What an HOA study usually covers
- Private streets and parking: crack sealing, mill-and-overlay and full reconstruction.
- Amenities: pool plaster, pumps and decking; tennis and pickleball courts; playgrounds; clubhouse roof, HVAC and interiors.
- Common grounds: entrance monuments, fencing, retaining walls, ponds and stormwater structures, irrigation and lighting.
- Townhome exteriors: roofs, siding, gutters and paint, where the declaration puts them on the association.
Why Georgia HOAs are taking a closer look
No law requires a study, and lenders on detached houses rarely review the HOA's budget the way they review a condo's. Two things are changing the conversation. First, the swim-and-tennis subdivisions built across metro Atlanta in the 1990s and 2000s are reaching the second replacement of pools, courts and streets. Second, the Property Owners' Bill of Rights Act brings state registration from January 1, 2027, along with new owner rights and an administrative hearing route. Boards that can show owners how dues were set have less to fear from either.
Assessments under the POA Act
Section 44-3-225 says costs of periodic maintenance, repair and replacement of common areas cannot be specially or disproportionately allocated unless the instrument allows it. Large repairs therefore tend to fall on every lot at once. A reserve plan turns that into a predictable dues line rather than a surprise.
Sizing the study
Many Georgia HOAs fall in the under-50 or 50-to-150-home bands on our cost guide. Communities with townhome roofs on the association add materially to the component list, and so to the fee.