4-Point Inspections and Roof Certifications for Florida Insurance

What a 4-point inspection is, and what it isn't

A 4-point inspection is a short report an insurer uses to decide whether to write or renew a policy on an older home. A Florida-licensed inspector looks at four systems — roof, electrical, plumbing, and heating and air conditioning — records their type, age and visible condition, and photographs them. The insurer reads the report alongside your application.

It is not a full home inspection. It does not look at the foundation, appliances, windows or most of what a buyer's inspection covers, and it is not the same as a wind mitigation inspection, which records construction features for premium credits rather than condition.

Requirements depend on the insurer. Citizens Property Insurance, Florida's state-created insurer of last resort, requires a 4-point inspection on new homeowners, dwelling and mobile home applications for properties more than 20 years old, dated within 12 months of the application, and may also request one at renewal. Private carriers set their own age thresholds and forms, so ask your agent exactly what they need.

What the inspector looks at on the roof

The roof section is usually the one that decides whether a 4-point goes smoothly. Expect the inspector to record:

• Covering type for each roof area — shingle, concrete or clay tile, metal, or flat/low-slope membrane.
• Age of the roof, ideally backed by a permit date or a final inspection record rather than an estimate.
• Visible damage: cracked, slipped or missing tiles, curling or lifted shingles, heavy granule loss, exposed fasteners, blistered or split flat-roof membrane.
• Signs of leaks: stains on ceilings, damp or discolored decking seen from the attic, or evidence of past water damage.
• Prior repairs, and whether they look like proper repairs or temporary patches.
• An estimate of remaining useful life — the number many insurers care about most.

The other three points, briefly

Even though this is a roofing guide, it helps to know what else the report covers, because an issue in any one system can hold up a policy just as easily as the roof.

On the electrical side, inspectors note the panel brand and capacity, the wiring type and any hazards such as exposed wiring or double-tapped breakers; some older panel brands and aluminum branch wiring draw extra underwriting scrutiny. On plumbing, they note the pipe material, the water heater's age and any active leaks; polybutylene supply piping is a common sticking point with Florida insurers. On HVAC, they note the system's age and whether it works. Each insurer has its own list of conditions it won't accept, so treat this as orientation rather than a checklist.

Roof certifications and remaining useful life

A roof certification — on many carriers' paperwork, a roof inspection form — is a separate document focused only on the roof. Its key output is an estimate of how many years of useful life the roof has left, along with the covering type, age and condition.

This is the document that matters under Florida's 2022 roof-age law. Under section 627.7011(5), Florida Statutes, an insurer may not refuse to issue or renew a homeowners policy solely because the roof is less than 15 years old. For roofs 15 years or older, the insurer must let you obtain an inspection by an authorized inspector, at your own expense, before requiring replacement — and if that inspection indicates five or more years of useful life remaining, the insurer may not refuse to write or renew solely because of the roof's age.

Citizens has its own published roof requirement: shingle and other soft roofs older than 25 years, and tile, slate, clay, concrete or metal roofs older than 50 years, need documentation showing at least five years of remaining useful life. If an inspection shows less than five years, Citizens requires proof of a full roof replacement before it will write the policy.

Who may complete a roof inspection for these purposes depends on the insurer. The statute's definition of an authorized inspector includes licensed home inspectors, building code inspectors, licensed general, building and residential contractors, engineers and architects, and others the insurer approves. Ask which credentials your carrier accepts before booking anyone.

How much these inspections cost

In South Florida a 4-point inspection commonly runs about $75–$175. Many inspectors bundle a 4-point with a wind mitigation inspection for roughly $150–$275, which usually makes sense because insurers often want both on an older home. A standalone roof certification is typically priced in a similar range. These are common market prices, not fixed fees, and size, access and location move them.

If the report comes back with a problem, the cost that matters is the fix. Most roof repairs in Broward County run $450–$3,500, and a full replacement typically costs $9,000–$45,000, with most single-family homes between $12,000 and $22,000.

How to prepare your roof before the inspection

You cannot make an old roof younger, but you can make sure the report reflects the roof's real condition rather than a few unaddressed defects.

• Pull the roof's permit history from your building department so the inspector can record a documented age. In Coconut Creek, that's the City's Building Division via the ePermits portal.
• Fix known defects first — a cracked tile, a lifted shingle, a dried-out pipe boot or a stained ceiling from an old, repaired leak can each become a line on the report.
• If a ceiling stain is from a leak that has already been repaired, keep the repair invoice handy to show it.
• Make sure the attic hatch is reachable and clear; inspectors often need to look at the underside of the deck.
• Have your previous wind mitigation report, roof invoices and warranty documents ready.
• Schedule well ahead of your policy or closing deadline so there's time for repairs and a re-inspection if needed.

If the report flags your roof

A flagged roof is a decision point, not automatically a replacement. Get the specific finding in writing, then get a roofer's opinion on whether it's a repairable defect or a sign the system is at the end of its life. Many findings — a few broken tiles, a failed pipe boot, a lifted ridge — are routine repairs, after which the inspector can update the report.

If the roof genuinely has less than a few years left, a replacement may be the cheaper path over the next policy term, and a new roof also opens up better wind mitigation credits. We offer a free roof inspection, about 45 minutes, and give you both the repair number and the replacement number. Our crews are fully licensed and insured.

If you believe an insurer is applying roof age in a way that conflicts with Florida law, the Florida Department of Financial Services is the state's consumer resource. This guide is general information, not legal or insurance advice.