What is a 4-Point Inspection?

A 4-Point Inspection is likely something you’re already familiar with if you own or just bought an older house (To acquire insurance coverage for the property, you probably had to have a home inspection). An inspection may be necessary for a house that has been on the market for more than 30 years (or fewer if it’s an investment property). It’s all for the insurance company’s good, telling them how much risk they’re incurring by insuring your home. During Hurricane Andrew’s passage in 1992, the idea of a 4-Point examination was first proposed. An unexpected amount of money was lost due to this storm, which surprised the insurance industry. It was assumed that the construction materials had a longer lifetime and would withstand passing storms more effectively. Because of this startling discovery, the industry is now looking for methods to evaluate the competence of the materials used in the houses it insures.

So, What Exactly Is a 4-Point Checklist?

Focuses on the four most important factors from an insurance risk perspective. The following are included in the package:

1. Roof
2. Electrical System
3. Heating and Cooling Systems
4. Plumbing Systems

You may be denied coverage if your systems are outdated or judged more prone to breakdown. The most often reported things in insurance claims fall under these four categories. For this 4 Point examination, the inspector is looking for evidence of how well these four important components work, how old they are, and any faults that could impair their performance.

The Roof

To qualify for coverage, a new roof must be installed on any asphalt shingle roof that is 19 years old or older. However, the exact conditions vary from insurer to insurer. Tile (concrete or clay) roofs that are much more than 40 years old are in the same boat as newer ones. If the roof you now have is damaged or is leaking, you may expect to be asked to fix or replace the roof before you can get insurance coverage. A problem may come up during the inspection if you have significant granule loss, lifted shingles, cracked and missing tiles, or damaged or missing fasteners on your roof.

The inspector will document the roof’s materials. He or she will take pictures and make notes on the roof’s current state. They’ll look into the roof’s history and see whether any permits were issued for its construction.

The Electrical System

A fuse breaker box built by specific companies that have been judged dangerous may have to be replaced (like Federal Pacific, Zinsco, Challenger, and Sylvania). Because of these boxes’ high fire danger, it’s in your best interest to get rid of them.

You can anticipate having to replace any components that include screw-in fuses or wiring with knobs and tubes. Aluminum wire and cloth-lined wiring are the same. No double-tapped breakers, two-prong outlets, or neutrals/grounds should be on the same bus bar in subpanels. Budget for installing GFCI or AFCI protection in your house if you don’t already have it.

The inspector will record the kind of wiring to complete this examination section (copper, aluminum, cloth-covered wire, etc.). Nearly nine out of ten house fires are the result of improper wiring. Therefore the inspector will check for that.

Heating and Cooling System

There will be issues if you don’t have central heating and cooling in your house. An air-conditioning system will be documented if the home has one, so long as it’s working and in good working order. They’ll keep a record of the state of the machinery. Is there any obvious evidence of failure or neglect?

The Plumbing System

It is now known that some materials were not as good for the work as initially anticipated because of changes in the plumbing materials through time. Polybutylene and Orangeburg pipe were widely utilized, but they have a history of failure. Because of this, anticipate the insurance provider to demand that these systems be replaced before issuing coverage. A water heater older than 18 years old may have an impact on your insurance coverage. Water heaters were much safer during this time because of new safety measures. The revised component designs prevented ignition from leaking. Therefore the devices no longer needed to be raised 18 inches from the floor after 2003.

Having most of these systems doesn’t always indicate that you’ll be without insurance. You may need to forego certain coverages to get the insurance. In the case of a failure, the insurance company will not reimburse the cost of that deleted component.

During the inspection, the inspector will note the materials used to create the pipe. These professionals will inspect the water heater and pipe system for any leaks or other problems. When they inspect the water heater, they’ll see that it has a temperature-pressure relief (TPR) valve and a correctly installed discharge tube.

As a result, who is qualified to conduct 4-Point inspections?

Any of the following (and the necessary training to pass these exams) qualify as candidates for conducting 4-Point inspections:

1. A general contractor, whether it is for a home or a structure,
2. An official tasked with enforcing construction codes.
3. Architects who are licensed
4. A house inspection is carried out by a professional.
5. A qualified and experienced engineer
6. A Florida-licensed construction official tasked with verifying that structures meet state building codes

 

As a reminder, qualified tradespeople may sign off on their parts of the 4-point inspection process (i.e., A roofer can sign off on the roofing portion).

 

Closing

It’s easier to decide whether or not you want a 4-point examination now that you know what it comprises. The fact that we will already be on-site enables us to offer you a discounted rate for one of these useful extra inspections should you choose to include it in your next FULL Home Inspection. See our PRICING page to learn more about the price and availability of these inspections.