What Is a 4-Point Inspection? (Roof, Electrical, Plumbing, HVAC)

A 4-point inspection is the short, insurance-driven cousin of the full home inspection: a focused look at the four systems insurers care about — roof, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC — usually required to write or renew a homeowners policy on an older home. If a carrier just asked your client for one, or you are an inspector adding them to your services, here is how they work.

Why insurers ask for them

Aging systems drive claims: old roofs leak, outdated panels start fires, failing water heaters flood. On homes past roughly 20 years old (thresholds vary by carrier and state), insurers want evidence of each system's age, materials, and condition before taking the risk. The practice is most established in Florida — where carriers like Citizens Property Insurance require their own specific form — and common across coastal and older-housing markets.

What each of the four points covers

• Roof: covering material, age, remaining condition, visible leaks or damage — with photos of each slope
• Electrical: service size, panel brand and type (some panels are effectively uninsurable), wiring methods, visible hazards — photographed with the panel cover off
• Plumbing: supply and drain materials (polybutylene is a red flag for many carriers), water heater age and condition, visible leaks
• HVAC: system type and age, whether it is central, condition of air handler and condenser — data plates photographed

4-point vs full home inspection vs wind mitigation

A full home inspection serves the buyer and covers every system in depth. A 4-point serves the insurer and takes under an hour — it is about age and insurability, not a complete condition survey. A wind mitigation inspection (also common in Florida) is different again: it documents wind-resistance features like roof attachment and shutters to earn premium discounts. Inspectors frequently bundle a 4-point and wind mitigation in one visit.

Who can perform one, and what it costs

Carriers set the rules, but they generally accept licensed home inspectors, general or building contractors, engineers, or architects. In Florida, home inspectors are licensed through the DBPR. Homeowners typically pay somewhere in the range of US$50–150 — inspectors often price it low as a door-opener, since 4-points arrive in volume from insurance renewals.

Documenting a 4-point efficiently

The work is photo-heavy by design: every slope, the open panel, the water heater label, the data plates, plus any deficiency. The time sink is not the walk-through — it is matching thirty photos to the right sections afterward. Our free 4-point inspection form covers the documentation structure; where a carrier mandates its own form (Citizens does), use the carrier's form for the submission and keep your own record alongside it.

For inspectors running several 4-points a day, InspectPro Solo turns the photo-matching problem into a non-problem: set up the four systems once, save it as a reusable template, and every photo is tagged to its system and item — panel, supply lines, air handler — with severity and comments the moment you shoot it. The branded PDF record is finished when the walk-through is, from a flat US$39/month with a 15-day free trial.