What changes in our reserve study after a completed project?

Reviewed on October 12, 2026

Completed work can change remaining life, future replacement scope, project timing and available reserves. Record the work actually completed, then review what still needs to be planned and funded.

Separate partial repair from full replacement

A recurring component does not disappear just because one project is finished. Identify the exact building, area, equipment and quantity covered. Preserve the work that remains.

The following examples are hypothetical explanations, not customer results or professional condition findings.

Hypothetical completed-work comparison
Work evidenced	Future scope to review	Financial facts to reconcile
One roof section repaired	The repaired area and remaining roof quantity; repair does not reset the whole roof's life	Actual repair spend, unpaid commitments and current reserve cash.
Full paving replacement completed	Document the replaced quantity and completion date; review condition, life and next replacement timing	Actual project spend and the reserve balance after payments.
Equipment partly replaced	Separate new equipment from retained equipment and any changed specification	Match each invoice to its work; keep future replacement cost separate.

A professional review determines whether condition, useful life, remaining life or timing should change. A completion date alone does not justify an automatic life reset, and a project record is not structural clearance.

Match the evidence to the component

Retain the contract, invoices, completion information, quantities, specifications and available warranties. Record partial work and outstanding items explicitly. Keep supplied information identified as such until reviewed.

The Update records checklist explains what to keep available and how to identify missing records.

Keep project spend and future planning cost separate

Actual spend records what was paid for a particular scope at a particular date. Future replacement cost estimates what the component's next repair or replacement may require under reviewed assumptions.

The actual invoice may inform the historical cost basis, but a partial repair invoice cannot stand in for full replacement without evidence for the remaining scope.

Reconcile timing and cash before budgeting

Record what has been paid, what remains committed or unpaid, the reserve balance and its date, and the timing of future work. Check these against the study's assumptions before the board adopts its budget.

Completed work alone does not establish whether contributions should rise or fall. Costs, timing, available reserves and funding assumptions interact; see why the contribution can change and the budget-season checklist.

Study Check can identify visible gaps in the study on file and the next supported action. Further evidence and professional scope may still be needed.

Sources

ICBI Generally Accepted Reserve Study Standards, revised July 2020, Field Standards: component analysis and retained evidence.

Primary source accessed October 12, 2026. ICBI provides professional guidance, not a legal intake checklist or a certification of Ballast. The preparation and cost-basis guidance above describes Ballast's planning approach.