What gets counted
A property owners' association reserves for its capital components: things it must maintain and decides to fund. In a typical Virginia subdivision or townhouse community that means:
- Paving. Private streets, parking courts, trails and sidewalks.
- Water. Stormwater ponds, outfalls, culverts and the dam if there is one.
- Amenities. Pool shell, deck, fencing, pumps; clubhouse roof and HVAC; tennis and play areas.
- Entrances and edges. Monuments, signage, perimeter fencing, retaining walls, lighting.
- Townhouse items, where the declaration says so. Roofs, siding or gutters some associations maintain on owners' behalf.
Typical fees for HOAs
| Community | What drives the scope | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|
| Under 50 homes | Townhouse rows or one small building; little to inspect | $1,500 to $5,000 |
| 50 to 150 homes | Amenities such as a pool or clubhouse, private streets, a garage | $2,000 to $8,000 |
| 150 to 300 homes | Several amenity sites, long road and pipe networks | $5,000 to $20,000 |
| Over 300 homes | Priced by scope; no published upper figure | From $10,000 |
| High-rise condominium | Elevators, facade, garage decks, mechanical plant | $7,000 to $15,000+ |
Typical ranges, a guide, not a quote. No government or trade body publishes fee figures. The cost guide covers updates and what moves the price.
Board checklist
- Find the date of the last study. Drag the marker on the five-year ruler to see when the next is due.
- Pull the declaration's maintenance section so the firm knows what the association owns.
- Agree whether you need a full study or an update.
- Book it so the report lands before the board adopts its budget.
- Put the four budget items from 55.1-1826 C into the next budget.