4-Point and Wind Mitigation Inspections: The Two Reports Florida Insurers Ask For

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4-Point and Wind Mitigation Inspections: The Two Reports Florida Insurers Ask For

By Raymond Ward, Florida Licensed Home Inspector HI1164 – All Inspections 4U

If you are buying a home in Florida, or renewing the policy on one you already own, there is a good chance your insurance agent will ask for two reports: a 4-point inspection and a wind mitigation inspection. They are often done in the same visit, so people tend to think of them as one thing. They are not. One helps the insurance company decide whether it will write the policy at all. The other can lower what you pay for it.

Here is what each one covers, why insurers ask for them, and what you can do to get the most out of them.

The 4-point inspection: can the house be insured?

A 4-point inspection looks at the four systems behind the most insurance claims in older homes:

• Roof – covering type, approximate age, remaining life, and any signs of leaks or damage.
• Electrical – the main panel, breakers, wiring type, and visible hazards.
• Plumbing – supply and drain piping materials, the water heater, and any active leaks.
• HVAC – the age and working condition of the heating and air conditioning equipment.

It is not a full home inspection. It does not look at the foundation, windows, appliances, or most of the house. It is a short, standardized report written for an insurance underwriter, and it records the age and condition of each system. The inspector does not “pass” or “fail” the house. The underwriter reads the report and makes that decision.

No Florida statute requires a 4-point inspection. Each insurance company sets its own rules for when it wants one, and the trigger is usually the age of the home. Many carriers ask for one once a home reaches 25 or 30 years old, and some ask sooner. Your agent can tell you exactly what your carrier requires.

The items that most often raise questions with underwriters are certain older electrical panels, cloth-insulated or ungrounded wiring, polybutylene supply piping, active leaks, and roofs near the end of their life. If any of these are present, it is far better to learn that before you close than after.

A note on roof age

Roof age is one of the biggest factors in Florida insurance today, and state law sets limits on how insurers can use it. Under section 627.7011, Florida Statutes, an insurer may not refuse to issue or renew a homeowner’s policy solely because of the age of a roof that is less than 15 years old. For a roof that is 15 years or older, the insurer must allow the homeowner to have the roof inspected by an authorized inspector before requiring replacement. If that inspection shows 5 or more years of useful life remaining, the insurer may not refuse the policy solely because of roof age. A licensed home inspector is one of the authorized inspectors the statute lists, provided the insurer approves the inspector.

The wind mitigation inspection: what can lower the premium?

A wind mitigation inspection documents the features of your home that help it resist hurricane winds. It is reported on a state form, the Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form, OIR-B1-1802, issued by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. An updated version of the form took effect on April 1, 2026.

Florida law requires insurers to offer discounts or credits for wind-resistant features, and this form is how you prove which features your home has. The inspector looks at items such as:

• The building code the home was built under, and the roof permit date.
• The roof covering and whether it meets current code.
• How the roof deck is attached to the framing – nail size and spacing.
• How the roof is attached to the walls – toe nails, clips, single wraps, or double wraps.
• The roof shape – hip roofs generally perform better than gable roofs in high wind.
• Secondary water resistance – a sealed roof deck that limits water entry if shingles or tiles are lost.
• Opening protection – impact-rated windows, doors, garage doors, and shutters.

Every feature on the form is a fact about how the house was built, not an opinion. That is why the report has to be backed by photographs, and why the inspector has to get into the attic.

Credit goes to what can be proven

The most common reason a homeowner does not get a discount they expected is not that the feature is missing. It is that the feature cannot be verified. A few examples:

• Impact windows need proof that they are impact-rated: the permanent etch on the glass, a product label, or the permit and product approval. A window that looks like an impact window but cannot be documented is reported as unverified.
• Every opening counts. If the windows are impact-rated but one entry door with glass is not, the form must reflect the weakest opening.
• Roof-to-wall connections have to be seen in the attic. If the attic cannot be safely reached, the inspector cannot give credit for clips or straps that may well be there.
• Roof permits establish the date and code of the roof covering. A re-roof without a permit is much harder to document.

If you have permits, product approval documents, receipts for shutters or windows, or the paperwork from a re-roof, have them ready on the day of the inspection, and make sure the attic access is clear.

How long the reports are good for

According to the Office of Insurance Regulation, a completed wind mitigation form is valid for up to five years, as long as no material changes are made to the structure and no inaccuracies are found on the form. A new roof, new windows, or new shutters are good reasons to have it redone sooner, because they can change, and often improve, your answers.

A 4-point inspection has no set statewide validity period. Insurers commonly want a recent one, often from within the last year. Ask your agent before you schedule.

Who can sign a wind mitigation form

Not every inspector can sign the OIR-B1-1802. Section 627.711(2)(a), Florida Statutes, lists who may complete it, including licensed general, building, and residential contractors, engineers, architects, and certified building code inspectors. A licensed home inspector qualifies only after completing at least three hours of hurricane mitigation training approved by the Construction Industry Licensing Board, including a proficiency exam. When you hire someone, it is fair to ask how they qualify.

When to schedule them

• When you are buying. Order both during your inspection period, before you close, so your agent can quote and bind the policy. Many buyers schedule them in the same visit as the full home inspection.
• After a re-roof. A new roof installed to current code often improves several answers on the wind mitigation form.
• After adding shutters, impact windows, or impact doors. These features earn a credit only once they are documented.
• At renewal, if your carrier asks for an updated 4-point, or your wind mitigation form is close to five years old.

If you are hiring an inspector

Three questions worth asking:

• How are you qualified to sign the wind mitigation form under section 627.711?
• Will you go into the attic, and will the report include photographs of each item?
• Can you do the 4-point, the wind mitigation, and the home inspection in the same visit?

About the author

Raymond Ward is a Florida licensed Home Inspector (HI1164) and Mold Assessor (MRSA-2391), InterNACHI and CCPIA certified, and the owner of All Inspections 4U. The company performs 4-point, wind mitigation, roof, home, and environmental inspections throughout South Florida. To schedule, call 954-802-8524 or visit www.allinspections4u.com.