4 Point Inspections in Northeast Florida

It varies by carrier, and there is no single rule that covers all of them. Requirements differ between carriers and change over time, so the only reliable answer comes from the company actually writing your policy. Ask your insurance agent, your realtor or your lender whether a 4-point is needed for the policy you are placing or renewing — and if one is called for, we can include it with your inspection on the same visit.

The usual blockers are Federal Pacific Stab-Lok, Zinsco or Challenger electrical panels; knob-and-tube or cloth-insulated wiring; aluminum branch circuit wiring without approved repairs; polybutylene supply plumbing; a roof documented with roughly three years or less of remaining life; and any active leak in the roof, plumbing or HVAC. Most of these result in a decline rather than a higher premium.

Typically $100 to $225 in Northeast Florida as a standalone visit, and less when combined with wind mitigation on the same trip. Larger homes with multiple panels or HVAC systems sit at the upper end.

Usually 45 minutes to an hour and a quarter. It is narrow but not shallow — the panel cover comes off, water heater and HVAC data plates get photographed, and piping materials get identified at every accessible location.

You get a written report naming the specific item, which is exactly what you need to fix it. A Federal Pacific panel replacement, a polybutylene repipe, or a roof replacement are all correctable, and once corrected a re-inspection documents the fix and the carrier can move forward. A 4-point is a snapshot of current condition, not a permanent verdict.

No, and this is the most common misunderstanding. A 4-point looks at four systems only, for the benefit of an insurance carrier making an underwriting decision. It says nothing about the structure, windows, doors, drainage, appliances, attic ventilation, or dozens of other things a buyer needs to know. If you are buying, get a full home inspection — the 4-point is an add-on, not a substitute.

The buyer, almost always, because the buyer is the one who needs to bind coverage. On a purchase it's typically ordered alongside the home inspection so everything happens in one visit and the insurance quotes can start moving while the contingency period is still open.

Federal Pacific Electric Stab-Lok, Zinsco (including Sylvania-branded equipment from that lineage), Challenger, and Pushmatic panels are the recurring names. Carriers flag them because of breaker failure-to-trip histories, which means an overcurrent event can continue rather than opening the circuit. Many Florida carriers will not bind at all on these, and some will not offer a repair condition. Replacing individual breakers does not resolve it, because the concern is the bus and the breaker-to-bus connection, not one device. The fix is a full panel and breaker replacement by a licensed electrician under permit, generally a four-figure job depending on service size and whether the service entrance and grounding need updating. Do it before the inspection, keep the permit final inspection record, and give a copy to your agent with the report.

Because the failure mode is systemic and gives no warning. Polybutylene supply piping was installed widely from about the late 1970s through the mid-1990s, and the pipe body itself is often intact. What degrades is the joint. Chlorine and other oxidants in treated water attack the material from the inside out, and failures concentrate at insert fittings and crimp connections, frequently inside walls or above ceilings. There is usually no slow drip beforehand, so the first symptom is a full-flow leak. Patching one failed fitting does nothing about the other two hundred in the house. Carriers price that accordingly. A whole-house repipe in PEX or CPVC is disruptive but well understood, and once it is complete with a permit record, the underwriting flag goes away entirely.

Yes, but redo it after the correction, not instead of it. Shopping for a second inspector who will report the same conditions differently is how people end up with a policy that gets rescinded on a carrier re-inspection or a claim disputed later. The productive sequence is: get the specific finding corrected by a licensed trade under permit where a permit applies, collect the invoice and the permit record, then have a fresh 4-point performed that documents the corrected condition with photographs. Most carriers will accept an updated report plus documentation. If the finding was remaining roof life, understand that a repair rarely resets it. Carriers are estimating years left on the covering, and only a re-roof, or genuine evidence the original estimate was wrong, changes that number.

They serve different purposes and many Florida homeowners end up with both. The 4-point tells the carrier whether it wants the risk at all; it is a gate. The wind mitigation form on OIR-B1-1802 tells the carrier what construction features reduce hurricane loss, and it drives credits under Florida Statute 627.0629; it is a discount document. A clean 4-point earns you no credit, and a strong wind mitigation form will not rescue a home with a Federal Pacific panel and a nineteen-year-old roof. They are commonly performed in the same visit, which is cheaper than two trips and means one scheduling conversation. Requirements vary by carrier, so confirm with your insurance agent, your realtor or your lender which of the two your policy actually calls for, and we can include either or both with your inspection.