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How to Prepare for a Florida 4-Point Inspection
What insurers are screening for across roof, electrical, plumbing and HVAC — and what you can address before the inspector arrives.
Mon–Sat 8am–6pm · InterNACHI certified, Florida licensed and insured · 20+ years construction and renovation experience
A 4-point inspection is written for your insurance carrier, not for you. It examines four systems because those four drive most catastrophic residential claims, and the carrier uses it to decide whether to write or renew a policy.
Knowing what gets flagged, and why, lets you address what is addressable before the inspection rather than after a declination.
Electrical — the most common cause of declination
Panel brand
Federal Pacific Stab-Lok, Zinsco, Challenger and Pushmatic panels have documented failure-to-trip histories and are widely declined. Replacement is generally required before coverage is bound.
Wiring type
Cloth-insulated and knob-and-tube wiring are flagged. Aluminum branch wiring is flagged unless it has been remediated by an approved method, and the remediation must be documented.
Double-tapped breakers and open splices
Common, cheap to correct, and easy to address before the inspection rather than explaining afterward.
Missing GFCI protection
Kitchens, bathrooms, garages and exterior receptacles. Straightforward to bring up to date.
Plumbing
Polybutylene supply piping
An automatic fail with most Florida carriers. It fails at the fittings rather than the pipe and does so without warning, which is why it is treated so severely.
Active leaks anywhere
Any active leak is a problem for underwriting. Fix and document before the inspection.
Water heater age and condition
Age, visible corrosion, and correct discharge piping on the temperature and pressure relief valve are all noted.
Cast iron drain lines
Common in older Jacksonville and St. Augustine homes. They corrode from the inside out, so exterior appearance understates the condition.
Roof and HVAC
Remaining roof life, not roof age
Carriers care about documented remaining service life. Below roughly three years, most will not bind coverage. A well-maintained older roof can outperform a neglected newer one.
Visible roof damage
Missing or lifted shingles, displaced tiles, and compromised flashings all get documented.
HVAC age and function
The system must be operational at the time of inspection. Age is recorded, and equipment well past service life draws attention.
Condensate management
A clogged or improperly routed condensate line is both a common finding and a frequent cause of interior water damage claims.
Why these four systems
Roof, electrical, plumbing and HVAC account for the overwhelming majority of large residential insurance losses. Fire, water damage and total loss trace back to these systems far more often than to anything else in a house, so carriers screen them specifically.
Requirements vary from carrier to carrier, and they have been moving. Confirm with your insurance agent, your realtor or your lender whether a 4-point is needed for the policy you are placing or renewing, and we can include it with your inspection when one is called for.
The pass/fail framing is slightly misleading. The inspection documents condition; the carrier decides. But a handful of findings function as near-automatic declines across most of the Florida market, and those are worth knowing in advance.
The bottom line
Most of what fails a 4-point is either unfixable without real expense — a panel, a repipe, a roof — or trivially fixable before the inspector arrives. Knowing which category you are in before you are under contract, or before renewal, is the entire value of scheduling early.
To schedule a 4-point inspection in Northeast Florida, call 904-806-7679.
Questions
Can I fail a 4-point inspection?
It is not formally pass or fail — it documents condition and the carrier decides. In practice certain findings do commonly block coverage: flagged panel brands, polybutylene piping, active leaks, and roofs with very little remaining life.
Does my house need a 4-point inspection?
That depends on the carrier rather than on any single age rule, and requirements differ from one insurer to the next. Confirm with your insurance agent, your realtor or your lender, and we can include the 4-point with your inspection.
Can I combine it with a wind mitigation inspection?
Yes, and you should. Both on one visit costs meaningfully less than two separate trips, and many Florida homeowners end up needing both.
Need a professional assessment?
A homeowner walkthrough catches a lot. What it cannot catch is pile condition below the waterline — which is where the failures that matter begin.
Mon–Sat 8am–6pm · 20+ years construction and renovation experience · InterNACHI certified, licensed and insured