If your Florida home was built before 2002, almost every carrier in the state will ask for a 4-point inspection before they'll bind a homeowners policy. It's short, it's cheap, and it decides whether you get a real price or a decline.
What a 4-point inspection is
A 4-point inspection is a snapshot of the four systems that cause the most insurance claims in Florida. An inspector — usually a licensed home inspector, general contractor, or electrical/plumbing contractor — documents the age and condition of:
- Roof. Covering type, approximate age, remaining useful life, and any active leaks or visible damage.
- Electrical. Panel brand and amperage, wiring type, breaker condition, and any double-tapped or unsafe connections.
- Plumbing. Supply and drain pipe materials, water heater age, and signs of active leaks.
- HVAC. System type, age, and whether it's operational.
It is not a full home inspection. There's no structural report, no pest inspection, no appraisal. The inspector isn't grading your house — they're answering one question for the carrier: are these four systems likely to cause a claim soon?
Why carriers require it
Florida's loss history is dominated by water and roof claims. An old polybutylene supply line or a 22-year-old roof is a near-certain future claim, so underwriters price and accept homes based on system age rather than the year the house was built alone.
Most Florida carriers ask for a 4-point when:
- The home is more than 25-30 years old (in practice, most carriers now use 2002 as the cutoff because of the Florida Building Code change).
- You're switching carriers, buying the home, or coming off a non-renewal.
- Your prior policy lapsed.
What it costs and how long it takes
Expect roughly $75-$150 in most Florida markets, often bundled with a wind mitigation inspection for a small discount. The visit itself takes 30-45 minutes and the report usually lands in your inbox within 24-48 hours. Reports are generally accepted for up to 12 months, though some carriers want one dated within 90 days.
The things that get homes declined
A 4-point rarely fails for cosmetic reasons. It fails for these:
- Roof with under 3-5 years of remaining life. Most carriers want at least 3 years left on a shingle roof, 5 for some.
- Federal Pacific, Zinsco, Challenger, or Sylvania panels. Widely considered fire hazards and an automatic decline with many carriers.
- Polybutylene supply plumbing. Common in Florida homes built 1978-1995 and a hard stop for most markets.
- Cloth-wrapped or knob-and-tube wiring, or aluminum branch wiring that hasn't been pigtailed.
- Active leaks or visible water damage anywhere in the report.
- Fuse box instead of breakers, or a panel under 100 amps.
If your report flags one of these, you're usually not out of options — you either repair it, or you go to a carrier that accepts the condition at a higher rate. A licensed agent shopping the whole market matters a lot here.
How to prepare before the inspector shows up
- Clear access to the electrical panel, water heater, attic hatch, and air handler.
- Find your roof permit or replacement invoice. A documented replacement date beats an inspector's visual estimate every time.
- Fix obvious drips and stains beforehand. A $20 supply line replaced today keeps "active leak" off the report.
- Ask the inspector to do the wind mitigation inspection at the same visit. It's the form that actually lowers your premium — often 20-40% off the wind portion.
Pairing it with wind mitigation
The 4-point gets you accepted. The wind mitigation form (OIR-B1-1802) gets you discounts. They're separate inspections, but the same inspector can complete both in one trip, and there's no reason to run them separately if your home is pre-2002.
Upload yours and get priced in seconds
If your home was built before 2002, 4quote.ai prompts you to upload your 4-point and wind mitigation reports during the quote flow. Our AI reads the documents, fills the underwriting fields automatically, and forwards them to the carriers — so the price you see is the price you actually pay, with no post-bind rate surprise.
Don't have the reports yet? You can still get indicative prices now, then upload later. Enter your address at 4quote.ai and we'll price every A-rated Florida home and flood carrier in seconds.