Reserve Advisors vs. Runway Reserves

Runway Reserves wrote this page, and we sell reserve studies. Last checked November 1, 2026. Confirm anything that matters with Reserve Advisors directly.

Reserve Advisors has operated since 1991, reports more than 37,000 studies and says it sends its own full-time engineers, not subcontractors. Runway Reserves was founded in 2026 and holds no credential, but it publishes its study fees, not including the field visit. If track record or a credential matters most to your board, Reserve Advisors is the stronger choice.

Side by side

Topic	Reserve Advisors	Runway Reserves
What it is	A reserve study firm using its own engineers. It also sells other services, including insurance appraisals. ^{1, 5, 7}	A reserve study firm that prepares its own reports.
Track record	Founded in 1991. Reports 37,000+ studies and 60+ engineers. Announced buying Browning Reserve Group in December 2024 and Waldman Engineering Consultants in January 2026. ^{1, 2, 3}	Founded in 2026.
Credentials	Lists RS, PRA and PE after leaders' names, and says it has the most CAI-credentialed reserve specialists. We found no count of its licensed PEs. ^{4, 5}	None. We hold no RS, PRA or PE credential.
Who makes the site visit	Its FAQ says full-time engineers do the work, not subcontractors. ⁵	A field technician we contract, using our checklist. We review what they record, and the report says who visited.
Published prices	We found no price list. It quotes each project and says cost varies with size and complexity. ^{5, 6, 9}	Published. Full study $2,995 to $6,495 by size, up to 499 units, site visit included. Update without a site visit from $1,295. Send us another firm's written quote for the same scope, and we'll beat it.
Stated delivery	A timeframe you specify, otherwise within four weeks of its visit and receipt of what it needs. ⁵	Within one week of the site visit.
Where it works	Says it works across the country. Its location page lists 28 states and DC, including Colorado and Texas. California is served through Browning. We could not confirm Arizona, Utah or Oregon, which does not mean it won't work there. ^{7, 8, 10}	Open in 37 states and DC, and for some association types in Florida and Tennessee.
What you receive	A 30-year funding plan, condition assessments and an Excel tool for testing funding plans. Engineers are available by phone, web or in person, and custom presentations are optional. ^{5, 6}	PDF report and spreadsheet, a board call, and a board packet PDF. No planning software.
Changes after delivery	One free set of revisions within 6 months. Its FAQ counts from preliminary findings. A 2026 proposal in a public board packet counts from delivery. Its site also invites unhappy clients to ask for a refund, with no terms stated. ^{1, 5, 11}	Up to two comment rounds. Factual errors corrected free for up to three years from the final report, or until your next study or update, whichever comes first.
Insurance	We found no statement of its coverage. A page offers a certificate of insurance on request. ⁹	We carry errors and omissions insurance.

"We found no" means it wasn't on the pages we read. It doesn't mean the company doesn't offer it. Delivery clocks start at different points, so compare them with care.

When Reserve Advisors is the better choice

Your state, lender or governing documents require a credentialed preparer. We hold no credential.
You want a firm with decades of completed work. You can ask it for references.
You want your visit done by an employed engineer. We use a contracted field technician.
You may also need insurance appraisals or other engineering services from one firm.

When we might fit

You want a study fee before you ask for a quote. We publish a study fee for every size up to 499 units. A full study or an update with a visit also has a field visit charge, which we quote in writing before any deposit. A published fee helps a board budget, but it doesn't tell you whether the work is good. Send us another firm's written quote for the same scope, and we'll beat it.
Your community has up to 499 units and up to 50 components, isn't a high-rise, mixed-use, marina or golf property, and no rule requires a credential.
You want factual corrections covered for up to three years, compared with its six-month revision window. The two terms cover different things, so read both.

Sources

Company names belong to their owners. Runway Reserves isn't affiliated with or endorsed by any company named here. If you'd like us to adjust any claim on this page, contact us.

See our prices and what we don't do.

Then weigh us against firms with a longer record.

See pricing How we work