Kim T.
Fantastic customer service. Kenneth was great. Very professional. Found problem within minutes and fixed. Would recommend for repairs and full roof replacement.
Aug 10, 2022Verified customer
4.6/5 on Google · 1,200+ reviews online
Northeast FloridaRoof Inspection in Jacksonville
Universal has worked Northeast Florida roofs for more than 25 years, from an office on Philips Highway. Between 92°F Julys, September rain and salt coming off the Atlantic, we recommend a roof inspection once a year here, plus a look after any named storm — ours is free, and it comes back as photographs and a written report. We also perform wind mitigation and 4-point inspections.
$0 Inspectionfree
Jacksonville office
Wind mitigation & 4-point
Free Roof Inspection
What does your roof need? Pick one to start.
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Brian G.
Jim and Tracy and their whole crew are exceptional. Roofing is one of those jobs that 99% of all consumers have no clue. One must trust what they are told. So many of the roofers are full of you know what and sell you more than you need. Universal is the opposite. They tell you what you need and even suggest options that save money. They tell you the pros and cons of each alternative. I could go on and on however suffice it to say that Universal is the best.
Jun 8, 2024Verified customer
Constance O.
Having a re-roof is a stressful time but I knew to call Universal Roofing Inc from my previous experience with them from my old address. It's a step-by-step process (weather permitting) which Tracy (V.P.) walked me through. From customer service, explanation of roof products, to permits and completion was less stressful having an experienced company... and roof looks great! Thank you Universal Roofing Inc.
Aug 8, 2024Verified customer
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A roof inspection in Jacksonville is a documented assessment of what shape your roof is in — the covering, the flashing, the edges and, where we can reach it, the attic side. Universal performs them free across Duval, St. Johns, Clay, Nassau and Flagler counties, and you keep the photographs and the written report whether or not you hire us. Separately, Florida homeowners often need one of two insurance inspections: a wind mitigation inspection to document features that may qualify the home for premium discounts, or a 4-point inspection covering roof, electrical, plumbing and HVAC. We perform all three.
9446 Philips Hwy Ste 7, Jacksonville, FL 32256
Local conditions
What Northeast Florida does to a roof
Jacksonville roofs live a harder life than the mild reputation suggests. Four conditions do most of the damage, and the coastal ones behave differently from anything inland.
Salt on the wind
From Atlantic Beach through Ponte Vedra and up to Fernandina, salt reaches fasteners and flashing long before it touches the roofing material itself. Corrosion here starts at the hardware, which is exactly where a ground-level look will never find it.
What it looks like: Rust weeping from screw heads; staining that runs downhill from a fastener line.
92°F Julys and relentless UV
Average July highs sit around 92°F, and the UV load runs most of the year. Shingles here lose granules, crack and curl on a schedule closer to the Gulf markets than to the rest of the Southeast.
What it looks like: Granules in the gutters, shingle corners lifting, colour fading unevenly across slopes.
September, one of the two wettest months
September is one of Northeast Florida's two wettest months, at about 7.6 inches and nearly tied with June, and it's the same month the Atlantic hurricane season peaks. A roof that was merely tired in August is the one that leaks in September, and it usually leaks at a detail rather than in the field.
What it looks like: First ceiling stain of the autumn, typically near a vent, valley or chimney.
Humidity that never lets it dry
Humid air keeps a Jacksonville roof from ever fully drying between rains. Anywhere water lingers under a lifted shingle or a failed boot, mildew and rot get a foothold and work downward into the deck.
What it looks like: Dark streaking on shaded slopes; musty attic air; sheathing that looks darker in patches.
Sources: NOAA station data · National Weather Service Jacksonville
On Jacksonville roofs specifically
What we actually find up there
Not a generic checklist — these are the four things our crews write up most often in this metro, and none of them are visible from the ground.
01
Fastener corrosion on coastal metal
Screws and flashing fail years ahead of the panels near the ocean. Caught early it is a hardware swap; ignored it becomes a leak at every penetration.
02
Failed vent boots
One of the most common sources of the ceiling stains we get called out to in Duval County. UV destroys the rubber collar while the shingles around it still look new.
03
Granule loss on south-facing slopes
The sun-facing planes age visibly faster here. We photograph both sides so you can see the difference for yourself rather than take our word for it.
04
Damp sheathing under sound shingles
Humidity and a small entry point can rot decking while the surface still looks fine. This is the reason the attic side matters as much as the roof side.
Wind mitigation
Wind mitigation in Northeast Florida
A wind mitigation inspection records the wind-resistant features a home already has on the state's uniform mitigation verification form. Florida insurers use it to apply premium discounts, and Fla. Stat. § 627.0629 requires residential rate filings to include actuarially reasonable discounts for windstorm mitigation features.
Northeast Florida homeowners often assume this is a South Florida concern. It is not — the form is statewide, the discounts are statewide, and coastal Duval, Nassau and St. Johns properties carry exactly the kind of exposure the credits are designed around.
If your home is anywhere from the Beaches to Fernandina and nobody has completed the form, that is one of the most common overlooked savings we see in this market.
What gets documented
- Roof covering type and code compliance
- Roof deck attachment
- Roof-to-wall connections
- Roof geometry (hip, gable, flat)
- Secondary water resistance barrier
- Opening protection
Not every roofer can sign the form
Under Fla. Stat. § 627.711(2)(a), an insurer must accept a uniform mitigation verification form signed by a licensed home inspector, a certified building code inspector, a general, building or residential contractor licensed under § 489.111, a professional engineer, or a registered architect.
Universal holds a Certified Building Contractor licence — CBC1258484 — alongside its roofing licence, so we qualify. A roofing-only CCC licence does not appear on that list.
Ask about a wind mitigation inspection4-point inspection
The four systems your insurer asks about
Insurers commonly request a 4-point before writing or renewing a policy on an older Jacksonville home. It is not a full home inspection and it is not a grade on your house — it records the age and condition of four systems so the insurer can make its own call.
01
Roof
Covering type, age, condition and remaining service life.
02
HVAC
Age, type, condition and whether it's still operational.
03
Electrical
Panel, wiring type, capacity and any known hazards.
04
Plumbing
Supply and drain material, water heater age, visible leaks.
The roof section is the one we can speak to directly. Questions about what your policy covers, or what your insurer will do with the report, belong with your insurance agent rather than your roofer.
What you walk away with
A written report, not a sales pitch
The point of a free inspection is that you end up knowing something you did not know before — in writing, so you can act on it whenever you choose, with us or with anyone else.
- Photographs of every problem area we find, roof and property
- A written condition summary in plain language, not roofer shorthand
- An itemised, fixed-scope quote if work is genuinely needed
- An honest read on storm damage versus normal Florida wear
- A straight answer when the roof is fine and needs nothing
Getting more than one quote? Our roof buyer's checklist lists five questions to ask any roofer before you sign.
Sometimes the answer is “it's fine”
A free inspection that always finds work is not an inspection, it is a sales call. If your roof has years left in it, that is what the report will say — and we will tell you roughly how long you have before it needs attention.
Found something already? Active damage goes to roof repair in Jacksonville, and a roof at the end of its life goes to roof replacement.
The process
Five steps. Zero surprises.
The same streamlined process on every roof — from an accurate quote to an impeccable installation.
- 1
Schedule Your Visit
Book online or call — we arrive on time, ready to listen.
- 2
Personal Consultation
Your goals, your budget, and the right materials for you.
- 3
Inspection & Quote
Photos, a written report, and a transparent quote that holds.
- 4
Convenient Scheduling
The install lands on your calendar, not ours. No surprises.
- 5
Expert Installation
A trained crew, a clean yard, and a roof installation done right.
Where we inspect
Roof inspections across Northeast Florida
Free condition inspections throughout Duval, St. Johns, Clay, Nassau and Flagler counties, from our office at 9446 Philips Hwy Ste 7, Jacksonville, FL 32256.
Orange Park Ponte Vedra Beach Jacksonville Beach Palm Coast St. Augustine Atlantic Beach Fernandina Beach
Outside Northeast Florida? See roof inspections across Florida, or pick another service area.
Jacksonville roof inspection questions
How much does a roof inspection cost in Jacksonville?
Our roof condition inspection is free across Northeast Florida — Duval, St. Johns, Clay, Nassau and Flagler counties — and the photos and written report are yours either way. Wind mitigation and 4-point inspections for your insurer are separate services.
Do you inspect homes at the Beaches and in St. Augustine?
Yes — Atlantic Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Ponte Vedra, Fernandina, St. Augustine, Orange Park and Palm Coast. Coastal homes get a different emphasis: near the water, fasteners and flashing corrode years ahead of the roofing material, so that is where we start.
How often should a Jacksonville roof be inspected?
We recommend a roof inspection once a year here, plus a look after any named storm. Ours is free. Between 92°F Julys, September being one of the two wettest months of the year, humidity that never lets a roof dry, and salt on the coastal wind, a roof here ages faster than the mild reputation suggests.
What makes a coastal roof inspection different?
The failure order is reversed. Inland, the roofing material usually goes first. On the coast, salt attacks the hardware — screws, fasteners, flashing, drip edge — while the panels or shingles above still look perfectly sound. An inspection that only assesses the surface will pass a roof that is actively failing underneath it.
Can Universal sign my wind mitigation form?
Yes. Fla. Stat. § 627.711(2)(a) requires insurers to accept a uniform mitigation verification form signed by a licensed home inspector, a certified building code inspector, a general, building or residential contractor licensed under § 489.111, a professional engineer, or a registered architect. Universal holds a Certified Building Contractor licence, CBC1258484. A roofing-only CCC licence is not on that list.
How long have you worked in Northeast Florida?
More than 25 years, from the office on Philips Highway. We run metal, stone-coated steel, Spanish tile, shingle and flat roofing here, plus a new-construction department — so the inspector looking at your roof has worked on that material in this climate.
Find out what your Jacksonville roof actually needs — free
Photos, a written condition report, and an honest answer. If your roof is fine, we'll tell you that too.
Get a Free Roof InspectionSchedule Free InspectionGet My Free InspectionBook Free Inspection (904) 274-6858
Universal Roof & Contracting · 9446 Philips Hwy Ste 7, Jacksonville, FL 32256 · Florida licences CCC057165 and CBC1258484
Sources (8)
- U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Jacksonville International Airport (USW00013889) · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
- Inspections · Citizens Property Insurance Corporation
- Section 627.711, Florida Statutes (uniform mitigation verification) · The Florida Legislature
- Section 627.0629, Florida Statutes (mitigation discounts) · The Florida Legislature
- License CBC1258484, Certified Building Contractor · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation
- License CCC057165, Certified Roofing Contractor · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation
- Universal Roof & Contracting reviews · GuildQuality
- Universal Roof & Contracting, Orlando (Google Business Profile) · Google