What is a 4-point inspection in Florida?
A 4-point inspection in Florida is a short insurance inspection of four systems in the house: the roof, the electrical system, the plumbing, and the HVAC. Insurers use it to decide whether they will write or keep a policy, not to score your whole house or promise how long anything will last.
Florida's Department of Financial Services, in a guide from the Office of the Insurance Consumer Advocate, calls it a specialized evaluation that companies commonly require when they issue or renew a homeowners policy. It is limited to those four systems. It is not a full home inspection, not a wind mitigation inspection, and not automatically the same report as the roof useful-life inspection under Florida's 15-year insurance rule.
What the inspector is supposed to record
The DFS guide says the inspector looks at:
- Roofing: type, age, condition, and visible damage or deterioration. Some companies also want a remaining-useful-life estimate, especially on older roofs.
- Electrical: wiring type, panel condition, and safety hazards such as exposed or outdated components.
- Plumbing: water heater and its age, pipe types, leaks, and whether the system has been updated or re-piped.
- HVAC: age, condition, whether it runs, visible damage, and notes on wood-burning stoves or central gas fireplaces when they are present.
The report should include photographs of each side of the home, each slope of the roof, the water heater and exposed plumbing, open electrical panels and their doors, the HVAC equipment with the dated manufacturer's plate, and any hazards or deficiencies. If a 4-point arrives with one wide shot of the house and no roof-slope photos, it may not be what the carrier asked for.
Citizens Property Insurance, Florida's insurer of last resort, requires a four-point inspection on property owner, dwelling, and mobile home applications when the property is more than 20 years old. The inspector has to report the age, type, and condition of the wiring, heating, plumbing, and roof. Citizens also says serious hazards or deficiencies, such as exposed wiring, active leaks, or evidence of leaks, should be repaired before you apply. Private carriers set their own age triggers and forms. Ask your agent which form they will accept.
How this is different from other Florida roof inspections
- A 4-point judges whether four systems look insurable. Citizens' inspections page treats it as an eligibility inspection.
- A wind mitigation inspection documents construction features, often on form OIR-B1-1802, that may qualify the house for premium credits. It is not a roof-condition certificate. See the wind mitigation FAQ.
- Florida Statutes section 627.7011(5) gives you a path, on a homeowners policy, to have an authorized inspector document remaining useful life before a carrier can require a reroof solely because of roof age. That useful-life inspection is about the roof, and the people the statute lists as authorized inspectors include a licensed roofing contractor if the insurer approves them. That is a different report from a 4-point. See the 15-year rule FAQ and the non-renewal FAQ.
Do not assume one visit, or one PDF, covers all three.
Who can do it, how long it takes, and what it costs
The DFS guide says a licensed Florida inspection professional should complete and sign the 4-point: a home inspector, or a general, residential, or building contractor. Verify the license at the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, https://www.myfloridalicense.com, and ask your insurer which license and form they will accept before you book. This page does not claim that a roofing contractor can always sign a 4-point.
The same guide says a thorough 4-point should generally take about an hour, and that a visit much shorter than that may not have been thorough. As a standalone service, it says the price may typically range from $100 to $300, depending on the professional, the market, the region, and the size of the house. If it is bundled with a full home inspection, the 4-point may be part of a package price. Those are DFS planning ranges, not a TruShield quote. Get more than one price.
The guide also says the report often needs to be dated within 30 days before an insurance application, but each company sets the acceptable timeframe. Confirm that date with your agent so you do not pay twice.
What a 4-point does not do
- It does not guarantee the insurer will issue or renew the policy.
- It is not a warranty or a promise of remaining life, even when the form asks for a useful-life estimate.
- It does not lower your premium by itself. Wind mitigation is the inspection that documents discount features.
- Finding a leak, worn shingles, or another deficiency can mean you have to repair it before a policy is issued or renewed. The DFS guide says to address identified hazards promptly.
- Citizens has additional older-roof rules on top of the 4-point: documentation of at least five years of remaining useful life for soft roofs older than 25 years, and for hard roofs such as tile, metal, or concrete older than 50 years, and proof of a full-roof replacement if less than five years remain before a policy is written.
Next step
If your agent asked for a 4-point, start with the form and the license your insurer will accept. If the question on the table is the roof itself, a documented roof inspection with photos is still the way to see what is actually wrong before anyone talks about a full replacement.
We match Volusia and Flagler homeowners with local licensed roofers who can document the roof. Ask your agent whether that roof report is enough, or whether you also need a separate 4-point from an inspector the carrier lists.
Call 386-999-4616 or start the quiz on this page.