What Is a 4-Point Inspection in Florida, and How Do You Pass One?

If you’re buying or insuring an older home in Florida, sooner or later someone will ask for a “4-point.” It’s a short inspection, usually done in one visit, but it can decide whether an insurer will write the house at all. Knowing what’s on the form ahead of time lets you fix problems before they become a declined application.

Here’s what a 4-point inspection covers as of October 2026, when insurers ask for one and the issues that most often hold up coverage.

What is a 4-point inspection?

A 4-point inspection is a report on the four systems insurers worry about most in older homes: the roof, the electrical system, the plumbing and the heating and air conditioning (HVAC). A Florida-licensed inspector records the age, type and condition of each and photographs them.

It’s narrower than a full home inspection. The Citizens Property Insurance sample form says underwriting relies on it “to determine insurability” and that it is “not a warranty or assurance of the suitability, fitness or longevity of any of the systems inspected.” It answers one question: is this house an acceptable risk?

Is a 4-point inspection required by law in Florida?

No. It’s an underwriting requirement, and each insurer writes its own rule. No Florida statute sets an age at which a home needs one.

Citizens, the state’s insurer of last resort, is the clearest published example. Citizens requires a 4-point inspection “for all property owner, dwelling and mobile home applications for properties more than 20 years old,” and its FAQ says the report must be completed within the last year. Citizens doesn’t require one for condominium unit owner or tenant policies. Private insurers set their own thresholds, and those vary, so don’t assume a newer home is exempt until your agent confirms it for the carriers you’re quoting.

Who can perform a 4-point inspection?

The Citizens form says a “verifiable Florida-licensed professional” must complete, sign and date it, and gives as examples a general, residential or building contractor, a building code inspector or a home inspector. A trade-specific licensee can sign only their own section, so a licensed electrician can sign the electrical portion and nothing else.

The minimum photos on the Citizens form are each side of the house, each roof slope, the water heater and its relief valve, under-sink plumbing and exposed valves, the main electrical panel with the interior door label, the panel with its cover off and every hazard noted.

What does a 4-point inspection check?

System	What the inspector records
Roof	Covering material, age, remaining useful life, last permit date, full or partial replacement, cracking, curling, granule loss, missing tabs or tiles, soft decking, leaks
Electrical	Breakers or fuses, total amps and whether they’re sufficient, panel brand and age, wiring type, and hazards like double taps, scorching, exposed or loose wiring and improper grounding
Plumbing	Pipe types for supply and drain, re-piping history, water heater age and location, relief valve, active or prior leaks, condition of fixtures and appliance connections
HVAC	Central air and heat, age, last service date, working order, wood stoves or space heaters as primary heat, condensate line or drain pan leaks

On the Citizens form, the roof section can stand in for its separate roof inspection form when photos of every slope are attached.

What most often causes a home to fail a 4-point?

Nothing on the form is literally “pass” or “fail.” The insurer reads the report and decides. Citizens tells its agents they “may not submit applications for properties with electrical, heating or plumbing systems not in good working order or with existing hazards/deficiencies.” These are the items that most often cause trouble.

Electrical panels and wiring

The Department of Financial Services lists “the brand of electrical panel” among the typical criteria Florida insurers underwrite on, and the Citizens form asks for the panel’s brand and model. Federal Pacific Electric (Stab-Lok) and Zinsco panels are among the brands insurers question most often. Whether a given insurer will accept one, and on what conditions, varies.

The Citizens form also asks specifically about:

• Cloth wiring and active knob and tube wiring
• Single-strand aluminum branch circuit wiring. Citizens requires separate documentation of any remediation, certified by a licensed electrician, and the form lists COPALUM crimp and AlumiConn connector repairs
• Fuses instead of breakers, and amperage. Citizens says all new-business applications must have at least 100-amp service

Plumbing materials and leaks

Citizens’ eligibility rules say “new-business risks that are over 20 years old with polybutylene piping are not insurable by Citizens.” Polybutylene is a plastic water supply pipe found in some older homes. The form also asks about galvanized steel, cast iron and other pipe types, whether the home has been fully or partly re-piped and when, and whether there are signs of active or prior leaks. Galvanized supply lines in older homes are another item many insurers look at closely.

Roofs near the end of their life

The roof section draws close attention, because the inspector has to estimate the roof’s remaining useful life. Florida law gives you some protection here. Our roof age guide explains how section 627.7011, Florida Statutes, limits refusals based solely on roof age.

HVAC age and condition

Insurers look for a system in good working order with a recent service date. A space heater used as primary heat, a wood-burning stove that wasn’t professionally installed or a leaking condensate line will show up on the report.

4-point inspections and Lakeland’s older homes

Lakeland has a lot of homes that clear the 20-year mark by decades. The City of Lakeland’s historic district narratives date the Lake Morton districts to about 1900 to 1942 and Dixieland to about 1905 to 1940, with Craftsman bungalows and frame vernacular houses the dominant styles. Many have been updated over the years, but updates only help if they’re documented. Before the inspection, pull permits and invoices for any re-wire, panel change, re-pipe, new roof or new HVAC system. Your inspector can then record the update year instead of “original to home.”

How to prepare for a 4-point inspection

1. Ask your agent which insurers will quote the home and what each requires, so you only pay for one inspection.
2. Gather permits and invoices for roof, electrical, plumbing and HVAC updates.
3. Clear access to the electrical panel, water heater, attic hatch and under-sink plumbing.
4. Have an electrician look at any known issue first: scorching, double taps, a fuse box or open junction boxes.
5. Fix active leaks and replace a missing water heater relief valve before the visit.
6. Schedule the inspection close to your application date, since Citizens wants it completed within the last year.
7. Read the report before it’s submitted and ask the inspector to correct any errors.

If you’ll also want hurricane discounts, a wind mitigation inspection is a separate form, and many inspectors can do both in one visit.

What to have ready before you request a quote

• The completed 4-point report and photos, and the inspection date
• Roof covering type, year installed and permit date
• Years and permits for electrical, plumbing and HVAC updates
• Electrical panel brand and amperage
• Your current declarations page and any nonrenewal notice

With those in hand, you can start a homeowners quote and a licensed agent will tell you which carriers fit before anything is bound. You can also read more about our homeowners coverage or our work with Lakeland homeowners.