Insurance companies often require a 4 Point Inspection in order for the home buyer or homeowner to receive (or maintain) homeowners insurance. The insurance company’s concern is that there may be conditions existing in an older home that coul be a potential liability for them. A 4 Point Inspection gives the insurance company a better idea of the home they’re insuring.

Insurance companies have become much more strict on the qualifications and certifications of inspectors who perform 4 Point Inspections on their homes.  Don’t waste your hard earned money, hire a proven 4 Point Inspection company like Pensacola Insurance Inspections.  With thousands of inspections completed for satisfied customers we would be honored to have the opportunity to serve you next!  Call (850) 417-7934 to schedule your 4 Point Inspection today!

The four point inspection covers four main components of the home.  These components include: 1) the Roof system, 2) the Plumbing system, 3) the Electrical system, and 4) the Heating and Air systems.

Every insurance company has their own guidelines on what is acceptable and what is not allowed.  However the following breakdowns are customarily acceptable or not acceptable to admitted insurance carriers in Florida. This is not an exhaustive explanation of the 4 point inspection. Always hire experienced and respected inspectors as they will know the ends and outs of these very specific insurance inspections and will be able to help guide you and answer any questions you may have.  Please also read our blog post OUTLAWED: SIX Home Insurance Deal Killers.

1. The Roofing System:  As the roof is often the first line of defense in most perils, insurance carriers are highly concerned about the condition of one’s roof before binding coverage on that home.  We are unaware of any Florida admitted insurance carrier that will accept a roof with less than three years of useful life left on it.  In addition, any major signs of roof leaks, roof damage, or roof deterioration such as shingles or tiles that are curling, lifted, loose, or missing will often require repair before binding coverage.
2. The Plumbing System:  Flooding and water damage are a common claim among insurance carriers.  The 4 Point Inspection will look specifically at the type of plumbing pipe used in your home, such as copper, galvanized, pex, or cpvc.  The only prohibited plumbing pipe with all Florida admitted carriers is Polybutelene piping.  Galvanized is becoming more of a concern, and some carriers are even concerned about PEX.  Other parts of the plumbing system inspected include the water heater (including the pressure relief valve), the drain lines under plumbing fixtures, and the washing machine hoses.  Any signs of leaks or deterioration can be a major red flag for carriers.  They also like to see that fixtures and components are being updated on a regular basis, some carriers will not write policies on homes that the plumbing fixtures and drain lines have not been updated.
3. The Electrical System:  A number of components are of concern to the insurance carriers as it pertains to the electrical system of your home.  One of those concerns that have been making headlines is concerning aluminum branch wiring.  Without replacing your aluminum wiring with copper wiring or having an electrician perform a proper retrofit adding copalum or alumiconn crimps to your aluminum wiring you will not be able to get insurance with an admitted carrier in Florida.  Other electrical concerns are your incoming service, most carriers now mandate a minimum of 100 amps service into your home.  Fuse panels are no longer allowed and must be replaced with circuit breaker panels.  There are a few circuit breaker panels that have had failures and are no longer allowed such as Federal Pacific Stab-Loc Panels that have been known to be a fire hazard.  In general any exposed or unsafe wiring, as well as older wiring such as Knob and Tube wiring is not typically insurable.
4. The Heating and Air Systems:  This system is not normally as high of a concern to the insurance carriers, however there are some situations that do cause some concerns.  Some carriers will not write a home that does not have central heat and air (not all so just be sure to shop around).  Most carriers, probably all, will not allow the use of portable space heaters with direct heat.  Many insurance carriers do not like floor furnaces or baseboard heaters.  For the average Florida home with central heat and air, you will most likely be okay in this category, insurers do prefer and some require that your central heat and air units be 15 or less years old.

I hope you learned a little more about 4 Point Inspections.  Please be sure to allow Pensacola Insurance Inspections the opportunity to handle any inspection needs you may have.  Thank you so much.