Texas HOA reserve study requirements (2026)
No statutory cycle; study frequency set by governing documents and lender requirements.
Quick facts
What the law actually requires
Texas has no statute that requires a condominium association or homeowners association to commission a reserve study or to maintain reserves at a specific level. Texas Property Code Chapter 82, the Uniform Condominium Act, authorizes boards to include reserves in the annual budget and requires the resale certificate to state the amount of reserves, if any, for capital expenditures (§ 82.157(a)(5)), but it stops short of mandating a study cycle or funding floor.
Chapter 209, the Texas Residential Property Owners Protection Act, gives HOA boards authority over governance matters such as open meetings, enforcement notices, foreclosure protections, and dedicatory-instrument amendments, but it does not itself address reserve funds or resale disclosures. The HOA resale-certificate reserve disclosure is required instead by Property Code Chapter 207, § 207.003(b)(6) (Disclosure of Information by Property Owners' Associations), which requires the resale certificate to state the amount of reserves, if any, for capital expenditures.
In practice, many Texas associations are pushed into regular reserve studies by two external forces: governing-document requirements (CC&Rs or bylaws that specify a 3-5 year cycle) and lender guidelines. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac require an established condominium project's budget to allocate at least 10% of assessment income to replacement reserves, with a professional reserve study serving as the recognized alternative when a budget falls below that line. Fannie Mae has announced an increase to 15% for loan applications dated on or after January 4, 2027; and from August 3, 2026, an association relying on a study instead of the flat percentage must fund at the study's highest recommended level rather than a baseline tier.
How ReserveDeck handles Texas
ReserveDeck applies its Generic NRSS format to Texas properties: a National Reserve Study Standards report with the percent-funded metric, a 30-year cash-flow projection, and the three funding plans (Recommended, Threshold, Baseline). There is no Texas-specific disclosure page.
Built-in Texas compliance.
Select No specific reserve study statute from the Compliance Jurisdiction dropdown and ReserveDeck's PDF builder produces the right disclosure format automatically. Engine math is identical across jurisdictions — only the deliverable changes.
Frequently asked questions — Texas
Is a reserve study required by law in Texas?
No. Texas Property Code Chapter 82 authorizes reserve budgets for condos and requires the resale certificate to state the amount of reserves, if any, for capital expenditures (§ 82.157(a)(5)). For HOAs, Chapter 207, § 207.003(b)(6) requires the resale certificate to state the amount of reserves, if any, for capital expenditures. None of these provisions mandates a periodic reserve study.
Do FHA or Fannie Mae rules apply to Texas condos?
Yes. FHA and Fannie Mae condo-approval guidelines require that the association maintain adequate reserves and typically expect an NRSS-compliant reserve study. Associations that lack a current study risk losing FHA spot-approval or full Fannie Mae project approval, making units harder for buyers to finance.
How often should a Texas HOA or condo get a reserve study?
Industry best practice and the National Reserve Study Standards recommend a full study every 3-5 years with annual financial updates. Many Texas governing documents echo this cycle. Lender guidelines may impose their own recency requirements, often no more than 3 years old.