Colorado HOA Special Assessment Calculator — CRS § 38-33.3-315 (150% Threshold; 2/3 Quorum Member Approval)

Compute the per-unit Colorado HOA special assessment and the CRS § 38-33.3-315 member-approval threshold. If the proposed special assessment per unit in any fiscal year exceeds 150% of the prior year's regular annual assessment per unit, the board must obtain approval of 2/3 of a quorum at a duly called meeting or by written ballot in lieu of meeting before levying the assessment. Returns the per-unit special assessment, monthly installment, 150% threshold amount, and whether 2/3-quorum member approval is required.

Calculator

Adjust the inputs below; the result updates instantly.

Project

Total project / expense cost ($)

Reserves available to offset ($)

Association

Number of units

CRS § 38-33.3-315 threshold

Prior fiscal year regular annual assessment per unit ($)

Payment

Months to spread the special assessment

Per-unit special assessment (total)

1,875.00

Per-unit monthly installment: $156.25
Net amount to fund (after reserves): $150,000.00
CRS § 38-33.3-315 150% threshold (prior year × 1.50): $6,300.00
Summary: Colorado HOA special assessment analysis under CRS § 38-33.3-315 (CCIOA special assessment authority and member-approval threshold). The 150% threshold compares the proposed special assessment per unit against 150% of the prior year regular assessment per unit. Project cost: $200,000. Reserves offset: $50,000. Net to fund: $150,000. Per-unit special assessment: $1,875 total ($156.25/month over 12 months). CRS § 38-33.3-315 threshold test: prior year per unit = $4,200. 150% threshold = $6,300. Proposed special assessment = $1,875. No member approval required — the special assessment does not exceed the CRS § 38-33.3-315 150% threshold. The board may levy by board resolution under CRS § 38-33.3-315(1). Verdict: CRS § 38-33.3-315 Colorado special assessment: net cost $150,000 ÷ 80 units = $1,875 per unit ($156.25/month over 12 months). No member approval required under CRS § 38-33.3-315 — special assessment per unit ($1,875) does not exceed 150% of prior year assessment ($6,300). Board may levy by resolution.

Tools to go with this

Special assessment exceeding the CRS § 38-33.3-315 150% threshold? Get the member-vote documentation right.

Fennec Press's Colorado HOA finance bundle includes the CRS § 38-33.3-315 member-approval notice template, the written-ballot-in-lieu-of-meeting form for special assessments, the special assessment levy resolution, and the owner disclosure letter with the payment-schedule options.

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How this calculator works

This is a Colorado HOA special assessment calculator under CRS § 38-33.3-315 (CCIOA special assessment authority and member-approval threshold). Given the project cost, reserves, number of units, prior year assessment, and spread period, it returns:

The net amount to fund (project cost minus reserve offset).
The per-unit special assessment and monthly installment.
The CRS § 38-33.3-315 150% threshold.
Whether the per-unit special assessment exceeds the threshold and 2/3-quorum member approval is required.

The CRS § 38-33.3-315 150% threshold

How the test works. CRS § 38-33.3-315 requires member approval when the proposed special assessment per unit EXCEEDS 150% of the prior year's regular annual assessment per unit.

The test is a stand-alone comparison — it looks only at the special assessment per unit against 150% of the prior year's regular assessment. Unlike Nevada's NRS 116.31151 test (which combines the regular and special assessments into a total and compares against 115% of the prior year total), the Colorado test considers the special assessment independently.

What approval is required. Approval of 2/3 (two-thirds) of a quorum at a duly called meeting, or by written ballot in lieu of meeting under the CCIOA declaration. The 2/3 vote is measured against those voting, not total voting interest — achievable with low-to-moderate turnout if quorum is present.

Colorado vs. Nevada: 150% vs. 15% threshold

| | Colorado CRS § 38-33.3-315 | Nevada NRS 116.31151 | |---|---|---| | Test type | Stand-alone special assessment | Combined annual total | | Threshold | 150% of prior year regular assessment per unit | 115% of prior year TOTAL annual assessment per unit | | Vote required | 2/3 of quorum | Majority of total voting interest | | Emergency exception | Not explicitly stated | Yes — health/safety/economic loss |

Colorado's 150% test is more permissive for associations with steady regular assessment growth: a $4,200/unit regular assessment allows a special assessment up to $6,300/unit ($4,200 × 150%) without member vote. Nevada's combined 115% test is tighter because any regular assessment increase consumes part of the 15% room before a special assessment is added.

What this calculator does NOT model

Whether the specific project qualifies as an emergency under CCIOA equitable principles.
The ballot and written-ballot mechanics for a 2/3-quorum member vote.
Association budgeting, reserve-study adequacy, or reserve-funding schedules under CRS § 38-33.3-209.5(4).
Individual unit allocation if the declaration uses a weighted (non-equal) allocation.

For any consequential assessment decision, retain Colorado counsel and the association's CPA.

Sources

Last reviewed: 2026-05-19 against:

CRS § 38-33.3-315 (CCIOA special assessment authority; 150% threshold; 2/3-quorum member approval).
CRS § 38-33.3-302 (member-meeting quorum requirements).
CRS § 38-33.3-101 et seq. (Colorado Common Interest Ownership Act — CCIOA).

CRS § 38-33.3-315 requires member approval when the proposed special assessment per unit in a given fiscal year EXCEEDS 150% of the prior year's regular annual assessment per unit. For example, if the prior year regular assessment was $4,200/unit, the threshold is $6,300/unit (150% × $4,200). A special assessment of $6,300 or less per unit may be levied by board resolution; a special assessment above $6,300/unit requires the 2/3-quorum member vote. This is a stand-alone test applied to the special assessment per unit — not a combined annual total test like Nevada's NRS 116.31151 15% rule.

Approval of 2/3 (two-thirds) of a quorum at a duly called meeting, or by written ballot in lieu of a meeting under the CCIOA declaration. The quorum threshold is typically specified in the declaration (commonly 20–33% of total voting interest). The 2/3 approval is measured against those voting, not against total voting interest — so the threshold is achievable even with low turnout if a quorum is present. This is materially different from Nevada's NRS 116.31151 requirement of a majority of TOTAL voting interest, which requires a much higher absolute vote count.

CCIOA does not contain an explicit emergency exception to the 150% threshold comparable to Nevada's NRS 116.31151 emergency exception. However, associations whose declarations were recorded before CCIOA's effective date (July 1, 1992) may have declaration-level emergency provisions that allow the board to levy emergency assessments above the threshold without member vote. Post-1992 CCIOA associations facing a genuine emergency should consult Colorado counsel — the board may have narrow equitable authority to proceed before obtaining member approval in a life-safety emergency, but the legal basis is less clear than in Nevada. Document the emergency and seek ratification at the earliest possible member meeting.

Colorado (CRS § 38-33.3-315): a stand-alone test — the proposed SPECIAL assessment per unit vs. 150% of the prior year REGULAR assessment per unit. Example: prior year regular $4,200/unit × 150% = $6,300 threshold; a special assessment below $6,300 may be board-levied. Nevada (NRS 116.31151): a combined annual total test — the TOTAL annual assessment (regular + special) vs. 115% of the prior year TOTAL annual assessment per unit. The Colorado test is more permissive: it allows a very large absolute special assessment (up to 150% of the prior year regular assessment) without member vote, whereas Nevada's test is tighter because any regular assessment increase already consumes part of the 15% room before a special assessment is added.

Resources

Links marked sponsoredmay earn The Fennec Lab a commission. They do not affect the calculator's output. See disclosures.

CRS § 38-33.3-315 — CCIOA special assessment authority — CRS § 38-33.3-315 — Colorado CCIOA special assessment authority; 150% threshold; 2/3-quorum member approval requirement.
CRS § 38-33.3 — Colorado Common Interest Ownership Act (CCIOA) — CRS § 38-33.3 — CCIOA full text, including assessment authority, reserve study requirements, and member-meeting procedures.
Colorado HOA Information and Resource Center (DORA) — Colorado DORA HOA center — state resource for CCIOA compliance guidance on special assessment procedures and member-vote requirements.