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The Florida Condominium Owner’s Manual
The Florida Condominium Owner's Manual book cover

Coming Late 2026 · Priority Access Open

Finally, a plain-English guide to owning a Florida condo.

Special assessments. Milestone inspections. SIRS. Reserves you can no longer waive. If you own, buy, manage, or serve on the board of a Florida condominium, this is the manual that explains what it all means and what to do about it.

By Jason Hambrecht, CGC, and Jeffrey B. Sellers, P.E., the team associations across the Southeast call when something is wrong with the building.

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26

Chapters, plain English

460

Pages, roof to foundation

40+

Statute sections explained

8

Free owner guides

Built on three decades inside Florida condominium buildings by the leadership of Construction Solutions, Inc.

Why this book, why now

Florida condo ownership changed. Most owners found out the hard way.

Milestone inspections

An engineer is coming to your building

Buildings 30 years and older (25 in some coastal areas) now require structural milestone inspections, with real deadlines and real penalties. The book explains what inspectors look for, what Phase 1 and Phase 2 mean, and what happens after the report lands.

SIRS & reserves

The era of waived reserves is over

Structural Integrity Reserve Studies are now mandatory, and reserves for structural items can no longer be waived. The book walks through what a SIRS covers, how funding plans work, and how boards can plan instead of panic.

Special assessments

When the letter arrives

Surprise five-figure assessments are making headlines across the state. The book explains where assessments come from, what your rights are, how they should be calculated and noticed, and the questions every owner should ask.

Inside the book

One manual. Both halves of condo ownership.

Most condo books stop at the legal entity. This one treats your condominium as what it really is: a legal association and a physical building. 26 chapters, roughly 460 pages, plus statute references, sample documents, maintenance checklists, and a glossary.

Part I · Chapters 1-10

Understanding Your Association

The legal and financial entity: your documents, your board, your money, and your rights.

What Is a Condominium?

What you actually own, what you share

The Governing Documents

Which document wins, and how to read yours

Assessments, Budgets & Reserves Free

Where the money goes, under the new rules

Insurance

What the association covers versus what you do

Selling, Buying & Renting

What every buyer should demand to see

All 10 chapters in Part I

Part II · Chapters 11-26

Understanding Your Building

The physical asset your dues protect, from the roof membrane to the foundation.

How a Building Works

Why neglect in one system cascades into others

Waterproofing & Water Intrusion

Finding a leak’s real source

Concrete & Structural Systems

Spalling, rebar, and coastal restoration

Inspections & Reserve Studies

Milestones and SIRS, from the inspector’s side

Capital Projects

How associations avoid paying twice

All 16 chapters in Part II

Plus four appendices

A. Statutes Reference

The sections owners and boards actually cite.

B. Sample Documents

Annotated notices, responses, resolutions, waivers.

C. Maintenance Checklists

Practical inspection lists by building system.

Index & Glossary

Plain-English definitions for condo vocabulary.

Two-minute check

How ready is your condo?

Five quick questions. Instant read on where your building and your knowledge stand under Florida’s new rules.

The authors

Written by the people associations call when something is wrong.

Jason Hambrecht, CGC

Jason Hambrecht, CGC

President & CEO, Construction Solutions, Inc.

Certified General Contractor and licensed CAM with two decades on hundreds of condominium projects across Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. Expert witness in construction defect cases, and a former condo association president himself.

Jeffrey B. Sellers, P.E.

Jeffrey B. Sellers, PE, CGC, LEED AP

VP & Principal Structural Engineer, CSI

Professional Engineer in three states and state-certified Special Inspector of Threshold Buildings, a credential held by a small fraction of Florida engineers. Structural design, forensics, and restoration on 100+ mid- and high-rises.

CGC1517261 PE License No. 68313 Licensed CAM Threshold Special Inspector LEED AP Expert Witnesses

Meet the authors

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Who wrote this book?

Jason Hambrecht, CGC, President and CEO of Construction Solutions, Inc., a Certified General Contractor and licensed Community Association Manager, and Jeffrey B. Sellers, PE, CGC, LEED AP, CSI's Vice President and Principal Structural Engineer and a state-certified Special Inspector of Threshold Buildings. Their firm has served condominium communities across Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina for more than 30 years.

Who is this book for?

Florida condominium unit owners, board members, buyers doing due diligence, and community association managers. It assumes no legal or engineering background and explains both the association side (documents, money, governance) and the building side (roofs, concrete, waterproofing, and the other systems your dues maintain).

Does it cover the new post-Surfside laws?

Yes. SB 4-D, SB 154, SB 360, HB 1021, HB 913, and SB 1744 are explained in plain English, with the practical implications for owners and boards: milestone inspections, SIRS, reserve funding rules, and records transparency requirements.

When will it be published?

The manuscript is complete and in final professional review. Publication is planned for late 2026. The email list hears the release date first and gets launch pricing.

What formats will be available?

Paperback through Amazon at launch, roughly 460 pages across 26 chapters plus appendices, statute references, maintenance checklists, and a glossary. Additional formats will be announced to the email list.

Is this legal or engineering advice?

No. The book is educational. It gives you the vocabulary and context to work effectively with your own attorneys, engineers, and managers, but it is not a substitute for professional advice specific to your building.

Can associations or management companies order in bulk?

Yes. Volume orders for boards, associations, and management companies will be available at publication. Mention it when you join the list and we will follow up directly.

Read Chapter 5 free: Assessments, Budgets, and Reserves

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