Straight answers about how Picket works

Yes. Running a risk check on any Palm Beach County address is free, with no account and no payment. We only make money if you ask us to introduce you to an agent and that introduction later results in a closed transaction — at which point the brokerage pays us a referral fee. That fee is never paid by you, and it doesn't change what you pay for the home. If you never ask for an intro, we never earn anything from you, and that's fine.

Our report is built from public records (county appraiser, building permits, FEMA flood data, condo filings) plus models for things like insurance cost. Anything modeled is clearly marked as an estimate, not a quote. Estimates are meant to get you in the right ballpark and flag what to investigate — the final, binding numbers come from a licensed insurer, inspector, or your agent verifying the specifics. Treat Picket as a fast, honest starting point, not the last word.

Your info goes to exactly two places: the report we send you, and the licensed agent we introduce you to if you ask for an intro. Picket may earn a referral fee from the agent's brokerage when a deal closes — paid by the brokerage, never by you. No lead lists, no data brokers, and no drip campaigns firing at you from ten directions.

By design, for fair housing reasons. Picket analyzes properties — not people or neighborhoods. We report on flood risk, insurance cost, building health, permits, and condition. We deliberately don't publish school ratings, crime scores, or demographic data, because those can steer buyers in ways that conflict with fair housing principles. For that kind of information, we point you to official public sources — for schools, the Florida Department of Education and the School District of Palm Beach County, and for other public records, the relevant county and municipal offices — and let you decide what matters to you. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Licensed Palm Beach County real estate agents who we've vetted and who know the local market. When you request an intro, you're connected to one agent with your report attached — not dropped onto a lead list where a dozen agents blow up your phone. It's a real introduction to a real person, once.

Palm Beach County, Florida for now. Our data, our flood and insurance models, and our agent network are all built specifically for PBC, and we'd rather do one county well than the whole state poorly. We'll expand deliberately.

A Structural Integrity Reserve Study — a study Florida requires for condo buildings three or more habitable stories tall, inventorying major structural components and setting a funding plan so the association can pay for them. It's one of the most important documents to read before buying a condo. Full explainer in our condo SIRS guide.

FEMA flood zones. Zone AE is high-risk — lenders require flood insurance, typically thousands more per year. Zone X is moderate-to-low risk — flood insurance isn't mandatory, though it's often cheap enough to consider. Zones vary parcel to parcel, even on the same street. Details in our flood zone guide.

A wind mitigation inspection documents a home's hurricane-resistant features (roof shape, roof-to-wall connections, roof deck attachment, and more). Florida insurers must give premium credits for qualifying features — often worth $800–$1,400 a year. More in our 2026 insurance guide.

Absolutely. The report is yours to keep and share — bring it to your existing agent, your inspector, or your lender. There's no obligation to request an introduction, and using the free check doesn't sign you up for anything. If you're already working with someone you trust, use Picket as extra homework and skip the intro.