Updated October 30, 2026.

We’re an independent insurance agency in Gainesville, about 40 minutes north of Ocala, in business since 1983. Florida agency license L055907, held by Lee C. McGriff and Mack Williams Insurance Agency, Inc. We work with Ocala and Marion County homeowners by phone, email and video.

Growth in Marion County is concentrated in the southwest part of the county (Ocala Gazette). If you’re buying a new or newer home there, whether it’s your first Florida home, a move closer to family or a downsize from a larger property, use this checklist with your agent before you close.

1. Start early

Line up coverage well before closing so your lender has what it needs. Your lender will usually want proof of homeowners insurance before closing. New homes close on builder schedules, and completion dates can move. If your closing date moves, tell us so the policy start date moves with it.

2. Collect the roof and construction details

Insurers ask about the roof, the windows and how the home was built. Ask the builder for:

  • The roof covering type and the date the roof permit was finaled
  • The permit date for the home and the building code edition it was built under
  • Window and door ratings, and any shutters or impact rated glass
  • The certificate of occupancy date

A new roof matters for more than price. Roof age counts from the last time the whole roof was built or replaced under the code in effect at the time. Keep the paperwork so you can show the date years from now.

3. Ask us about a wind mitigation report

A wind mitigation report usually matters for homes built in 2001 or earlier, before the Florida Building Code took effect statewide in 2002. For newer homes, it mainly helps when the home has impact rated windows and doors, so ask us before you schedule one. The inspection may be at your own cost. Florida law requires residential property insurers’ rate filings to include actuarially reasonable discounts, credits or other rate differentials, or deductible reductions, for features shown to reduce wind damage (section 627.0629, Florida Statutes). The amount varies by insurance company and by home. A wind mitigation inspection documents those features on the state’s form OIR-B1-1802, which the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation posts on its wind mitigation resources page. The form says a report is valid for up to 5 years if the home hasn’t had material changes. McGriff-Williams Insurance doesn’t do wind mitigation inspections.

4. Understand how you’ll own the home

Some communities have unusual ownership. For example, central On Top of the World is a 99-year leasehold, and some Del Webb Stone Creek parcels are in a community development district, or CDD, at about $800 to $1,800 a year (Nova55Living). Tell us how you’ll hold title and whether the home is a single family home, a villa or an attached home. That affects what kind of policy fits and who insures the roof and exterior walls.

If there’s a homeowners association, ask for its rules on roofs, exteriors and shared walls. Some associations insure part of the structure and leave the rest to the owner, and your policy should cover what the association’s policy doesn’t, without overlapping.

5. Ask about sinkhole coverage

Even where a developer reports no sinkhole history on its property, as Calesa does (Calesa FAQ), the county is karst country. The Florida Geological Survey’s database of reported subsidence incidents listed 491 reports in Marion County as of October 30, 2026, and 3 of them were marked as verified sinkholes. Reports are voluntary and many aren’t verified, so they don’t tell you about any one lot.

Homeowners policies from admitted insurers must include catastrophic ground cover collapse, which has a narrow definition. Broader sinkhole loss coverage must be offered for an additional premium, and the insurer may require an inspection first (section 627.706, Florida Statutes). See our sinkhole guide.

6. Check flood before you close

Check your address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. Homeowners policies generally exclude flood, so flood is a separate policy. If the lot is in or near a mapped flood zone, ask the builder whether an elevation certificate is available.

Timing matters. An NFIP policy usually takes effect 30 days after you apply and pay the premium, but there’s an exception for a policy bought when a loan is made, increased, extended or renewed (44 CFR 61.11). If you want flood coverage on a new purchase, set it up with your closing. See our flood guides.

7. Review the builder’s warranty separately

A builder’s warranty and a homeowners policy do different jobs. A warranty generally deals with defects in how the home was built, on the builder’s terms, while a homeowners policy covers sudden losses such as fire, wind or theft, subject to its terms. Read the warranty, note its deadlines and keep it with your insurance papers.

8. Bring the rest of the household along

New households often add cars, teen drivers, a golf cart or a personal umbrella. A personal umbrella can add a layer of liability coverage above your home and auto policies, subject to its terms, and most umbrella policies require minimum liability limits on those underlying policies. Review them together when you set up the home policy. If you drive a golf cart or LSV, see our golf cart and LSV guide.

What to send us

  • The property address and expected closing date
  • Builder name, year built and roof type
  • Approximate square footage
  • Any wind mitigation report or elevation certificate
  • Your lender’s insurance requirements

A licensed member of our team will review your request and contact you by phone or email. Coverage isn’t in place until it’s bound.

See also new construction home insurance and home insurance in Ocala and Marion County. Back to Ocala insurance.

Talk with us

Closing on a new Ocala home? Call (352) 371-7977 or contact us.

Sources

General information, not legal or coverage advice. Coverage depends on the policy issued, its terms and underwriting. Sources checked October 30, 2026. McGriff-Williams Insurance is an independent insurance agency in Gainesville, in business since 1983 and licensed in Florida. We are not affiliated with FEMA, the NFIP or Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, Florida’s state-created insurer, or with any builder or community named on this page.