4-Point Inspection in Florida: What It Checks and When You Need One

A 4-point inspection is a short check of your roof, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems that most Florida insurers require for homes over 20 years old. Here is what happens, what fails it, and what it costs.

A 4-point inspection checks four systems only, your roof, electrical panel and wiring, plumbing, and HVAC, and it exists to protect the insurer, not to earn you a discount. Citizens Property Insurance, Florida's insurer of last resort, requires one on "all property owner, dwelling and mobile home applications for properties more than 20 years old," according to its own inspections page, and most private carriers apply a similar age threshold before they will write or renew a policy.

What does the inspector look at in each of the four systems?

The inspector documents "the age, type and condition of the wiring, heating and plumbing systems, and roof," per Citizens. In practice that means the roof's age, material, and remaining useful life; the electrical panel's brand, amperage, and grounding; the plumbing's supply and drain material and water heater age; and the HVAC system's age and condition. This is a visual, non-invasive check, not a full home inspection: nothing gets opened up or tested under load.

What can fail a 4-point inspection?

Insurers are looking for hazards, not cosmetics. The most common flags are roofs near or past the end of their expected service life, obsolete electrical panels (Federal Pacific and Zinsco panel brands are routinely singled out as fire-risk items by carriers), polybutylene plumbing from the 1978 to 1995 era, and any active leak. Citizens' own guidance is direct: "any serious hazards or deficiencies (such as exposed wiring, active leaks or evidence of leaks) should be repaired" before you submit the application, so a bad report is often fixable rather than fatal to coverage. See how to read an inspection report for what the pass/fail language on the form actually means.

How is this different from a wind mitigation inspection?

A 4-point inspection is a condition of getting or keeping a policy on an older home. A wind mitigation inspection is optional and exists purely to document features that earn a windstorm discount. Citizens describes the difference the same way: the 4-point is a mandatory eligibility check based on property age, while wind mitigation is "for discount eligibility." See our side-by-side comparison at wind mitigation vs. 4-point inspection. Many Florida homeowners book both on the same visit, since an inspector who is qualified for one is often qualified for the other and it saves a second callout.

What does it cost?

A standalone 4-point typically runs $75 to $175, and bundling it with a wind mitigation inspection commonly saves you a callout fee, per live Florida pricing data at korehomeinspections.com. Full regional numbers are in our cost guide.