What Is A 4 Point Inspection?
A 4 point inspection focuses in on a few of the most important areas of the home, those being:
- HVAC
- Plumbing
- Electrical system
- Roofing
These are the areas that are the most prone to generate insurance claims, and that’s what your insurance company wants to avoid. During the inspection, your inspector will fill out an inspection report that will be sent to insurance providers. This will provide them with the information they need to make a decision about your homeowner’s insurance.
What Kind Of Issues Will A 4 Point Inspection Find?
During a 4 point inspection, your inspector will look for functional issues with the HVAC, plumbing, electrical system, and roofing. Just to give a few examples, during the inspection of your electrical system your inspector will look out for issues like faulty wiring, blown fuses, and outdated or recalled electrical panels. The roof — being that it’s the most exposed part of a home — is also a common source of issues, usually related to damaged shingles or moisture leaks.
Issues you might find with the plumbing include an aging water heater, active leaks, or outdated piping material. Finally, during the inspection of your HVAC system your inspector will make sure that the HVAC system is sufficient for the size of the home.
What Happens If You “Fail” A 4 Point Inspection?
Since insurance providers will be using your inspection report to determine whether or not you get homeowner’s insurance and what rates you get, it’s natural to be worried about “failing” the inspection. You shouldn’t worry about this too much. If your home is relatively new, you probably don’t have too much to worry about. Even if there are some elements of your home that are lacking, every insurance provider will have different standards for what they find acceptable.
You should also keep in mind that most issues that would disqualify you from getting homeowner’s insurance are fixable, so if you’ve got your heart set on a home you always have the option of fixing it up.
4 Point Inspection Vs. Home Inspection. Which Is More Important?
The bottom line is that they’re both important. They both serve a unique purpose in the home buying and home owning process. A home inspection is much more in depth and a vital part of determining whether a home is worth buying. A 4 point doesn’t dig as deep, but it focuses on the areas of your home that are most likely to cause major issues, and can save you money on your homeowner’s insurance.
At Super Inspection Pros our licensed inspectors have years experience performing efficient 4 point inspections. We’ve worked with many insurance providers 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 of your home.
