Free Roof Recon: Public-Data Intel Before We Arrive

Free Roof Recon is public-data pre-arrival intel on your property — so the first conversation is prepared. It is not a free inspection, and it does not use drones.

What Free Roof Recon is

When you request Free Roof Recon, you send your name, phone, and property address. We build a file from publicly available sources before we schedule time on site. The goal is simple: arrive knowing what the county already lists about the home, what permits exist, and what Aerial/Satellite Images show about the roof footprint and surroundings.

That preparation saves you from repeating the same basics on the call and helps us ask better questions about leaks, prior repairs, insurance letters, and community appearance rules. It is desk work with public sources — not a substitute for climbing the roof.

What we pull from public data

• County appraisal records — ownership, living area, and listed year built or roof age when the appraisal office publishes it for Marion, Lake, or Sumter parcels
• Permit history — prior reroof permits, repairs, and related building permits on file with the city or county
• Aerial/Satellite Images — roof footprint, pitch clues, tree cover, adjacent buildings, and obvious exposure patterns visible from public imagery

Imagery is Aerial/Satellite Images only. Free Roof Recon does not include drone flights. If a later project needs specialized documentation beyond public imagery, that would be a separate, disclosed scope — not part of the Free Roof Recon offer.

What Recon is not

Recon is not a free inspection. We avoid that offer name on purpose. An inspection means someone on the roof (and often in the attic) documenting condition for repair, replacement, certification, or insurance files. Recon does none of that by itself.

Recon also does not approve or deny insurance claims, bind coverage, or certify remaining useful life. Those outcomes require in-person assessment and, when you choose it, written documentation from a licensed contractor. A 5-Year Roof Certification, when appropriate, is a separate service at $250 (credited toward work we perform) under FS 627.7011 / HB 1611.

Public records can be incomplete or outdated. Appraisal roof-age fields are sometimes blank or lag behind a recent reroof. That is another reason Recon leads into — not around — an in-person inspection.

Why pre-arrival intel helps homeowners here

Many of our customers in Ocala, The Villages, Belleview, Summerfield, Lady Lake, Leesburg, and Wildwood are managing insurance renewals, inheritance properties, or long-owned homes with roofs past the decade mark. They want clarity without a sales circus. Public-data Recon sets a calm baseline: what the records say, what the imagery suggests, and what we still must verify in person.

You remain in control. Requesting Recon does not obligate you to replace the roof or to hire us. It starts an informed conversation with a dual-licensed Florida contractor — CCC1334499 roofing and CRC1335172 residential — serving Marion, Lake, and Sumter Counties.

After Recon: the in-person inspection

Once the file is ready, we contact you to review findings and, if you want the next step, schedule the on-roof inspection. That visit covers covering condition, flashings, penetrations, edge metal, and attic clues when accessible. From there we can discuss repair, certification, or replacement with photos and a clear scope.

Homeowners comparing insurance timing in Ocala or The Villages often use Recon as the first step before deciding whether to call the agent with new documentation. The order that works: Recon, inspect, decide, then talk to the agent with evidence.

Privacy and expectations

We use the address you provide to look up public records and imagery already available to property professionals. We do not sell your information as a lead list, and requesting Recon does not enroll you in a pressure campaign. Optional SMS or email consent is handled on the live form when you submit — these drafts do not require it.

If something in the public file looks urgent — for example, a recent storm and visible missing covering in imagery — we will say so and recommend scheduling the in-person inspection promptly. Imagery still cannot confirm soft decking, failed underlayment, or attic moisture. Only the climb does that.

Homeowners sometimes ask whether Recon is enough for a closing, refinance, or insurance underwriting file. It is not. Lenders and carriers that require a roof condition report need an in-person inspection and written findings. Recon prepares that visit; it does not replace it.

Where Recon fits in a typical timeline

A common sequence for Marion, Lake, and Sumter homeowners is: request Free Roof Recon, review the public-data summary by phone, schedule the inspection, then decide on repair, certification, or replacement. If you already have a non-renewal date, tell us that date when you submit so we can prioritize the file.

You can also start from city pages such as Ocala or The Villages and jump to Recon when you are ready. The CTA is always Free Roof Recon linking to /roof-recon/ — the form that collects name, phone, and property address.

How to request it

Use the form on the Free Roof Recon page — name, phone, and property address required. Or call (352) 696-8989. Serving Marion, Lake, and Sumter Counties. General inquiries also go through Contact.

Bring any insurance letter you already have. It helps us align the public-data file with the question your carrier actually asked.