4 Point Inspection

• Four-Point Inspections are specific inspections that are done at the request of insurance carriers.  When you purchase a new home or renew and existing policy, a four-point inspection may be required to receive insurance on the property.  A four-point inspection is usually only required for residential properties such as single-family homes that happen to be 15 years or old. 

• A 4 point inspection looks at the 4 major systems (Roof, Electrical, Plumbing, HVAC) in an older home. While 4 point inspections only look at four house components, typical buyer/seller inspections look at the entirety of the home (or as much as possible without knocking down walls). Because the goal of a full inspection is to help Buyers determine whether to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a property, the home inspector will examine as much as they can to give the Buyer plenty of information to help make their decision. 

• Another difference is that 4 point inspections are requested by the insurance company, while a full home inspection is ordered by the Buyer in a real estate transaction. It is therefore up to the insurance company to decide whether to issue or renew your home insurance policy. If a home doesn’t pass inspection, they can refuse to offer coverage until needed repairs are made.  An insurance company wants to know that an older home has been well maintained, and the major systems are in good working condition. 

• If you're shopping for a new insurance policy with a three-year-old wind mit report, your insurance carrier will likely request an updated one. 

(See Wind Mitigation for more info)