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4 Point Inspection

Certified Four Point Insurance Inspections

The Four Point Insurance Inspection was created after Hurricane Andrew struck Florida in 1992. It is performed on behalf of the insurance companies and, typically, as a requirement for the insurer offering insurance to the new homeowner. After last year’s barrage of hurricanes in Florida, the Four Point Insurance Inspection has taken on added importance. As insurance companies are beginning to see the benefit of the inspection, the program is spreading to other areas of the country. The benefit to the insurance company is, obviously, reduced loss risk on homeowners insurance policies. This is an area of business that has, for many years, been a money loser for insurance companies.

In 2002, the Florida Legislature passed a law that combined the Florida Residential Property and Casualty Joint Underwriting Association (FRPCJUA) and the Florida Windstorm Underwriting Association (FWUA). This resulted in the creation of Citizens Property insurance Corporation (Citizens), which more efficiently and effectively provides insurance to, and serves the needs of, homeowners in high-risk areas and others who cannot find coverage in the open, private insurance market.  By law Citizens insurance must be the most expensive insurance policy on the market. It is funded by premiums paid by the insured and from other insurance companies paying into the program to reduce their overall losses.

While the four point insurance inspections were started by Citizens, they have quickly spread to most, if not all of the insurance companies that provide coverage in Florida.  Several insurance agencies in the Alachua county area have been recommending the 4 point inspection for some time now.

While Citizens operates only in Florida, I know of several inspectors in other states who have transitioned their entire businesses into ones that deal only with insurance companies. There are some impressive statistics showing how this has saved the small regional companies substantial money.

The Four Point Insurance Inspection consists of a visual survey of the following four primary components:

  1. Roof
  2. Electrical
  3. HVAC (Heat, Ventilation & Air Conditioning)
  4. Plumbing

The insurance companies are expecting the condition of the components listed above to be working as intended within the manufacturer’s specifications. The insurance companies are looking for the four systems to be in generally good working condition and fulfilling their intended function. If the home is an older home the insurance companies want to see that the systems have been updated. In most cases, the forms are provided by the insurance companies to their clients. The clients then ask the inspector to fill the form out during the course of the home inspection.

The criteria used to judge the components include:

  • Current operating conditions
  • Scheduled maintenance requirements
  • Expected service life

There are other types of specialized programs that are similar in nature to this type of inspection and may exist in specific markets. For example, some states require low income buyers to obtain an inspection of a home prior to purchase to obtain a low interest loan. In Missouri, for example, the Missouri Housing Development Corporation (MHDC) has an inspection requirement that is similar to a Four Point Insurance Inspection. Another example would be in California where many homeowner insurance companies require verification of foundation attachment for homes built prior to 1965.

Why do I need a four point inspection?

Insurance companies have become increasingly reluctant to issue Homeowner Insurance Policies on older homes (usually 25 years old or more). Their common concern is that there may be conditions in an older home that could become a liability to them. For instance; a home with a roof nearing the end of its reliable service life may fail while under the policy and the homeowner may seek reimbursement from their insurance company for damages to the home or its contents. Similar concerns extend to the condition of the HVAC, electrical and plumbing systems in an older home. If these elements are in poor condition, in need of being updated or replaced or were improperly installed, they may fail and cause fire or water damage to a home.

Newer homes are assumed (by the insurance companies) to not have these problems as frequently as older homes.

Is there a standard form to fill out? 

There is no industry wide standard form for a Four Point Inspection. Some insurance companies provide their own forms; however, most insurance companies will accept forms from companies that perform home inspections provided that they are filled out by qualified individuals.

Can I fill out the form myself? 

Insurance companies want these forms filled out by certain qualified individuals such as a licensed Professional Engineer, Electrician, General or Roofing Contractor, Certified Home Inspector or an ICC Certified Inspector.

I am buying a home. Can I use this as a less expensive pre purchase home inspection?

No. This four point inspection is not intended for use as a pre sale or pre purchase comprehensive inspection. As it is geared for your insurance needs, The Four point inspection will not contain the type of information you may need to make an informed decision for purchase. .

I had a home inspection before I purchased the home. Can I use that report instead of getting a Four Point Inspection Report? 

The insurance companies do not want large reports that contain other information. They want only specific information about the HVAC, plumbing, electrical system and roof in a short one or two page signed document.

Costs, Coordinating all these Trades Professionals for a 4 point Inspection sounds Costly and lengthy.
Bungalows to Mansions Inspectors are in tune with these systems and our professionals in the inspection business to offer the four point inspection at a discounted rate.  If you hired all four trades to perform the inspection, it would get very expensive. We have also streamlined forms to satisfy most interests of insurance companies quickly and cost effectively to offer the four point inspection.

Guarantees, Who can Guarantee the four point inspection forms enable me to be approved for Insurance?

NONE ! Please be clear that Bungalows to Mansions Professional Home Inspection, LLC is not employed by Insurance companies, and cannot guarantee any aspect of the four point inspection, including but not limited to: INSURABILITY, UNDERWRITING, NEED FOR ADDITIONAL CERTIFICATION OR INSPECTIONS SUBSEQUENT TO INITIAL INSPECTION, WORK TO BE PERFORMED FOLLOWING INSPECTION, Etc

In summary, the Four Point Insurance Inspection program is gaining in popularity and will likely continue to expand as the insurance companies recognize the value of the inspection and the savings benefits it provides to the insurance carrier.  Bungalows to Mansions Professional Home Inspection, LLC is proud to offer four point insurance inspections as part of our full line of inspection services.

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Bungalows to Mansions Professional Inspection Services
9014 SW 75th Way
Gainesville, Florida 32608
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(352) 871-8989
Info@BungalowstoMansions.com

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Reviews

Google Rating
4.3
Bungalows to Mansions Professional Inspection Services, LLC
Bungalows to Mansions Professional Inspection Services, LLC
4.3
Valentina Fandino
Valentina Fandino
17:43 30 Jun 21
Bruce was extremely thorough, efficient, and quick to get us the report for a home we wanted to purchase. Not only was he extremely professional but super personable, made the inspection experience less scary for a first time home buyer like me, and gave us excellent feedback and ideas. I really appreciate this company and Bruce’s work ethic! Will call them again in the future for any other inspections.
Adam Ursell
Adam Ursell
16:43 21 Jul 20
Bruce is very thorough and helpful! A good decision all around. We were recently interested in purchasing a property, we had Bruce inspect it and found signs that indicated potential defective drywall in the home. This was also suspected by an inspector who had seen the home in 2019. We asked the seller to do a chemical test of some of the walls, which they refused, so we cancelled our offer as we had no definitive way of knowing whether it was defective drywall or not besides the sellers word, which for a home that could need an immense amount of work is something we weren't willing to take at face value. The seller did provide documentation so far as an inspection from several years prior and a note from the construction companies purchasing agent, but we found this insufficient to set our worries at ease. Though we cancelled during our inspection period, the seller also tried to claim our deposit as well as slandering everyone we worked with, which was completely unnecessary as we were perfectly within our rights and due process in doing this. We wanted buyers to know we trust Bruce thoroughly, as he himself was very thorough and alerted us to things we needed to know. Though we ended up not proceeding with the home he inspected, he also took time investigating the home after the inspection with us by reviewing older inspection documents and even reaching out to prior inspectors personally. We wanted to thank him for all his time and effort making sure we knew exactly what we were buying. Thank you so much my friend! We will continue to use and recommend your service! =)
Yeni Monroy
Yeni Monroy
21:27 25 Oct 17
Very professional, excellent work, prompt and polite. Goes the extra mile to help you with any request from insurances or realtors needs. Always available for any questions you may have . I've use them more than once and wouldn't hesitate in referring them.
Carl Pennick
Carl Pennick
23:50 10 Jan 17
As a fellow inspector I have always trusted Bruce for advise and 2nd opinions when I have found issues carrying out my own home inspections. His knowledge on home inspections is 2nd to none.
Wade Swikle
Wade Swikle
21:10 03 Feb 16
Bruce provides years of experience in home inspections, and is incredibly involved in the real estate community. It's no wonder some of Gainesville's top Realtors continuously trust Bruce to take great care of their client's home inspection needs!
Joe Prager
Joe Prager
23:00 22 Aug 13
I have used Bruce Graham for inspections at my own home (two wind mitigation reports) and have referred my real estate customers to him. He does a stellar job. He is very thorough, and detailed and finds a lot of problems that other inspectors might miss. His professionalism is well known in the community and he points out flaws he finds in a fair and balanced manner - explaining any findings in clear and understandable terms to the home buyer. (I know of some inspectors that become quite dramatic and scare buyers if they find lots of problems, which to me is unprofessional - but Bruce is not like that.) Bruce is very well qualified (he is a general contractor and InterNASHI member, and has lots of experience. His reports offer detailed explanations and photos and can be used as a "to do list" to fix up a home afterwards. I suspect whomever posted the negative review is a competitor, as I been with Bruce on about 10 inspections and his work was outstanding. In one inspection, he found a bad blower motor on a Trane air handler on a bank foreclosure property.. It was an intermittent problem, so we called the listing agent and asked for the local A/C guy to come out and fix it before the closing.. They came out but could not find the problem, so I had them come back a 2nd time and I was there, too, and they still could not duplicate the problem. But, just as Bruce had predicted, two days after the buyers moved in, the blower motor FAILED... we were able to go back to the listing agent and seller and demand that they pay the $400 to replace the fan. Bruce was right all along - it was bad stator winding on the fan. So, if you want your inspection done right, give Bruce a try. His new company name is 1st Inspections Florida.
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