Association Reserves

What Association Reserves does

Association Reserves, Inc. is a privately held professional services firm founded in 1986 and headquartered in Westlake Village, California, that prepares reserve studies and capital plans for community associations, HOAs, condominium and townhome developments, vacation ownership resorts, municipalities, worship facilities, schools, private clubs, camps, and other property types. Its core deliverable is a component-level capital reserve study grounded in the National Reserve Study Standards (NRSS) of the Community Associations Institute, incorporating 30-year cash flow forecasting, lifecycle analysis, and reserve fund strength calculations. Supporting the human-delivered report are the proprietary uPlanIt interactive scenario tool, a Do-it-Yourself Reserve Study Kit, the multi-year Loyalty Update Plan, and hourly consulting and expert witness services.

The firm operates through a network of 20+ regional offices staffed by licensed reserve specialists (PE, RS credentials), giving it local presence across all 50 US states plus select international markets. Revenue is generated across five streams: full professional reserve studies and updates (quote-based project fees), uPlanIt subscriptions ($399 per budget season), the DIY Kit ($499 one-time), hourly consulting ($200/hour), and expert witness engagements by founder Robert Nordlund. The company is founder-owned and bootstrapped with no disclosed external funding, no subsidiaries, and no M&A history, supported by a management team of regional presidents, a CMO, and a national marketing function. Distribution is sales-led via regional specialists, supported by content marketing (podcast, webinars, YouTube, the 'Understanding Reserves' book, and an annual Industry Insights Report derived from over 100,000 completed studies).

Name

Association Reserves

Legal name

Association Reserves, Inc.

Website

https://reservestudy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Association Reserves is a privately held, founder-led professional services firm founded in 1986 that prepares reserve studies and capital plans for community associations, HOAs, vacation ownership resorts, municipalities, worship facilities, schools, and private clubs across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Reserve Study and Capital Planning Services

akta.pro primary industry

Association Accounting, Budgeting & Financial Reporting Services (BPAJAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Association Compliance, Governance & Board Support Services (BPAJAHAN)

Keywords

• Reserve study services
• Capital reserve planning
• HOA reserve funding
• Community association consulting
• Property reserve budgeting

Headquarters

HQ city

Westlake Village

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices34 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Reserve Study Professional Services: Full-service reserve studies and updates including site visits, component assessments, and custom funding plans. Revenue generated through project-based engagements at different service levels.
2. Consulting Services: Hourly consulting services for reserve-related matters including component list reviews, site inspections, financial analysis, and what-if scenarios. Billed at $200/hour.
3. uPlanIt Subscription: Interactive online tool for what-if scenario testing available for $399/budget season. Free to professional reserve study clients.
4. Do-it-Yourself Reserve Study Kit: Self-service kit sold for $499, allowing clients to create their own reserve study with provided templates and instructions.
5. Expert Witness Services: Legal consulting and testimony services by Founder Robert Nordlund for disputes involving Reserves.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Association Reserves is a professional consulting firm that prepares reserve studies for community associations, HOAs, vacation ownership resorts, municipalities, schools, worship facilities, and other property-owning organizations. Services include site inspection, component inventory, condition assessment, 30-year cash flow forecasting, and custom reserve funding plans designed to avoid special assessments. The firm also offers the proprietary uPlanIt interactive tool for what-if scenario testing, a DIY kit, and expert witness services.

Product overview

Association Reserves offers a comprehensive suite of reserve study services for property financial planning. The core offering consists of three tiers of reserve study services: Full Reserve Study (comprehensive initial assessment with site inspection), Reserve Study Update with Site Visit (periodic reassessment every 3-5 years), and Reserve Study Update without Site Visit (annual office-based updates). Supporting these core services are add-on tools including uPlanIt (interactive what-if scenario planning tool), the Do-it-Yourself Reserve Study Kit ($499 DIY option), the Loyalty Update Plan (3-year engagement program), Consulting Services (hourly expert assistance), and Expert Witness Services (legal support). The company serves diverse property types including association-governed communities, vacation ownership resorts, municipalities, worship facilities, schools, camps, private clubs, and other property types across the United States and internationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• uPlanIt: Interactive online tool that enhances Reserve Studies by giving clients absolute control of their Reserve funding information. Available FREE to clients with every professional Reserve Study engagement.

Products and services

• Reserve Study - Full Comprehensive initial reserve study engagement including site inspection, full component list creation from scratch, measurements, condition assessment, photographs, and a custom 30-year cash flow funding plan. Designed for properties engaging Association Reserves for the first time.
• Reserve Study Update - With Site Visit Periodic reserve study update typically performed every 3-5 years to visually document changes to the Component List. Includes management consultations, on-site observations, re-assessment of components, and updated deliverables.
• Reserve Study Update - No Site Visit Annual office-based update of a prior reserve study report, performed in the years between site-visit studies. Component information is updated via calls and emails without onsite inspection. Least expensive option.
• Loyalty Update Plan 3-year series of renewing one-year engagements designed to save time, stabilize budgets, and provide outside expertise. Includes automatic annual updates and flat fee pricing.
• uPlanIt Interactive online tool that enhances Reserve Studies by giving clients control of their funding information. Allows real-time what-if scenario testing and provides charts and tables for budget decisions. Free with professional services or available by subscription at $399/budget season.
• Do-it-Yourself Reserve Study Kit Self-service reserve study kit at $499 one-time purchase. Clients create their own Component List and submit information through an online portal to receive a customized Reserve Study Report within 1 week. Does not include revisions or uPlanIt access.
• Consulting Services Hourly consulting services at $200/hour covering review of component lists, site inspections, financial analysis, computational methods, reserve funding plans, and what-if scenarios.
• Expert Witness Services Legal consulting and testimony services provided by Founder Robert Nordlund, PE, RS, including research, investigation, what-if scenarios, depositions, and testimony in disputes involving Reserves.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100,000 reserve studies completed and counting
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Vantaca: HOA software platform providing accounting, reserve tracking, and capital planning tools to community associations and management companies. Represents the software-enabled, lower-friction competitive threat that could compress demand for traditional professional reserve studies over time.
• CINC Systems: Cloud-based community association management platform that incorporates reserve and financial planning features. Targets the same HOA and management company buyer as Association Reserves with a software-first delivery model.

Direct peers

• Reserve Advisors: Direct competitor offering the same reserve study services (Full, Update with Site Visit, Update with No Site Visit) to community associations and other property types. Closest analogue to Association Reserves in scope, methodology, and target market.
• Reserve Studies Inc. Independent reserve study provider serving community associations with component-based reserve studies. Direct niche competitor for the same HOA, condo, and cooperative customer base.
• Building Envelope Engineering & Reserve Studies (BEI): Engineering-oriented reserve study firm combining building envelope expertise with reserve study deliverables. Competes for engagements requiring stronger technical assessment of building components, particularly in mid-rise and large condominium properties.
• Capital Reserve Consultants: National reserve study firm providing component-based reserve studies and capital planning for HOAs, condos, and other association-governed properties. Directly competes for the same community association and management company clients.

Broad incumbents

• Community Association Institute (CAI): The national trade association that establishes the National Reserve Study Standards (NRSS) referenced throughout Association Reserves' methodology. Functions as the governing industry body and standard-setter for the reserve study profession rather than a direct service provider.
• Associa: Large-scale community association management company serving thousands of HOAs and condos. Functions as both a buyer of reserve studies and an indirect competitor as management firms expand their consulting offerings.
• FirstService Residential: Largest HOA management company in North America and a major referrer of reserve study engagements. Adjacent rather than direct competitor, but a key channel partner and competitive context because management firms increasingly influence which reserve study firm their communities use.
• AppFolio (HOA/Property Manager Suite): Broader property management software provider with growing community association and HOA offerings including financial and reserve tracking. Adjacent competitive context representing the software-led future of reserve planning workflows.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/reserves
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/RNordlund
• Facebookfacebook.com/Reserves
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/associationreserves

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Association Reserves