Washington HOA reserve study requirements (2026)
Reserve study updated annually; at least every 3rd year by a reserve study professional with a visual site inspection.
Quick facts
What the law actually requires
Washington's reserve-study statute is the Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act (WUCIOA), RCW 64.90.545. Under subsection (1), unless exempt, an association must prepare and update a reserve study: the initial study must be prepared by a reserve study professional, updates are prepared annually, and at least every third year the update must be prepared by a reserve study professional and based upon a visual site inspection conducted by that professional.
RCW 64.90.365 (as amended by 2024 c.321 and 2025 c.119) applies RCW 64.90.545 to most common interest communities created before July 1, 2018 as well, effective January 1, 2026, with limited exceptions for certain plat, miscellaneous, nonresidential and mixed-use communities. The earlier reserve-study sections, RCW 64.34.380 (condominiums) and RCW 64.38.065 (homeowners' associations), remain in effect until January 1, 2028, except as provided in RCW 64.90.080 and RCW 64.90.545.
Under RCW 64.90.545(2), unless the governing documents require otherwise, the requirement does not apply to communities whose units are restricted in the declaration to nonresidential use, to communities with only nominal reserve costs, to certain middle-housing-only communities, or when the cost of the reserve study or update exceeds 10 percent of the association's annual budget. The governing documents may impose greater requirements on the board (RCW 64.90.545(3)). Under RCW 64.90.555, one or more unit owners may bring an action to enforce the reserve-study requirement, and a court may order specific performance and award attorney fees and costs to the prevailing party.
How ReserveDeck handles Washington
When a property's compliance jurisdiction is set to Washington, ReserveDeck's report prints the RCW 64.90.545 (WUCIOA) requirements described above on its Disclosures page and states the study cycle in the cover letter. The reserve math is the same in every state.
ReserveDeck does not reproduce a state's statutory disclosure form; it provides the reserve figures a board needs to complete one (reserve requirement, percent funded, multi-year projections, and the funding plans).
Built-in Washington compliance.
Select RCW 64.90.545 (WUCIOA) 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 — Washington
How often does a Washington HOA need a reserve study?
Updated annually; at least every 3rd year, the update must be prepared by a reserve study professional and based upon a visual site inspection conducted by that professional (RCW 64.90.545(1)).
Does Washington's reserve study law apply to older HOAs and condos?
Yes. RCW 64.90.365 extends RCW 64.90.545 to common interest communities created before July 1, 2018 (with limited exceptions), effective January 1, 2026. The older sections, RCW 64.34.380 (condos) and RCW 64.38.065 (HOAs), remain in effect until January 1, 2028 except as provided in RCW 64.90.080 and 64.90.545.
Are any Washington associations exempt from the reserve study requirement?
Yes, unless the governing documents require otherwise: communities whose units are restricted to nonresidential use, communities with only nominal reserve costs, certain middle-housing-only communities, and cases where the cost of the study or update would exceed 10 percent of the association's annual budget (RCW 64.90.545(2)).
What happens if a Washington association doesn't get a reserve study?
RCW 64.90.555 gives unit owners a private right of action: one or more owners may bring an action to enforce the requirement, and a court may order specific performance and award attorney fees and costs to the prevailing party.