What is a 4-Point Inspection?

9/20/2022

What is a 4-Point inspection? A 4-Point inspection is basically a "mini home inspection" for home owner's insurance companies. Your insurance company may request this type inspection to help determine the condition and age of your home's electric, plumbing, HVAC and roof systems. They also want to know if there's any deficiencies with these four systems. If deficiencies are found during the inspection, your insurance company may want these items repaired before moving forward with your insurance coverage. Your insurance company may will request that you hire a licensed home inspector within your area to perform the inspection and produce a report with the information they need. Since you're the one hiring the inspector, the home inspector only delivers the report to you, not the insurance company. However, it's your responsibility to send the report to your insurance company within a certain timeframe.

Here's a quick break down on what we inspect:

Plumbing. The inspector checks the water heater for leaks, corrosion and substandard plumbing installation. Pictures are taken of the water heater unit, pipe connections and manufacturer's label. The manufacturer's label will determine the age of the unit. Most insurance companies will not insure water heaters beyond 20 years of age, regardless of condition. The inspector checks plumbing pipes under all sinks for leaks, corrosion and substandard plumbing installation. Water at all sinks will be operated for several minutes in order to check for leaks. The inspector will identify and document the piping material at all visible plumbing.
Roof. The inspector will check the roof for damaged, deterioration and substandard installation. Basically anything that could cause a roof leak. The inspector will determine the last time the roof was installed. This information is usually found by the latest roof permit and/or roofing contractor's invoice. The inspector will also determine the life expectancy left of the roof surface. The life expectancy is usually determined by age and current condition. Most insurance companies will not cover a roof with less than 5 years left of life expectancy.
HVAC. The inspector will check the a/c and heating system. The cool air supply and gas furnace (if present) will be documented for functionality. Any leaks located at the air handler unit will also be reported. Most insurance companies will not insure HVAC systems that are over 20 years old, regardless of condition.
Electrical. The inspector will check electrical panels for electrical hazards such as double tapped breakers, scorching or burnt wires, undersized wires and substandard wiring. Electrical components in and around the home will also be inspected for deficiencies including the attic space.

As a home inspector, we comment and document on these items during the inspection. Home inspectors are not affiliated with home owner's insurance companies or make decisions on behalf of the insurance company's coverage or policies. It's the insurance company's responsibility to make their own determination with the information provided to them.

Regardless of deficiencies that are found during the inspection, it could also help the home owner aware of any potential problems that may exist within their home which could become bigger and more expensive problem if not addressed in a timely manner.

If you would like to know more about 4-Point inspections or you would like to schedule an inspection, give us a call or email at J. Gregory Home Inspections.

0 Comments

What Is A Wind Mitigation?

9/11/2022

1 Comment

J. Gregory Home Inspections Wind Mitigation

Wind Mitigation inspections are one of the most requested reports we get today. A number of homeowner's insurance companies here in Florida have left the state or went out of business, leaving tens of thousands of customers scrambling for a new insurance company. Other homeowners are looking for cheaper rates because their insurance rates went up substantially. Most or all of these companies are requesting insurance inspections before binding a policy. One of the most common inspections are the "Uniformed Mitigation Verification Forum" or Wind Mitigation, for short.

When customers are shopping for new or cheaper rates here in the state of Florida, they find that insurance companies are requiring the Wind Mitigation report. They're requiring this report on almost all homes regardless of age or size. So, if you're in the market for finding homeowners insurance, be prepared for this request.

Licensed home inspectors and licensed general contractors are the only two professionals that are qualified to perform this type of inspection. Most general contractors are either too busy or will charge substantially more for this type of service so that will leave you with hiring a home inspector like J. Gregory Home Inspections.

A Wind Mitigation inspection is a very limited inspection so, when performing this Inspection, we look for several items such as:

Roof permit / roofing material Florida product approval number
Age of home
Roof shape (hip, gable, flat, etc.)
Decking nail attachment spacing
Decking fastener type
Decking thickness
Rafter to wall connections (sometimes called hurricane clips)
Secondary Water Resistant underlayment (self-adhesive underlayment)
Hurricane protection/shutters (optional/not a requirement but may receive discounts on you homeowner's insurance if qualified for this credit)

There are a few things to have ready before the home inspector shows up to your home that would help the process go smoother:

Roof documentation. Such as, contractor's invoice, latest roof permit or documentation for the roofing material used on the current roof.
Hurricane shutter documentation. If you have hurricane shutters for your windows and doors, show any documentation to the home inspector. Sometimes the manufacturer's labels are missing or no longer visible. This will save you and the inspector's time during the inspection.
Access to the attic hatch. If there are stored items beneath the attic access, make sure to move these items away so the inspector can access the attic space. Most of the information we gather for this report is in the attic space.

If you need addition information about the Wind Mitigation inspection, feel free to call or email our office. We're glad to answer any question about this process.

1 Comment

articles

What is a 4-Point Inspection?

What Is A Wind Mitigation?

Author

Archives

Categories