What Fails a 4-Point Inspection in Florida? The Findings Insurers Refuse, and How to Fix Them

What fails a 4-point inspection in Florida? Who really decides

People search for what fails a 4-point inspection because it feels like a test the house has to pass. The form does not work that way. The version Citizens Property Insurance publishes today, labeled Insp4pt 03 25, has no pass box and no fail box. It asks a Florida-licensed inspector to describe four systems, attach photos and certify that the statements are true and correct. An underwriter then reads it and decides whether the home fits the company's guidelines.

So when a homeowner says the house "failed," one of three things usually happened. The insurer declined the application. The agent would not submit it until something was repaired. Or the policy was written with a condition attached, such as a repair to be finished by a deadline. Which of those you face depends on the company and on the finding, not on the inspector.

Citizens puts its standard in writing on the last page of its form. It defines acceptable condition as each system working as intended with no visible hazards or deficiencies. It also tells agents they may not submit applications for homes whose electrical, heating or plumbing systems are not in good working order, or that have existing hazards or deficiencies. That is the logic behind everything below: the inspector sees and photographs, and anything that looks like a hazard goes in front of the underwriter.

4-point inspection requirements in Florida

Citizens requires a 4-point for property owner, dwelling and mobile home applications on homes more than 20 years old, and its FAQ says the report must be dated within the 12 months before the new-business application. At renewal, its underwriting team decides whether a new one is needed. Private carriers write their own rules. Some ask for a 4-point at a younger age, some at an older one, and many keep lists of materials they will not insure at any age. For the background on the inspection itself, read our guide to what a 4-point inspection is and who needs one. This article stays on the problems.

The table below shows what the Citizens form asks the inspector to record for each system, and the photos it requires. Each "flag" column entry is something that tends to send a file to closer review.

The 4-point deal-breakers at a glance

These are the findings that most often stop or delay a policy in Florida, why underwriters worry about each one, the usual repair and the paperwork that tends to settle it. Read it as a map of common patterns, not as any one company's rulebook. Your carrier's guidelines, and your agent, have the final word.

Two things stand out in that list. Most of these are materials that were legal and ordinary when the house was built. Owning one is not a sign of neglect; the insurance market simply stopped accepting them. And nearly every fix ends in a document. A repair the insurer cannot verify does very little for you, so start a folder on day one and keep the permit, the invoice and the photos together.

Electrical panels insurers refuse: Federal Pacific, Zinsco and Challenger

The electrical section is where the most applications stall, and the panel is the first thing an underwriter checks. The Citizens form requires one photo of the main panel with its interior door label and another of the panel with the dead front (the inner cover) removed. From those two pictures anyone can read the brand, see the breakers and spot heat damage. Panel brand matters so much because it cannot be hidden and is easy to screen for.

Other panels can raise questions too when they are old, rusted or damaged. Near the coast, salt air works on panels mounted on exterior walls, and corrosion is one of the hazards the form names. A panel does not need a notorious brand to draw a comment if the inside shows rust, scorch marks or melted insulation.

Knob-and-tube, cloth and aluminum branch wiring

After the panel, the form asks about the wire itself. It has check boxes for cloth wiring, active knob and tube, and branch circuit aluminum wiring, and a supplemental list of wiring types: copper, single-strand aluminum, multi-strand aluminum, copper-clad aluminum, cloth (knob and tube), cloth-jacketed rubber-insulated cable, and NM, BX or conduit. Each of the first three gets different treatment.

Double taps, exposed wiring and other electrical hazards

Beyond brands and wire types, the form carries a hazards list the inspector has to answer: blowing fuses, tripping breakers, empty sockets, loose wiring, improper grounding, corrosion, over fusing, double taps, exposed wiring, unsafe wiring, improper breaker size, scorching and "other." Any box checked needs an explanation, and the inspector must mark the general condition of the electrical system satisfactory or unsatisfactory. Most of these are modest repairs, but any one of them can hold up an application until it is corrected.

• Double taps. Two wires under a breaker screw designed for one. An electrician adds a breaker, joins the wires with a pigtail, or installs a breaker listed for two conductors.
• Exposed wiring and open junction boxes. Splices outside a box, boxes with no cover, loose cable hanging in a garage or attic. Every splice belongs inside a covered box.
• Open slots in the panel cover. When a breaker is removed and the gap is left open, live parts are within reach of a finger. Filler plates close them for very little money.
• Improper breaker size and over fusing. A breaker or fuse rated higher than the wire it protects lets the wire overheat before anything trips.
• Scorching and corrosion. Discoloration, melted insulation or rust inside the panel call for an electrician's evaluation, not a quick cleanup.
• Improper grounding. Missing or loose grounding and bonding connections, often found where a panel or service was altered over the years.

Capacity: is the amperage sufficient?

The form also asks for the total amps of each panel and whether that is sufficient for current usage. Older Florida homes were often built with small services that now have to carry central air, an electric range, a pool pump and more. Many carrier guidelines set 100 amps as a minimum and refuse fuse panels. If your service is smaller or still on fuses, an upgrade is a bigger project that involves the utility company, so start well before your policy deadline.

Polybutylene pipes and insurance in Florida

Polybutylene is the plumbing finding with the clearest answer. It is a flexible plastic supply pipe, usually gray and sometimes blue or black, used in homes from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s. Builders liked it because it was inexpensive and quick to install. Insurers came to see it as a leak risk, especially at the fittings, and the market turned against it.

Citizens' FAQ, updated in January 2026, says new-business risks more than 20 years old with polybutylene piping are not insurable by Citizens on its HO-3, HO-8, DP-1, DP-3, MHO-3 and MDP-1 forms. Homes 20 years old or newer with polybutylene may be eligible if there are no signs of leaks, unrepaired water damage, disrepair or hazards. Because polybutylene left the market decades ago, nearly any Florida home that still has it falls on the wrong side of that line. Many private carriers are just as firm.

Where the inspector looks for it

Supply pipe runs mostly inside walls and slabs, so it has to be read where it surfaces: the connections at the water heater, the stub-outs under sinks and behind toilets, the line at the main shutoff and any pipe exposed in the garage or attic. The form's minimum photos (water heater, under-cabinet plumbing and drains, exposed valves) exist partly for this reason. Gray pipe with metal or plastic crimp rings at those points is the classic sign. Be careful with shortcuts in both directions: a gray stub-out may be a short leftover from a re-pipe, and a copper stub-out can hide polybutylene a few inches into the wall.

The fix: a re-pipe, and the paperwork that proves it

The usual solution is a re-pipe with PEX, CPVC or copper by a licensed plumber, under a permit where your city requires one. The form records whether the supply system is original to the home, completely re-piped or partially re-piped, with the year, so a partial job will show up as partial. Keep the permit, the plumber's invoice describing the scope in plain words (whole house, all supply lines) and photos of the new pipe at the water heater and under the sinks.

Galvanized pipes, cast iron drains and leaks

Polybutylene is not the only material the plumbing section asks about. Its pipe list covers copper, PVC or CPVC, galvanized, PEX, cast iron, polybutylene, ABS and other, along with the age of the supply and drain systems.

Galvanized supply lines

Galvanized steel pipe rusts from the inside out. Over decades the bore narrows, pressure drops and leaks begin at threaded joints. It is typical of the oldest South Florida homes, and some carrier guidelines list galvanized supply plumbing as ineligible no matter how it looks from outside. Weak pressure at the fixtures, brown water when a tap first opens and rust at exposed fittings are the usual clues. The fix is the same as for polybutylene: a documented re-pipe.

Cast iron drains

Cast iron drain lines run under the slab in many homes from the 1950s through the 1970s. They are not automatically a problem on the form, but they also deteriorate from the inside, and slow drains, sewer odors, rust stains at cleanouts or a history of backups invite questions. A plumber's camera inspection is the usual way to learn their real condition, and if you are buying an older home, ask us whether a sewer scope can be added to your home inspection visit. Any replacement or lining work should come with records you can hand to an underwriter.

Leaks, active and past

The form asks two separate questions: is there any indication of an active leak, and any indication of a prior leak. It then rates the dishwasher, refrigerator, washing machine, water heater, showers and tubs, toilets, sinks, sump pump, main shutoff valve and all other visible plumbing as satisfactory or unsatisfactory, with room for comments on leaks, wet or soft spots, mold, corrosion and grout or caulk. That last item surprises people. Cracked grout or failed caulk in a shower lets water into the wall, and an underwriter reads it as a leak in the making. A dripping valve under a sink, a stained cabinet floor or a soft spot beside a toilet can all land in the comments.

Repair leaks before the inspection, and repair the damage they left behind. Citizens' inspections page says serious hazards or deficiencies, including active leaks or evidence of leaks, should be repaired before an application is submitted. An old stain that stays after the repair can still read as evidence of a leak, so keep the invoice that explains it.

Water heater age, TPR valve and location

The water heater has its own lines in the plumbing section: whether it has a temperature and pressure relief (TPR) valve, where it is located, how old it is and what condition it is in. It is also one of the minimum photos, with the TPR valve in the shot. These are the points that draw comments most often:

• A missing, capped or plugged TPR valve. The valve opens if temperature or pressure in the tank climbs too high. A tank without a working one is a real safety hazard, and no underwriter will overlook it.
• A wrong discharge line. Under the model plumbing codes the Florida code builds on, the discharge pipe must drain by gravity, without traps or sags, and end near the floor or at an approved drain so a release cannot scald anyone. A line that runs uphill, is capped or threaded at the end, or stops high in the air is a common note.
• Age. The inspector reads the manufacture date from the data plate or the serial number. Some carriers set a maximum water heater age, so a tank near the end of its life may be worth replacing before you apply.
• Corrosion and leaks. Rust at the base or at the fittings, water in the pan or a damp floor count as active or prior leaks.
• Location. Some carrier guidelines treat a water heater in the attic as ineligible, because a failure there comes through the ceiling.

Replacing a water heater is one of the simpler fixes on this list. Check whether your city requires a permit for the replacement, keep the invoice and take a photo of the new data plate so the next report can show the date.

Roof problems that stop a 4-point inspection

The roof section asks, for the predominant roof and for any secondary roof, the covering material, roof age, remaining useful life, date of the last roofing permit, date of the last update, whether that update was a full or partial replacement and what share of the roof it covered, and the overall condition. Then it lists signs of damage to check: cracking, cupping or curling, excessive granule loss, exposed asphalt, exposed felt, missing, loose or cracked tabs or tiles, soft spots in the decking and visible hail damage. Last, it asks about visible leaks in the attic and on interior ceilings. With photos of each roof slope, Citizens accepts this section in place of its separate Roof Inspection Form.

Roof age and remaining useful life

Citizens requires documentation of at least five years of remaining useful life for shingle and other soft roofs older than 25 years, and for tile, slate, clay, concrete and metal roofs older than 50 years. When a roof has less than five years left, Citizens says the owner must provide proof of a full replacement before a policy is written. Where parts of a roof were replaced at different times, a 2023 Citizens bulletin says the roof age is based on the oldest part. That catches houses where only one slope or a flat section over a porch was redone.

Florida law limits what any insurer can do about age alone. Under Section 627.7011(5) of the Florida Statutes, an insurer may not refuse to issue or renew a homeowner's policy solely because of the age of a roof that is less than 15 years old. For a roof at least 15 years old, the insurer must let the homeowner have it inspected by an authorized inspector, at the homeowner's expense, before requiring replacement, and it may not refuse solely because of age if that inspection shows five or more years of useful life left. Condition is a separate question, though. A young roof with leaks or missing material can still hold up a policy. Our article on Florida roof age rules for insurance covers this in depth.

Condition findings that weigh the most

Age gets the attention, but condition decides many files. Curled or cupped shingles, bare patches where granules have washed off and exposed felt all tell the underwriter the covering is close to the end. On tile roofs, the usual entries are slipped, cracked or missing tiles and loose ridge or hip caps. A soft spot underfoot means rotted decking below. Stains on the underside of the roof deck or on a ceiling are recorded as signs of leaks even after a repair, which is why the roofer's invoice should travel with the report. When a roof is close to an age limit, a roof condition inspection can document its remaining life in more detail.

HVAC: when the air conditioning becomes an insurance problem

The HVAC section is short, and its key question is direct: are the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems in good working order? The form also asks whether there is central air and central heat, the primary heat source if the heat is not central, the date of the last service and the age of the system, and it requires photos of the equipment that include the dated manufacturer's plate.

• A system that does not run. If the A/C does not cool or the air handler does not move air on inspection day, the answer is no. Have it serviced before the visit, not after.
• Condensate problems. The form asks specifically whether the air handler, condensate line or drain pan shows any blockage or leakage, including water damage around it. With A/C running most of the year in South Florida, a clogged drain line spilling into a closet or ceiling is one of the most common water problems in a house, and rust or standing water in the pan is the evidence. Water that sits there can also feed mold, so it helps to know how to spot mold in a Florida home.
• Rust and corrosion. A rusted air handler cabinet, a corroded pan or salt-damaged condenser fins near the coast point to equipment near the end of its life.
• Heat source hazards. The form asks whether a wood-burning stove or central gas fireplace was professionally installed, and whether a space heater, particularly a portable one, is the primary heat source. Plenty of older South Florida homes have no central heat, which the form simply records, but a portable heater as the main source is flagged.
• Age. The Citizens form does not treat age alone as a hazard, but the dated plate puts it on record, and some carriers weigh it.

The fix is service or replacement by a licensed HVAC contractor. Keep the service invoice or the replacement permit, and make sure the new equipment's data plate is easy to reach and photograph.

Mobile homes: the same four systems, with extra rules

Mobile homes get the same 4-point, and Citizens applies its 20-year trigger to mobile home applications too. A few rules weigh more heavily on them:

• Roofs. Citizens requires documentation of a full roof replacement for mobile homes with roofs more than 25 years old, with an exception when documentation shows at least five years of remaining useful life.
• Polybutylene. The Citizens polybutylene rule covers its mobile homeowners (MHO-3) and mobile home dwelling (MDP-1) forms, and many manufactured homes of the 1980s and early 1990s were plumbed with it.
• Wiring and heating. Citizens applies a 10% surcharge to mobile homes 36 to 50 years old that do not have updated electrical wiring and heating. Documentation of those updates from a qualified inspector can remove it, so make sure updates and their dates appear on the 4-point.
• Tie-downs. They are not part of the 4-point form, but Citizens defines a mobile home as one tied down according to the requirements of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, and tie-downs may be inspected separately.

In mobile homes, the water heater often sits in a closet that opens to the outside, and supply lines run under the floor, where a slow leak can go unnoticed for months. Expect the inspector to spend time on both.

What to do if your home has one of these problems

Finding a deal-breaker is not the end of the road. Most have a known, permitted fix, and the order in which you handle things makes a difference.

1. Find out early. If the house is older and you suspect a panel, wiring or plumbing issue, book the 4-point well before your renewal or, as a buyer, early in the inspection period. Not the week the policy has to bind. Before you call, see what the price of a 4-point depends on.
2. Ask your agent how your carrier treats it. Some findings are a flat no, others need a repair before binding, and some can be bound with a deadline. The answer differs from company to company.
3. Get written quotes from licensed trades. An electrician for panels and wiring, a plumber for re-piping and water heaters, a roofer, an HVAC contractor. Ask each to state the exact scope and method.
4. Pull the permit. Panel replacements, re-pipes and re-roofs generally require one. A permit with a passed final inspection is the strongest proof you can give an insurer.
5. Build the file. Permit, final inspection, invoice, product details, before and after photos. For aluminum wiring, the electrician's certification of the remediation.
6. Get an updated 4-point. The form records updates, their dates and who did them, so a new report after the work shows the house as it is now.

If you are buying, a deal-breaker can become part of the negotiation: a repair by the seller, a credit or a price change. Your agent can guide that, and a real estate attorney can answer contract questions. Many buyers also need a wind mitigation report for the same policy, and booking the 4-point and wind mitigation together saves a second visit. Sellers who know their house has one of these issues can get ahead of it with a pre-listing inspection, so a buyer's insurer does not surprise everyone two weeks before closing.

How to prepare so the report reflects the real house

Preparation will not change what is in the walls, but it keeps the report from showing problems that are easy to fix, or from marking as unknown things you could have proved. Before the visit:

• Clear the space in front of the electrical panel and take down anything hanging on it. The inspector will remove the inner cover.
• Make the water heater, its relief valve and its discharge line easy to see and photograph.
• Empty the cabinets under the kitchen and bathroom sinks so pipes and drains are visible.
• Clear the attic hatch and the air handler closet.
• Run the A/C. Change a dirty filter and make sure the condensate drain is flowing.
• Fix small leaks, re-caulk tubs and showers, and replace missing cover plates and panel filler plates.
• Gather permits and invoices for any roof, electrical, plumbing or HVAC work, with dates. An update nobody can date is hard to credit.
• Look up your last roofing permit. Your city or county building department can usually find it by address.

Older homes in South Florida: what to expect by era

Much of the region was built in waves, and each wave left its own materials behind. The table below is a set of general patterns, not a prediction for any single house. A home may have been rewired, re-piped or re-roofed long ago, and the 4-point is how that gets documented.

Location matters as well. Close to the ocean, salt air corrodes exterior panels, meter boxes and condenser coils faster than it does a few miles inland, so a coastal home may show corrosion that a similar home farther west does not. South Florida's long cooling season keeps A/C drain lines working almost every day, which is why condensate findings turn up across all three counties. For the wider picture of what inspections in this region tend to uncover, see our list of common home inspection problems in South Florida.

We inspect across Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties, starting from our office in Hollywood, where many homes date from the eras in the table. Each local page explains what is typical in that city, including 4-point inspections in Hollywood.

Myths about failing a 4-point inspection

• "The inspector can pass the house if I ask nicely." The inspector signs a statement that the report is true and correct. Leaving out a panel brand or a leak is not an option, and a false report puts the inspector and the policy at risk.
• "A new cover will hide the old panel." The brand is printed on the label and the breakers, and the form requires a photo with the inner cover off.
• "My aluminum wiring is fine because nothing has gone wrong." CPSC notes that failing aluminum connections seldom give warning. Citizens asks for documented remediation, not a clean history.
• "If one insurer says no, they all will." Guidelines differ. A finding one company refuses, another may accept with a repair deadline.
• "A roof under 15 years old can't cause trouble." Florida law bars refusal based solely on the age of such a roof. Leaks, damage and missing material are condition issues and still count.
• "Once it's fixed, my old report is fine." The old report still shows the old condition. Ask for an updated 4-point once the work is finished.

The bottom line

Nothing truly fails a 4-point inspection. The report shows an insurer the age, type and condition of four systems, and the insurer decides. The findings that most often stop a policy are known in advance: Federal Pacific, Zinsco and some Challenger panels, active knob-and-tube and cloth wiring, unremediated single-strand aluminum, polybutylene and galvanized pipe, leaks, a worn-out roof and an air conditioner that will not run. Each one has a fix, and each fix needs paperwork. If you own or are buying an older home in Broward, Miami-Dade or Palm Beach County, call or text (954) 297-0317 or send us a request. You get a firm quote before we schedule anything, a report usually the same day, and, if something needs work, a plain-English explanation so you can line up a licensed contractor before your deadline. You can also read more about our 4-point inspections across South Florida.

About the author

Peter Lemos, Certified Master Inspector®

Owner and lead inspector of Global Home Inspectors in Hollywood, FL. Peter holds InterNACHI certifications in wind mitigation, 4-point and mold inspection and has served Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties since 2008.