California community association law
Reserve studies & funding
Cal. Civ. Code §§ 5550-5560 (Davis-Stirling)
What the law requires
At least once every three years the board must cause a reasonably competent and diligent visual inspection of the accessible areas of the major components the association is obligated to repair, replace, restore or maintain, and review that study annually. The reserve funding plan has to carry a schedule of the assessment changes that would be needed to fund the components it identifies.
What it means for boards & managers
The three-year study and the annual review are separate obligations, and the funding plan is the part owners actually read. A study on the shelf with no funding schedule attached to it does not satisfy the section.
Read the full text
The sections this topic covers, as we hold them. Each opens the statute text itself, not a summary of it.
This summary is for orientation and is not legal advice. Statutes are amended; confirm the current text of Cal. Civ. Code §§ 5550-5560 (Davis-Stirling) with the official California code, and consult counsel for specific situations.
Search the statutes on Common Elements
Search California community-association statutes on Common Elements: plain-English summaries, keyword search, and, where available, the same deep section library as Florida. A free account adds bookmarks, uploads, and side-by-side compare.