Florida Four-Point Inspection: A Luxury Buyer’s Guide

Why the Four-Point Inspection Decides Luxury Closings

A buyer under contract on a $4 million Palm Beach estate can lose weeks of the due diligence period over a four-page form. The four-point inspection is short, usually inexpensive, and often the document that tells an insurer whether it will write a policy at all. If the policy cannot be bound, a lender will not fund, and a contract that looked clean in week one starts to wobble in week three.

The inspection documents the age, type, and condition of four systems: the roof, the electrical system, the plumbing, and the heating and cooling equipment. A licensed professional completes a standardized form, photographs each system, and records what is there and how it is holding up. It is not a full home inspection, and it does not test every outlet or open every wall. It is an underwriting snapshot.

Many luxury buyers assume the form applies only to modest older homes. It does not. Florida’s high-value inventory includes mid-century waterfront houses, 1980s Mediterranean estates, and renovated 1990s homes whose original wiring, copper or galvanized plumbing, and builder-grade air handlers still sit behind expensive finishes. A gut renovation of the kitchen and primary suite does not reset the age of the panel in the garage. Insurers read the form, not the listing photographs.

At MJI Realty Group, we ask sellers and buyers about this form in the first week of a transaction, because the answer shapes the timeline, the negotiation, and sometimes the price.

What the Inspection Covers, System by System

The form is organized around the four systems an underwriter cares about most. Each one answers a different question about future claims.

Roof

The inspector records the roof covering material, the approximate age, the remaining useful life, and visible condition: missing or damaged shingles or tiles, ponding, staining, flashing problems, and signs of leaks. Roof age is the single most common reason a form raises a flag, because wind and water claims in Florida are expensive.

Electrical

The inspector identifies the panel brand and amperage, the type of branch wiring, visible hazards such as exposed conductors, double-tapped breakers, or missing covers, and whether the service matches the size of the home. Certain legacy panels and wiring types draw close scrutiny from underwriters because of fire risk.

Plumbing

The form lists supply and drain materials, the water heater age and location, and any evidence of active leaks, corrosion, or past repairs. Polybutylene supply lines and aging galvanized pipe are the usual concerns.

Heating and cooling

The inspector records the type and age of each system, whether it is working, and visible condition. In a large South Florida home with several air handlers, each unit is documented, which adds up quickly on a 9,000 square foot property.

All four sections are tied to photographs. A form without clear photographs is a common reason for an insurer to send it back, so a buyer should confirm the inspector’s report includes them before paying.

When Insurers Require It, and the Citizens Rule

Florida law does not require a four-point inspection on every sale. The requirement comes from insurers. Each carrier sets its own age cutoffs and form rules, and those rules change, so a buyer should ask the agent for the current standard before ordering anything.

The most useful public benchmark is Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, the state-created insurer of last resort. Its inspections page states that a four-point inspection is required for all property owner, dwelling, and mobile home applications on properties more than 20 years old. The inspector must be Florida licensed, and the page says serious hazards such as exposed wiring or active leaks should be repaired before an application for coverage is submitted. Citizens’ own frequently asked questions add that the report must be dated within the 12 months before the new business application, and that roofs past certain ages need documentation showing remaining useful life. Older Citizens paperwork still references a 30 year threshold, which shows how quickly these rules shift.

Private carriers vary more. Some request the form at 20 years, some at 25 or 30, and some ask for it on younger homes when other facts, such as a prior claim or a flat roof, raise questions. A luxury buyer should not assume a private carrier will use the Citizens cutoff. Ask three things up front:

• At what building age does the carrier require a four-point inspection?
• How recent must the report be?
• Does the carrier accept the form from any licensed inspector, or only from a list?

The answers belong in the due diligence calendar from day one, not in the last week of the inspection period.

Wind Mitigation Is a Separate Inspection

Buyers frequently confuse the four-point inspection with the wind mitigation inspection. They are different documents with different jobs.

The four-point inspection helps an insurer decide whether to offer coverage. The wind mitigation inspection documents features that can reduce a windstorm premium: roof shape, roof deck attachment, roof to wall connections, opening protection such as impact windows or shutters, and secondary water resistance. Citizens describes it as optional and tied to discounts, not an eligibility requirement.

The state sets the framework. Under section 627.711 of the Florida Statutes, insurers must accept a properly signed uniform mitigation verification form from specified inspectors, including certain licensed home inspectors who completed hurricane mitigation training, building code inspectors, licensed contractors, engineers, and architects. The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation explains that the uniform form is OIR-B1-1802, that a revised version took effect April 1, 2026, and that a completed form stays valid for up to five years when the structure has no material changes and the form has no inaccuracies. The same page tells consumers to confirm that their inspector is authorized under the statute.

For a luxury buyer the practical point is timing and bundling. Many inspectors can perform both inspections in one visit, and the wind mitigation form on a well built home with impact glass and a hip roof can offset part of the premium. A seller who already holds a valid form, still inside its five year window and describing a structure that has not changed, hands the buyer a useful asset. It is worth asking for in the first round of document requests.

Common Findings That Slow a Closing

Most four-point forms come back with minor notes. A smaller group produce findings that change the deal. These are the patterns that appear most often on older Florida properties.

• Roof near the end of its life. A shingle roof at 17 or 18 years in South Florida’s sun and storm exposure may be technically intact and still uninsurable on standard terms. Tile roofs last longer, but underlayment ages out before the tile does.
• Legacy electrical panels. Certain older panel brands, aluminum branch wiring, and unsafe breaker practices often lead an insurer to decline coverage until the panel is replaced.
• Polybutylene or failing galvanized plumbing. Insurers may exclude water damage or require repiping.
• Air handlers past their expected life. Replacement is a cost issue more than a coverage issue, but it feeds the price conversation.
• Active leaks or moisture evidence. These can stop a binder on the spot.

None of these findings is a reason to walk away from a strong property. They are reasons to price the repair correctly. A $35,000 roof replacement or a $12,000 panel upgrade is a known number. An unresolved coverage problem found ten days before closing is not.

The better approach is sequencing. Order the four-point inspection early in the inspection period, ahead of cosmetic items. If the form flags a system, the buyer has time to obtain a contractor estimate, request a repair or credit, and ask the insurer whether the fix will satisfy underwriting.

How Buyers Should Handle a Flagged Form

A flagged form gives a buyer several levers, and which one works depends on the finding, the contract, and the seller’s position.

1. Get the quote first. Obtain written estimates from licensed contractors for the flagged system so the negotiation uses real numbers.
2. Confirm with the carrier. Ask the agent whether the proposed repair, such as a new panel or a roof replacement, would satisfy the underwriter. A repair that does not resolve the coverage issue wastes money.
3. Choose the remedy. Options include a seller repair before closing, a price reduction, a closing credit, or an escrow holdback. Each has different effects on the lender and on the buyer’s tax basis.
4. Check the contract. Florida’s standard contracts contain inspection and insurability provisions with deadlines. Missing a deadline can weaken the buyer’s right to cancel, so a Florida real estate attorney should review the dates.

Cash buyers have more flexibility, since a lender is not waiting on proof of insurance. Even so, a cash buyer who plans to insure the property should treat a flagged form as a cost of ownership. Insuring a large coastal property without a clean four-point report is possible but can mean higher premiums, a surplus lines carrier, or fewer options at renewal.

Buyers who finance a purchase face a stricter path. A lender requires evidence of hazard insurance at closing, so the insurance decision is effectively a financing decision.

What Sellers Can Do Before Listing

Sellers of older luxury homes improve their position by treating the four-point inspection as a listing preparation item. The form costs little compared with the price of a deal that stalls.

A pre-listing four-point inspection lets the seller see the same findings an underwriter will see. If the roof is close to the end of its life, the seller can decide whether to replace it, price around it, or offer a credit, instead of reacting to a buyer’s inspection on a deadline. A clean, recent report, kept within the carrier’s window, also signals a well maintained property.

Sellers should keep several documents ready: roof permits and warranties, the panel upgrade permit if one was pulled, repiping records, air conditioning service history, and any valid wind mitigation form. Permit history matters. Work done without permits creates its own problem, and buyers should expect their attorney or title company to look for it.

Discretion also matters to many of our sellers. A boutique brokerage can share these documents with qualified, verified buyers under confidentiality terms, without broadcasting the property’s condition to the open market. The four-point report supports a private sale because it answers the insurance question early, which shortens the path to a confident offer.

Costs, Timing, and a Practical Timeline

Four-point inspections are usually among the least expensive items in a transaction. Quotes commonly run from roughly one hundred to a few hundred dollars for a typical home, and large estates with several systems and outbuildings can cost more because the inspector documents each air handler, panel, and roof section. Confirm pricing with the inspector, since it varies by market and property size.

A workable timeline for a 15 day inspection period looks like this:

• Day 1 to 2: Ask the insurance agent for the carrier’s four-point and wind mitigation requirements. Request any existing forms from the seller.
• Day 2 to 5: Schedule the four-point and wind mitigation inspections together, with a Florida licensed inspector who is authorized under the statute for the mitigation form.
• Day 5 to 8: Review the findings. Gather contractor estimates for any flagged system.
• Day 8 to 12: Confirm the carrier’s position in writing and negotiate the remedy.
• Day 12 to 15: Document the resolution in a written contract amendment before the inspection period ends.

Reports expire. A report dated within the carrier’s window at application can age out if the closing slips, so keep an eye on the dates.

Working With a Boutique Brokerage

The four-point inspection is a small form with a large effect on a luxury transaction. Buyers who learn the carrier’s rules early, order the inspection ahead of cosmetic items, and treat findings as negotiating facts tend to close on schedule. Sellers who inspect first control the story.

If you are buying or selling a luxury residence or a commercial building in Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach County, MJI Realty Group works with clients who value discretion and speed. We coordinate the inspection calendar, the insurance questions, and the contract deadlines so that nothing surfaces in the final days. Call or text (561) 859-5631.

Real estate decisions depend on individual circumstances; this is general information, not legal, tax, or investment advice for your specific situation. Insurance rules and forms change often, so confirm current requirements with your insurer, a licensed inspector, and a Florida real estate attorney before you rely on them.