Four-Point Inspection Florida: What It Covers & Fixes
For Florida homes over 20 years old, the four-point is the document that decides whether an insurer will touch you at all — and a quiet failure can make a home unsellable.
The short answer
A four-point inspection in Florida is a report on a home's four major systems — roof, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC — that insurers require before writing or renewing a policy on homes over roughly 20-30 years old. It confirms each system is functional, safe, and near-end-of-life risks are documented.
What is a four-point inspection in Florida?
Definition
A four-point inspection is a focused report on four home systems — roof, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC — used by Florida insurers to decide whether to insure a home. It is typically required on homes 20 to 30+ years old and is not a full home inspection; it only judges whether these four systems are safe and functional.
The four-point exists because Florida insurers stopped trusting the age of a home to tell them anything useful. A 1978 house with a new roof, rewired panel, and repiped plumbing is a fine risk. The same house with its original systems is a claim waiting to happen. The inspection separates the two.
Here is the uncomfortable part most agents won't say out loud: a failed four-point doesn't just raise your premium — it can make the home uninsurable, and an uninsurable home is effectively unsellable. No lender funds a mortgage without proof of insurance. If carriers decline based on the report, the buyer walks, and you're stuck fixing systems on your timeline or dropping your price.
Key takeaways
- The four-point covers only roof, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC — not the whole house.
- It's usually triggered on homes 20-30+ years old at new policy or renewal.
- A failing system can trigger a decline, not just a surcharge.
- It is a separate document from a wind mitigation inspection, which lowers premiums.
- Cost is typically $75-$175 and takes under an hour.
What each system needs to pass — and what fails it
Inspectors and insurers are looking for the same thing on all four systems: functional condition, remaining useful life, and the absence of known fire, water, or liability hazards. The specific red flags are consistent across Florida carriers, and most are fixable before you ever order the report.
| System | What fails it | Typical fix cost |
|---|---|---|
| Roof | Under ~3-5 years of remaining life, active leaks, missing/curling shingles, past permits not closed | $12,000-$30,000 (full replacement) |
| Electrical | Federal Pacific / Zinsco panels, knob-and-tube or aluminum branch wiring, double-tapped breakers | $1,500-$4,000 (panel swap) |
| Plumbing | Polybutylene or original cast-iron drain lines, active leaks, galvanized supply pipes | $4,000-$15,000 (repipe) |
| HVAC | System over ~15-20 years, no cooling, visible corrosion, non-functional at test | $6,000-$12,000 (new system) |
Polybutylene plumbing and Federal Pacific panels are near-automatic declines. According to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, carriers have tightened underwriting sharply since the market crisis, and these two items sit at the top of nearly every insurer's exclusion list. If your home has either, assume you'll need to fix it before you can get standard coverage — not after.
Roof age is the single biggest factor. Many Florida carriers won't write a policy on a roof with fewer than three to five years of remaining life, regardless of whether it currently leaks. That's why a 15-year-old shingle roof in good condition can still sink an application.
Four-point vs. wind mitigation: don't confuse them
Quick distinction
A four-point inspection tells the insurer whether they'll cover you at all. A wind mitigation inspection tells them how much of a discount you've earned. The four-point is a gate; the wind mit is a coupon. Older homes usually need both.
| Factor | Four-point | Wind mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Determines insurability | Determines premium discount |
| Covers | Roof, electrical, plumbing, HVAC | Roof shape, straps, deck attachment, openings |
| Effect of failing | Can be declined coverage | Just less discount, no penalty |
| Typical cost | $75-$175 | $75-$150 |
| When required | Homes 20-30+ years old | Any home, voluntary but valuable |
If you're spending money on an inspector anyway, order both in the same visit. The wind mit can cut a Florida wind premium meaningfully — see our wind mitigation savings guide — while the four-point just keeps the door open. Homeowners who track their systems, permits, and inspection history in one place (this is exactly what One Home Agent's document agent handles) walk into renewals with the paperwork carriers actually want.
Pass-the-four-point audit
Run this before you order the inspection — or before you list the home. Every item below is something a Florida inspector will look at, and catching it early turns a decline into a passable report.
Checklist
0/12Walk your home before the inspector does
What it costs when you fail — and the order to fix things
Fix in order of decline risk, not cost. A $2,000 panel swap that removes an automatic decline is more urgent than a $12,000 roof with four years of life left. Spend where the insurer says no, first.
- 01
Kill the automatic declines
Federal Pacific/Zinsco panels and polybutylene plumbing block coverage outright. Fix these before anything else — a panel swap runs $1,500-$4,000, a repipe $4,000-$15,000.
- 02
Address roof life
If the roof has under 3-5 years left, most Florida carriers won't write it. A replacement is $12,000-$30,000, but a new roof also unlocks better wind mit discounts.
- 03
Handle HVAC age
A 15-20+ year system is a surcharge risk more than a hard decline. Replace it if you're already listing or if it fails at test — $6,000-$12,000.
- 04
Document everything
Keep permits, receipts, and photos. Carriers reward proof; missing paperwork on closed work can still read as a failure on the report.
Bottom line
The four-point isn't red tape — it's the difference between an insurable home and a dead listing. On any Florida home past 20 years, treat it as a scheduled maintenance milestone, not a closing-day surprise. Fix the declines first, document the rest, and you keep control of your timeline and your price.
Keep every system, permit, and inspection in one place
Insurance renewals and closings both hinge on paperwork you didn't know you needed. See how a white-labeled home management platform keeps homeowners audit-ready year-round.
Talk to usFrequently asked questions
A four-point inspection in Florida typically costs $75 to $175 and takes under an hour. Ordering it alongside a wind mitigation inspection in the same visit often saves money, since both examine overlapping parts of the home and many inspectors bundle the two reports.
Sources & further reading