Four-Point Inspection Florida: What Buyers Need to Know Before Closing (2026)
What is a four-point inspection in Florida, and when is it required?
A four-point inspection is a limited-scope examination of a home's four major systems — roof, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC — required by Florida insurance companies (including Citizens Property Insurance) when issuing or renewing a homeowner's insurance policy on older homes, typically 30 years or more. It's not a full home inspection; it focuses specifically on condition, safety, and remaining useful life for insurance underwriting purposes. In St. Petersburg, where much of the housing stock dates to the 1960s–1990s, this inspection is a routine part of the closing process — and a failed four-point can kill a deal if insurance cannot be bound.
Here's something that catches buyers off guard in St. Petersburg: your lender doesn't care what the roof looks like. Your insurance company cares enormously.
A four-point inspection exists entirely for the insurance underwriter. It answers one question: is this home insurable at standard market rates? And in Pinellas County, where a substantial portion of the housing stock is 30–50 years old, the answer isn't always yes.
Here's what you need to know before you write an offer on an older home.
What the four-point inspection actually covers
Roof
The inspector assesses current condition, material type, age, and estimated remaining useful life. Asphalt shingle roofs get scrutinized once they approach 15 years — at that age, many insurers will ask for a replacement before binding coverage. Metal and tile roofs are evaluated more on current condition than age alone. The inspector looks for missing shingles, lifted sections, soft spots, visible deterioration, and improper repairs.
Electrical
The inspector examines the service panel, wiring type, and overall electrical safety. Two materials will cause immediate problems with almost every Florida insurer: knob-and-tube wiring (common in pre-1950s homes) and aluminum wiring (common in homes built in the 1960s–1970s). Both are considered fire hazards and will typically result in a denial or significant premium surcharge. Federal Pacific or Zinsco breaker panels are also flagged by many underwriters.
Plumbing
The inspector looks at visible piping material, water heater condition and age, and any signs of active leaks or corrosion. Polybutylene pipes (gray plastic piping common in homes built 1978–1995) are a serious flag — many insurers won't write a policy on a home with polybutylene unless it has already been replaced. Cast-iron drain lines under the slab are also frequently noted. Water heaters older than 10–12 years are often noted as needing replacement.
HVAC
The inspector evaluates the heating and cooling system's condition, age, and serviceability. A working system that is well past its typical lifespan (15–20 years for central AC) may be flagged even if it's still running. Insurers are less concerned about HVAC than the other three systems, but a failed unit will be noted.
What it costs and who orders it
A standalone four-point inspection in the St. Petersburg area runs $75–$150. Bundled with a wind mitigation inspection — which your insurer will likely also request — the combined cost is $125–$225. The savings on bundling are real; they typically share the same appointment and inspector.
Usually the buyer orders the four-point inspection during the inspection period. If the seller has a recent one (within the past year or so), some insurers will accept it — but confirm with your agent and insurance broker first.
When it becomes a problem
The four-point inspection is the insurance step most buyers underestimate — and it's the one most likely to surface a deal-altering condition in Pinellas County.
Here's how it plays out when something is wrong: the inspector flags the roof (15-year shingles, some granule loss), the electrical (old panel, some aluminum branch wiring), or the plumbing (polybutylene supply lines). The insurance company comes back and says they won't bind coverage until those items are repaired or replaced — or they'll offer coverage at a significantly higher premium.
At that point, you're in a negotiation with the seller. You can ask the seller to address the issue before closing, request a price reduction to offset the repair cost, or walk away if you're within your inspection period. What you can't do is ignore it — your lender won't fund a loan without proof of insurance.
The difference between a four-point and a full home inspection
A full home inspection is what you should always do — it examines the structure, interior, exterior, appliances, systems, and dozens of other components. It gives you the full picture of the home's condition.
The four-point is narrower: it exists for the insurer, not for you. You might have a perfectly fine full home inspection that still produces a problematic four-point — if the roof is 14 years old and the panel has aluminum wiring, the inspector's report may be clean from a "function" standpoint while the insurer still requires upgrades.
In St. Pete, I always recommend doing both — and doing the four-point early in the inspection period so you know the insurance situation before your contingency window closes.
A quick note on sellers
If you're selling a home in St. Petersburg that was built before 1990, expect the buyer's insurance company to require a four-point inspection. The items most likely to come up: roof age, aluminum branch wiring, and polybutylene plumbing.
If you know any of these are issues in your home, addressing them before listing — or at least getting current pricing for remediation — puts you in a much better negotiating position than being blindsided during the buyer's due diligence period.
Frequently Asked Questions
A standalone four-point inspection typically costs $75–$150 in the St. Petersburg area. When bundled with a wind mitigation inspection at the same appointment, the combined cost is usually $125–$225 — a meaningful savings over scheduling them separately.
Common failure points include: knob-and-tube or aluminum wiring, Federal Pacific or Zinsco electrical panels, polybutylene plumbing, asphalt shingle roofs approaching or past 15 years old, cast-iron drain lines with significant corrosion, and water heaters older than 10–12 years. A "failure" doesn't mean the home is unlivable — it means the insurer won't bind coverage until those items are addressed.
Not by your lender, directly — but it's effectively required because you can't close without proof of homeowner's insurance, and your insurer won't bind coverage on most older Florida homes without one. Homes that are newer (typically under 25–30 years old) may not require it, but this varies by insurer.
A full home inspection is a comprehensive evaluation of the property's condition — structure, interior, exterior, all systems, appliances, and more. A four-point inspection is a narrow, insurance-specific assessment of just four systems: roof, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. Both are typically done during the inspection period, and both serve different purposes.
You have options: negotiate with the seller to address the issue before closing (repair or replacement), request a price reduction equal to the estimated repair cost, or exit the contract within your inspection period if the issue is deal-breaking. What you can't do is close without insurance — so resolving it is a necessary step.
A four-point inspection is routine in St. Petersburg — but the results aren't always routine. I walk every client through this before we write an offer.
Ask Amanda About Your Home