what each level of study includes.