4 Point Home Inspection: What Homeowners Need to Know
A 4 point home inspection is a limited-scope inspection performed primarily for homeowner insurance underwriting. It examines four building systems — heating and cooling, electrical, plumbing, and roof — and is required by many insurance carriers before they will write a new policy or renew an existing policy on a home above a certain age. Florida is the state most associated with the 4 point inspection because of its property-insurance market dynamics, but Texas, Louisiana, the Carolinas, and several Gulf-coast states also see frequent carrier requirements for them. The 4 point is not a substitute for a full general home inspection — it is a narrow risk-assessment document a carrier uses to decide whether the property is insurable at all. This guide explains what each of the four points covers, who orders one, and how it differs from a full home inspection.
The Four Points: What Each Section Covers
A 4 point inspection examines only the four systems listed in the inspection’s name. The inspector documents each system’s type, approximate age, observed condition, and any deficiencies that would concern an insurance underwriter. The four systems and what the inspector documents in each:
1. Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC)
The inspector identifies the system type (forced-air furnace and central AC, heat pump, boiler with separate cooling, mini-split, or window units), records the manufacturer and model from the data plate, estimates the equipment age, and notes the observable condition. The underwriter is looking for systems older than 15 to 20 years — equipment past this age has higher failure rates and the carrier may either decline coverage or require equipment replacement before issuing a policy. Window AC units in lieu of central cooling are noted but are not typically a deal-breaker.
2. Electrical
The inspector documents the service size, the panel manufacturer and model, the type of branch wiring observed, and any obvious safety concerns. Insurance underwriters care intensely about specific panel manufacturers and wiring types that have known fire-risk histories: Federal Pacific Stab-Lok panels, Zinsco panels (sometimes branded Sylvania-Zinsco), aluminum branch wiring installed in the 1960s and early 1970s, and knob-and-tube wiring in pre-1950s homes are all flagged on a 4 point. A panel from any of these manufacturers will typically force the carrier to decline or require replacement before issuing coverage. A modern panel from a current manufacturer (Square D, Eaton, Siemens, Leviton, GE) in good visible condition usually passes.
3. Plumbing
The inspector identifies the supply line material (copper, PEX, PVC, CPVC, galvanized steel, polybutylene), the drain piping material (cast iron, PVC, ABS), and the water heater type and age. Polybutylene supply lines are a particular concern — they were installed widely in the 1970s through the mid-1990s and have a documented history of failure leading to catastrophic water damage claims. Many carriers will not write a policy on a home with polybutylene plumbing without replacement first. Galvanized steel supply lines in older homes are also flagged because of corrosion-related leak risk. Cast iron drain piping is noted but is not typically disqualifying.
4. Roof
The inspector documents the roof covering material, approximate age, observed condition from the ground or roof surface, evidence of past or active leaks, and remaining expected useful life. Underwriters look for roofs older than 15 to 20 years on asphalt shingle, with the exact threshold varying by carrier. Tile and metal roofs have longer expected lives. A roof that the inspector estimates has fewer than five years of remaining useful life will typically be declined or will trigger an underwriting requirement to replace the covering before coverage is bound.
Who Orders a 4 Point Inspection and When
The 4 point inspection is ordered by the homeowner — or by the buyer of a home that is changing hands — at the insurance carrier’s request. Most carriers trigger the 4 point requirement on homes that are 30 years old or older, though specific age thresholds vary. Some carriers require it at age 25, some at 40. The requirement is independent of the property’s recent maintenance history; a 35-year-old home that has been continuously well-maintained will still trigger the requirement because the underwriting decision is made on age first and inspection findings second.
Florida’s market is the most heavily 4-point-driven because the state’s property-insurance landscape has been shaped by hurricane risk and the resulting carrier consolidation. Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, the state-created insurer of last resort, requires 4 point inspections on most older policies. Private Florida carriers that compete with Citizens use the same standard. In other states — particularly Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas — carriers also order 4 points routinely on older homes. Front Range Colorado homeowners encounter the 4 point less often, but it appears in some carriers’ underwriting requirements for homes built before approximately 1990.
How a 4 Point Differs From a Full Home Inspection
The two products are not interchangeable. The full home inspection performed under the ASHI or InterNACHI Standards of Practice covers structure, foundation, roof, exterior, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, interior, insulation, ventilation, appliances, and the inspector’s observations of every accessible area of the property. It typically runs 30 to 80 pages with photos and is delivered to the buyer, not the insurance carrier. The 4 point covers only four systems, runs five to fifteen pages, and is delivered to the insurance underwriter. The two documents have completely different audiences and different purposes.
Several specific differences are worth understanding before ordering either inspection:
- Scope. The full inspection covers every accessible system. The 4 point covers four named systems and ignores everything else.
- Audience. The full inspection is for the buyer making a purchase decision. The 4 point is for the insurance underwriter making a coverage decision.
- Standards. The full inspection follows the ASHI or InterNACHI Standards of Practice. The 4 point follows the insurance carrier’s specific form requirements, which vary by carrier.
- Pass/fail framing. The full inspection does not use pass/fail language. The 4 point effectively does — each system either meets the carrier’s underwriting criteria or it does not.
- Cost. A full inspection in the Front Range market runs $400 to $700. A 4 point typically runs $75 to $200 depending on home size and local market.
- Delivery time. Full inspection reports are delivered within 24 to 48 hours. A 4 point may be delivered same-day because the form is shorter and the scope is narrower.
A buyer who is purchasing an older home should typically order both. The full inspection drives the purchase decision and any inspection-objection negotiation; the 4 point satisfies the insurance carrier’s underwriting requirement so coverage can be bound before closing. Some inspectors offer a discounted combined fee when both are ordered together on the same visit. Background on the broader scope of a full inspection is in our overview of the buyer’s home inspection process.
What Triggers a Failed 4 Point — and What to Do About It
Several specific findings will typically cause a carrier to decline coverage or to require remediation before binding a policy. Understanding these in advance helps a buyer or homeowner anticipate problems before ordering the inspection:
- Federal Pacific Stab-Lok, Zinsco, or Sylvania-Zinsco electrical panels.
- Aluminum branch wiring without documented “AlumiConn” or similar approved repair.
- Knob-and-tube wiring in active use.
- Polybutylene supply line plumbing.
- Galvanized steel supply lines in poor visible condition.
- Roof covering with estimated remaining useful life under three to five years.
- HVAC equipment older than 15 to 20 years (carrier-dependent).
- Water heater older than 10 to 15 years.
- Active leaks anywhere in the four systems at time of inspection.
If the 4 point comes back with any of these findings, the homeowner has three practical options. First, fix the issue — replace the panel, replumb the polybutylene, replace the roof — and have the inspector re-issue a clean 4 point. Second, shop for a different insurance carrier; specialty carriers do exist that will write policies on homes with older systems, typically at higher premiums and with explicit exclusions. Third, in the case of a purchase, the buyer can negotiate the issue with the seller as part of the inspection-objection process, asking the seller to either fund the repair or credit the buyer at closing. Our coverage of vetting and hiring an inspector walks through the negotiation flow in detail.
4 Point Forms and Inspector Qualifications
The 4 point inspection is typically performed by a licensed home inspector who has experience with the specific carrier forms used in the market. Florida inspectors carry the Citizens Property Insurance form, plus form variants for the major private carriers. Inspectors working in markets where 4 point demand is high keep all the major carrier forms ready in their reporting software. A homeowner ordering a 4 point should ask their inspector which forms they support and confirm that the inspector has performed 4 points for the specific carrier the homeowner is using. The form is short and structured, but the language of each finding matters — a finding worded one way may pass the carrier’s underwriting review, while the same finding worded differently may trigger a decline.
For Colorado Front Range homeowners encountering a 4 point requirement, the inspector should be familiar with the specific carrier’s form. Most Front Range inspectors who do full general inspections will also perform a 4 point on request, though the demand volume is lower than in coastal-state markets.
Wind Mitigation Inspections and Other Insurance Cousins
The 4 point is the most common insurance-driven inspection, but it is not the only one. In coastal states subject to hurricane and high-wind risk, carriers also order a wind mitigation inspection that documents specific construction features the carrier uses to calculate the wind portion of the premium. Wind mitigation looks at roof shape (hip roofs versus gable), roof-to-wall attachment (clips, single wraps, double wraps), opening protection (impact-rated windows and doors versus shutters versus none), roof deck attachment nailing pattern, and several other construction details. A favorable wind mitigation report can reduce a Florida homeowner’s premium by thousands of dollars per year — sometimes more than the inspection cost recovers in the first month of coverage.
Some carriers also order a roof certification inspection separately from the 4 point, focused exclusively on the roof system’s remaining useful life. A roof certification is performed by either a home inspector or a licensed roofing contractor and is typically valid for one to five years depending on the carrier. The roof certification document is shorter than a 4 point and addresses only the roof, but it can stand in for the roof section of a 4 point when the carrier accepts the separate document.
When to Order a 4 Point in the Purchase Process
The optimal timing for a 4 point inspection during a home purchase is concurrent with the general home inspection — same day, same inspector, same property visit. This minimizes scheduling friction and lets the inspector consolidate observations. The combined inspection should happen as early in the contract’s inspection period as possible to leave time for any insurance-related issues to surface before the financing contingency expires. A polybutylene plumbing finding on day 14 of a 17-day contingency is much easier to handle than the same finding on day 16. Buyers in markets where 4 points are required should explicitly ask their lender’s insurance department whether one will be needed, and if so should schedule it at the same time as the general inspection.
References
- InterNACHI Residential Standards of Practice — International Association of Certified Home Inspectors
- ASHI Standard of Practice — American Society of Home Inspectors
- International Code Council building codes overview — ICC