4 Point Inspections: A Comprehensive Overview

When trying to take out a homeowners insurance policy, especially when the home in question is more than 20 years old, you’ll likely be required to perform a 4 point inspection. Here’s what you can expect from your inspection from start to finish.
Preparing For A 4 Point Inspection
In many cases it’s worth it to fix things before you get your inspection, as the results can determine your insurance rates for years to come. When preparing your home for a 4 point inspection think along the lines of “what could be a potential insurance claim?” Cleaning up your home or replacing old carpeting is not going to make any difference but replacing an old water heater or fixing broken shingles on the roof almost certainly will.

The 4 Point Process
The process of a 4 point inspection is actually very simple. During a 4 point inspection your inspector will look at these 4 areas of your home:

  • HVAC
  • Roofing
  • Plumbing
  • Electrical

and then draw up a report or fill out a questionnaire provided by your insurance company. They will probably take some photos during the process as well. It’s not a very comprehensive inspection and it’s fairly short.

What Do Insurance Companies Do With Your Inspection Report?
Insurance companies use the report from your 4 point inspection to make decisions about your homeowners insurance policy. The areas covered in 4 point inspections are the areas that most often show up on insurance claims. Ultimately insurance companies are looking to minimize liability. They are in this to make money after all. Each company will have different underwriting guidelines so while one may look at a report and give it the stamp of approval another might take issue with a certain aspect of the home and decline to insure you.

When To Get A 4 Point Inspection
You may be wondering why you should get a 4 point inspection over something like a full home inspection. Is it cheaper? Why not just go with the more comprehensive inspection? The main benefit of a 4 point over a full inspection is the clarity of the inspection report. When it comes time to make a final decision on a policy there are certain things that an agent will look for. 4 point inspections were designed with this in mind, as it makes it easier for the insurance company to make a decision.

Essentially 4 point inspections are there for when you’re trying to satisfy homeowners insurance requirements or get a lower rate on your insurance while full home inspections are better if you’re trying to make a more informed home buying decision or if you’re just looking for a general purpose inspection to determine the current condition of your home. In most cases this isn’t even a choice you have to make as 4 point inspections are required to obtain and retain most homeowners insurance policies. You can go read this for a more comprehensive overview of the differences between these two types of inspections.

At Super Inspection Pros our inspectors have years experience performing efficient 4 point inspections. We’ve worked with many insurance carriers so we know how to tailor our reports to get you the best results possible. Please contact us today to learn more about our inspection process or to schedule an inspection for your home.

Booking an inspection is easy and convenient.

Request
Inspection

Ready to get started? Complete our form or call 386-279-0802 to request an inspection.

Select
Time

Pick a day of the week and time of day that is most convenient for you.

Confirm
Appointment

Let us know if you have any special needs and lock your inspection appointment in!

Schedule an inspection today!

Book Inspection
Currently Available