If your home is roughly 25 to 30 years old or older, many Florida insurers won't write a new policy without a four-point inspection. It's a quick look at the four systems most likely to cause large claims: the roof, electrical, plumbing and HVAC.
What the inspector checks
- Roof: the covering type, its age and condition, and how much useful life it has left.
- Electrical: the panel brand and condition, wiring type, and any hazards like exposed or double-tapped wiring.
- Plumbing: pipe materials, the water heater's age and condition, and any active leaks.
- HVAC: the age of the heating and cooling system and whether it's working properly.
Problems that often cause trouble
Some findings can make it hard to get coverage until they're fixed:
- Federal Pacific (Stab-Lok) or Zinsco electrical panels
- Cloth-insulated wiring or aluminum branch wiring
- Polybutylene plumbing
- Active leaks or water damage
- A roof near the end of its life
Florida's roof age rules
Florida law limits how insurers can treat older roofs on homeowners policies. An insurer can't refuse to write or renew a policy just because the roof is less than 15 years old. For roofs 15 years or older, it can't refuse solely because of age if an inspection shows at least five years of useful life remaining.
Cost and timing
A four-point inspection usually takes under an hour. Many inspectors offer it together with a wind mitigation inspection, which can lower your premium. Insurers generally want a recent report, often from within the past year.
Before the inspector arrives
- Find out when your roof was replaced and whether there's a permit on file.
- Make sure the electrical panel and water heater are easy to reach.
- Fix small leaks and keep receipts for any updates to wiring, plumbing or HVAC.
Have a report already, or not sure whether you need one? Email it to trey@southendins.com and we'll tell you what carriers will make of it. See our homeowners insurance page for more.
This article is general information, not a substitute for your policy documents. Coverage varies by policy and carrier.