What Is a 4-Point Inspection in Florida? Roof, Electrical, Plumbing and HVAC Explained for 2026

What is a 4-point inspection?

A 4-point inspection, often spelled four-point inspection, is a short, limited inspection that an insurance company asks for before it agrees to cover an older home in Florida. The "four points" are the roof, the electrical system, the plumbing and the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning). For each one, the inspector records how old it is, what kind of system or material it is and what shape it is in, and backs those answers with photographs.

The report is written for an underwriter, not for you. Its job is to answer one practical question: are these systems in a state the insurer is willing to cover? Citizens says so plainly on its sample form, where it explains that the information "only is used to determine insurability and is not a warranty or assurance of the suitability, fitness or longevity of any of the systems inspected." A 4-point does not predict how long your A/C will last, and it does not look at the foundation, the windows, the appliances or the pool. Those belong to a full inspection, and our buyer's guide explains why a full home inspection is still worth it.

You may see it called a 4 point home inspection, an insurance inspection, a four-point certification or simply "the 4-point." Agents and inspectors use all of these names for the same document. If you are reading this because an insurance agent asked for one during a purchase or before a renewal, this is the report they mean, and the rest of this guide explains what goes into it and how to get through it without delays.

Why Florida insurers ask for a 4-point inspection

An insurance application tells the underwriter the year a house was built, but not what has happened to it since. A 1985 house might still have its original water heater, panel and roof, or it might have been re-piped, rewired and re-roofed ten years ago. Those two houses carry very different risks, and the year built alone cannot tell them apart. The 4-point closes that gap by documenting the current state of the systems most likely to start a fire or a water loss as a home ages.

Water is a large part of the concern in Florida. Supply lines, water heaters and A/C condensate drains can all leak slowly inside walls and ceilings, and air conditioning runs for much of the year here. Electrical systems matter for a different reason: worn, overloaded or outdated components can overheat. The form's checklists reflect both worries, from "prior leak" on the plumbing page to "scorching" and "double taps" on the electrical page.

The report also works as a gate. In the instructions printed with its form, Citizens tells agents they "may not submit applications for properties with electrical, heating or plumbing systems not in good working order or with existing hazards/deficiencies." Private carriers write their own underwriting guidelines, so the same report can be acceptable to one company and not to another. That division of labor is the key to understanding the whole process: the inspector describes accurately, and the insurer decides.

Is a 4-point inspection required in Florida?

No Florida statute requires homeowners to get one. The requirement comes from the insurer you apply to, and in practice that makes it unavoidable for many older homes. The clearest published rule is the one from Citizens Property Insurance Corporation: its inspections page says it "requires a four-point inspection for all property owner, dwelling and mobile home applications for properties more than 20 years old." Citizens lowered that line from 30 years to 20 for policies effective on or after February 1, 2022.

Three details in Citizens' published answers are easy to miss:

• New business, not every renewal. Citizens says the 4-point is required on new-business submissions for homes more than 20 years old, and that Underwriting can still ask for one on a renewal, case by case.
• Condos and renters are excluded. Citizens states that four-point inspections are not applicable to tenant named insured and condominium risks.
• Some situations need a fresher report. Homes with a prior sinkhole claim, or with lender-placed coverage in effect within 45 days of the policy's effective date, have much shorter windows, shown in the table below.

Private insurers are not bound by Citizens' rule. Each sets its own trigger, and those limits often fall between 20 and 30 years. Because the form records when each system was last updated, an older house with a newer roof, panel, piping and A/C gives the underwriter a very different picture than its year built alone. Your agent knows the rule for each carrier they quote, so ask early, before a deadline is close.

How is the age of the home counted?

The form asks for the "actual year built," which usually comes from the property appraiser's record or the original permit. Updates do not change that number. A 1978 house with a new roof and a new panel is still a 1978 house for the age rule, but the form records the update years, the kind of work and who did it, and that is the information the underwriter weighs next. In 2026, homes finished in the mid-2000s are crossing Citizens' 20-year line, so many owners of fairly recent houses are being asked for a 4-point for the first time.

The Citizens 4-point inspection form, section by section

Citizens publishes a sample 4-Point Inspection Form. The current version carries the code Insp4pt 03 25, from a March 2025 update. Using that exact layout is not mandatory: the special instructions say the form "is not required," but that "any other inspection report submitted for consideration must include at least this level of detail to be acceptable." Reports written for other carriers generally cover the same ground, and a few insurers have forms of their own.

The March 2025 revision made several changes worth knowing:

• Photos must now show the temperature and pressure relief (TPR) valve on the water heater.
• Any single-strand aluminum wiring remediation needs separate documentation, certified by a licensed electrician.
• The HVAC question about wood-burning stoves and central gas fireplaces was split in two, adding whether the unit was professionally installed.
• The plumbing page added the age of the water heater and the year any PEX piping was installed.
• If the roof shows a visible sign of a leak, the inspector has to explain it.

Citizens said reports on an older version would not be rejected, but Underwriting could contact the agent about missing information, which is exactly the kind of back-and-forth that delays a binder. The table below summarizes what each part of the current form asks, the photos that go with it and the paperwork that helps you answer it.

At the end, the inspector signs a certification that "the above statements are true and correct," with their title, license type, license number, company and phone. A separate comments section must be filled in with full details whenever the inspection shows updates (the type of work, when it was done and by whom), any visible hazard or deficiency, or any system not in good working order.

What a 4-point inspection includes: roof, electrical, plumbing and HVAC

Every system gets the same three questions: how old is it, what is it, and what condition is it in. Citizens defines the standard the inspector certifies against: "Acceptable Condition means that each system is working as intended and there are no visible hazards or deficiencies." Here is what that looks like in practice for each of the four points, with what we look at and what you can have ready.

What photos does a 4-point inspection need?

Citizens says photos "must accompany each 4-Point Inspection Form" and lists a minimum set. A report missing any of them invites a follow-up request from Underwriting, so a careful inspector treats this list as the floor, not the goal:

• Each side of the dwelling.
• Each slope of the roof.
• The water heater, including the TPR valve.
• Plumbing and drains under the sink cabinets.
• Exposed valves, such as the main shutoff.
• The main electrical panel with its interior door label.
• The electrical box with the panel cover off.
• The HVAC equipment, including the dated manufacturer's plate.
• Every hazard or deficiency the report mentions.

Good photos do more than satisfy a checklist. A clear shot of a water heater label or an A/C data plate is what backs up the age written on the form, and a photo of a newer panel's label supports its update year. When a repair is made after the inspection, photos of the corrected condition, together with the contractor's invoice, are what the underwriter will want to see. We take more photos than the minimum and make sure labels are readable, so the underwriter has fewer reasons to come back with questions.

Who can sign a 4-point inspection in Florida?

Citizens' rule is short: the form must be completed, signed and dated by a verifiable Florida-licensed professional. Its examples are a general, residential or building contractor, a building code inspector and a home inspector, and its published answers also accept Florida-licensed architects, professional engineers and building code officials whose licenses can be verified. Citizens warns that a form may not be accepted if the professional's Florida license is not active or cannot be verified.

Trade licenses come with a limit. A trade-specific licensed professional may sign off only on the section of the form for their own trade, so an electrician can complete the electrical page but not the roof or the plumbing. That is one reason most owners use a single inspector for the whole report: one visit, one signature and one consistent set of photos.

Florida licenses home inspectors through the Department of Business and Professional Regulation under Part XV of Chapter 468 of the Florida Statutes, which defines home inspection services as "a limited visual examination" of a home's readily accessible installed systems and components. Before you book anyone, ask for the license number and check it on DBPR's online license search at myfloridalicense.com. It takes a minute and can save you a rejected report. Our guide to comparing inspection quotes lists other questions worth asking before you book. Peter Lemos, our owner and lead inspector, is a Certified Master Inspector® and an InterNACHI Certified Wind Mitigation, Four Point and Mold Inspector.

How long is a 4-point inspection good for?

For Citizens, the answer is specific: the report "must be dated within the last 12 months" before the new-business application is submitted. Two exceptions are tighter. If lender-placed coverage was in effect within 45 days of the policy's effective date, Citizens wants a 4-point completed within 10 days before that effective date. For a home with a prior sinkhole claim, the 4-point must be dated within 90 days before the effective date.

Private carriers publish fewer details, and their rules vary. Many look for a report from roughly the past year, and some are stricter. Ask the agent what date range their carrier accepts before you send an older report, because an application that bounces for a stale inspection can push back your binding date.

The calendar is not the only thing that ages a report. A 4-point describes the house on the day of the visit. If you replace the water heater, the panel or the A/C afterward, the old report does not show the improvement, and an underwriter can only work with what is on paper. If a system breaks down after the visit, the report no longer describes it accurately either. When something important changes, a new inspection is the clean way to show it.

What happens during a 4-point inspection, step by step

A 4-point is much shorter than a full home inspection, but it follows a fixed order so that every answer and every required photo is covered before we leave.

1. Scheduling. We ask for the address, the year built, your insurer or agent, your deadline and whether any system has been replaced. You get a firm price before the appointment is booked.
2. Outside the house. We photograph each side of the home and look at the outdoor A/C condenser, its data plate and the exterior electrical equipment.
3. The roof. We view and photograph every slope, from a ladder at the edge or with a drone when the roof should not be walked, and note the covering, its condition and any damage.
4. The attic and ceilings. We check the underside of the roof deck for stains or active leaks and look at the ceilings below.
5. The electrical panel. We remove the dead front, photograph the interior and the door label, read the amperage and brand, identify the wiring and note any hazard on the form's list.
6. Plumbing. We check the water heater, its TPR valve and its label, look under every sink, check toilets, tubs and showers for leaks and identify the visible supply and drain piping.
7. HVAC. We run the system from the thermostat, confirm that it cools and heats, photograph the data plates and inspect the drain pan and condensate line.
8. The report. You receive the completed form with its photos, usually the same day. Forward it to your insurance agent, who submits it with your application or renewal.

On a typical single-family home the visit takes around an hour. Houses with two panels, several A/C systems, a hard-to-reach roof or a crowded garage take longer. If you also need a wind mitigation report or a full home inspection, they can be done in the same visit.

How to prepare for a 4-point inspection

Most delays come from access, not from the house. A few minutes of preparation lets the inspector answer every question on the form instead of leaving one blank.

• Clear a path to the electrical panel and any subpanel. In many South Florida homes the panel is in the garage, often behind shelves or storage.
• Make the water heater reachable, whether it sits in a garage corner, a utility closet or a closet with an outside door.
• Empty enough of each sink cabinet that the pipes and drains can be seen and photographed.
• Clear the attic hatch, the space below it and the closet that holds the air handler.
• Keep the power, water and gas on, and leave the thermostat accessible so the A/C and the heat can be run.
• Unlock side gates so every side of the house and the outdoor condenser can be photographed.
• Secure pets, especially in rooms with the attic access or the air handler.

Paperwork that makes the report stronger

An inspector can see what is installed, but documents prove when it was installed and by whom. If you have them, gather the roofing permit and contract, any panel replacement permit or electrician's invoice, a re-piping invoice or permit, the water heater's purchase or installation receipt, the A/C installation invoice and recent service records, and, for homes with aluminum branch wiring, the remediation documentation from a licensed electrician. Your city or county building department can usually look up permits by address. The comments section of the form is where updates are described, with the type of work, the date and who did it, so the more of this you can show, the more complete that section becomes.

After the report: can you fail a 4-point inspection?

There is no score on a 4-point form and no box that says pass or fail. The inspector marks conditions satisfactory or unsatisfactory, records ages and materials, and lists hazards. What happens next is an underwriting decision. Your agent is expected to review the form before submitting it, and Citizens tells its agents that it is their responsibility to make sure all rules and requirements are met before the application is bound.

If the report is clean, the agent submits it with the application and the process moves on. If it shows a hazard, a system that is not in good working order, or a roof without enough documented remaining life, you generally have three paths:

• Fix it and document the fix. Have a licensed contractor make the repair, keep the invoice and any permit, and update the report with photos of the corrected condition.
• Ask about other carriers. Underwriting rules differ, and something one company declines may be acceptable to another, sometimes with conditions.
• Plan around it during a purchase. If you are buying, bring the finding into your negotiation before the inspection period ends.

What a good inspector will not do is leave a hazard off the form. The signature certifies that the statements are true and correct, and an accurate report is the only kind that holds up when an underwriter studies the photos. When we see something an insurer is likely to question, we explain it in plain language before we leave, so you can call an electrician, plumber, roofer or A/C contractor right away. For the conditions insurers question most, from panel brands to polybutylene, read what fails a 4-point inspection in Florida.

Buying an older home: getting the 4-point done before closing

For a buyer, the 4-point is a timing problem as much as an inspection. A mortgage lender will want proof of homeowners insurance before closing, and on an older house many insurers will not quote or bind without the 4-point. If the report turns up something a carrier will not accept, you want to learn it while you can still negotiate, not in the week of closing.

1. Contract signed. Note the last day of your inspection period and your closing date.
2. Book early. Schedule the home inspection, the 4-point and the wind mitigation for the first days of the inspection period, in one visit if you can.
3. Send the insurance reports to your agent. The 4-point tells the agent which carriers will consider the house, and the wind mitigation report's answers shape the windstorm part of the premium.
4. Resolve findings. If a carrier wants a repair, get a contractor's estimate and raise it with the seller before your inspection period ends.
5. Bind the policy. Once a carrier accepts the application, your agent provides the proof of coverage your lender needs for closing.

A seller may hand you a recent 4-point. It is useful as an early look, and an insurer may accept it if it is recent enough, but the form carries the applicant's name and the decision belongs to your carrier, so ask your agent before relying on it. A full home inspection is still the report that tells you about the rest of the house, and our guide to booking the 4-point and wind mitigation together walks through the paperwork and timing in more detail.

4-point inspections for mobile homes and condos

Mobile and manufactured homes

Citizens applies the same 20-year rule to mobile home applications, with the same four systems on the form. It also adds a surcharge for older units: mobile homes 36 to 50 years old that lack updated electrical wiring and heating are subject to a 10 percent surcharge, which can be removed with documentation from a verifiable qualified inspector confirming those updates. For an older mobile home, the electrical and heating sections of a 4-point therefore carry extra weight, and any invoice showing when the wiring or the heat source was replaced is worth finding before the visit.

The inspection itself looks a little different. Mobile homes often have a metal roof or a roof-over installed on top of the original, the water heater may sit in a closet with an outside door, much of the plumbing runs beneath the floor behind the skirting, and the air conditioning is often a package unit beside the home. The form asks the same questions, but more of the work happens at the skirting access and the exterior closets than in an attic.

Condo units and HO-6 policies

Citizens' published answers state that four-point inspections are not applicable to condominium risks, so a Citizens HO-6 application for a unit does not need one. Private carriers make their own rules, and some may ask about a unit's own systems in an older building. When they do, the inspection centers on what belongs to your unit: the electrical panel, the water heater, the plumbing at fixtures and the A/C equipment that serves the unit. The roof and the building's structure usually belong to the association, so ask the agent how they want the roof section handled before booking. Our condo unit inspection page explains what a unit inspection covers beyond insurance. For the building itself, read what Florida's condo safety laws mean for buyers.

4-point inspection vs. home inspection vs. wind mitigation

All three involve an inspector walking through your house, and insurers or buyers often ask for them in the same week, so they are easy to confuse. The difference is the question each one answers.

The most common mix-up is between the 4-point and the wind mitigation inspection. The 4-point helps a carrier decide whether to write the home at all. The wind mitigation form documents features such as roof-to-wall connections and opening protection, and Section 627.0629 of the Florida Statutes requires insurers' residential rate filings to include discounts or credits for those features. One report is about eligibility and the other is about price, and older homes often need both. Our wind mitigation guide explains that form item by item.

4-point inspections in South Florida

Many South Florida neighborhoods, from the older streets near the coast to the subdivisions farther west, were built well before the mid-2000s, so a 4-point request is a routine part of buying, insuring or re-insuring a house here. The age rule is the same everywhere in the state, but the findings that show up on the form are shaped by local conditions.

Air conditioning runs for much of the year, so HVAC age, service dates and condensate drainage get close attention. Salt air near the coast corrodes metal, and corrosion is one of the electrical hazards on the form, so meter cans, exterior disconnects and panels on outside walls deserve a careful look in coastal homes. Tile roofs are common across Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach, and Citizens treats tile, metal and concrete as hard roofing with a 50-year documentation threshold instead of the 25 years used for shingles.

We work from our office in Hollywood and inspect across all three counties, including 4-point inspections in Hollywood and the cities around it. Each local page explains what is typical in that area.

The bottom line

A 4-point inspection is the insurer's look at the four systems that age fastest in a Florida home: roof, electrical, plumbing and HVAC. It records age, type and condition with photos, it must be signed by a verifiable Florida-licensed professional, and for Citizens it must be dated within 12 months before a new application on a home more than 20 years old. Nothing on it is a pass or a fail, but what it shows decides whether a policy gets written, so access, paperwork and timing matter as much as the house. If you need one in Broward, Miami-Dade or Palm Beach County, call or text (954) 297-0317 or request a quote online, and you will have a firm price before anything is scheduled. You can also read more about our 4-point inspection service and how our inspections work.

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.