Failed a 4-point inspection? What to do as a buyer
A flagged hazard on a 4-point can block a Citizens insurance application in Florida. Ask your insurer what it needs, then ask the seller to fix it.
Updated · By 
Ben Sikes
What happens if you fail a 4-point inspection?
At Citizens Property Insurance, one Florida insurer, your insurance agent may not submit an application for a home whose electrical, heating or plumbing system is not in good working order or has an existing hazard. If your 4-point failed, call your insurance agent today and ask what your own insurer needs, in writing. Then ask the seller to fix each flagged item before closing, backed by a licensed contractor's written bid.
Key takeaways
- Citizens requires a 4-point on homes over 20 years old, and shingle roofs past 25 need proof of five more years of life.
- Citizens' form lists each repair as an update, with the date and who did it. Ask the seller for every contractor's invoice.
- Ask the seller for their wind mitigation report. Florida's regulator says one can stay valid for up to five years.
What does a 4-point inspection check?
A 4-point inspection checks four systems for your insurer, separate from your home inspection. Citizens requires one "for all property owner, dwelling and mobile home applications for properties more than 20 years old." A Florida-licensed inspector records the age, type and condition of each. Citizens accepts the form from a home inspector, a building code inspector, or a general, residential or building contractor.
| System | What Citizens' form asks about |
|---|---|
| Electrical | Panel type and amps, cloth or knob and tube wiring, aluminum branch wiring, hazards like double taps or scorching |
| HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) | Whether it works, last service date, wood stoves, space heaters, drain pan leaks |
| Plumbing | Water heater relief valve, active or past leaks, pipe type and age |
| Roof | Covering, age, remaining useful life, damage, signs of leaks |
The inspector also photographs each side of the house, each roof slope, the water heater and the open electrical panel. Check your home inspection report for the same four systems first, so nothing on the 4-point surprises you.
What will fail a 4-point inspection?
Citizens' form sets the bar plainly. Acceptable condition "means that each system is working as intended and there are no visible hazards or deficiencies." Any visible hazard, or any system not in good working order, must be written up in full on the form.
What the form tells the inspector to flag:
- Electrical: blowing fuses, tripping breakers, loose or exposed wiring, improper grounding, corrosion, over fusing, double taps, scorching.
- HVAC: a system not in good working order, a space heater as the main heat, a leaking condensate line or drain pan.
- Plumbing: no relief valve on the water heater, an active leak, signs of a prior leak.
- Roof: cracking, curling, granule loss, missing tabs or tiles, soft decking, hail damage, leaks in the attic or ceilings.
Kept prices every line of a home inspection report for $79, usually under 4 hours, and marks the ones that need a professional quote.
Citizens calls exposed wiring and leaks "serious hazards or deficiencies" that "should be repaired before an application for coverage is submitted." Treat them as safety items first. Get a licensed electrician or plumber to look before your inspection deadline, not after closing.
The roof has its own rule at Citizens. Shingle roofs older than 25 years, or tile, metal and other hard roofs older than 50, need documentation of at least five years of remaining useful life. If the roof has less, "the property owner must provide proof of a full-roof replacement to the inspector before any policy is written." Before closing, the roof is still the seller's, so a replacement is a request to the seller. Ask your insurance agent how Citizens applies this rule to a purchase.
How much does a 4-point inspection cost?
One Deerfield Beach, Florida inspection company publishes these local costs for a 4-point inspection and related visits:
| Inspection | Deerfield Beach, FL price |
|---|---|
| 4-point | $119.95 |
| Wind mitigation | $119.95 |
| 4-point and wind mitigation, booked together | $199.95 |
| 4-point reinspection | $94.95 |
The same company says its reports are ready within two business days, so book early in your window. A wind mitigation inspection is a separate Florida report on storm features like shutters, roof shape and roof-to-wall connections. Citizens says documenting them "may save you money" through mitigation discounts on your policy.
Say the roof section fails and needs a second visit after the repair. At this Deerfield Beach company's prices, the bundle plus one reinspection is $199.95 + $94.95 = $294.90. The repair itself comes on top, and only a roofer's written bid can size it.
What should you ask the seller for?
Ask the seller for the repair, done before closing by a licensed contractor, with the invoice. Citizens' form has the inspector list each update, when it was done and by whom. A licensed electrician or plumber may sign only their own trade's section of the form. Single-strand aluminum wiring repairs need separate documentation, certified by a licensed electrician.
Put a price next to each item so the seller sees what you are asking them to spend. For the roof, the panel or the plumbing, get a licensed contractor's written bid too. What to ask for after a home inspection covers how to size the rest of the list.
A credit or price cut leaves the item unrepaired, and the house goes to the insurer as it is. Ask your insurer before you trade a repair for a credit.
What if the seller won't fix it?
If the seller won't fix it, you have three options. Weigh them with your real estate agent.
- Try another insurer. Ask your insurance agent which companies will quote the house with the flagged item as it is, and what it costs.
- Get the price down and fix it later. This only works if an insurer will write the policy before the repair. Get that in writing from your insurance agent first.
- Walk away. If the house can't be insured in time, read when to walk away after a home inspection.
Ask your loan officer the date they need proof of insurance. Your contract sets the deadline and terms for canceling, so confirm both with your agent or attorney.
How long is a wind mitigation inspection good for in Florida?
A Florida wind mitigation inspection is good for years, not weeks. The state's insurance regulator says the form "is valid for up to five (5) years provided no material changes are made to the structure or inaccuracies are found on the form." Florida updated the form effective April 1, 2026. Ask the seller for their current report, then ask your insurer whether it will accept it.
Can you get a free wind mitigation inspection in Florida?
Sometimes you can get one free. Florida's My Safe Florida Home program offers "FREE wind mitigation inspections and grant assistance for approved upgrades" to Florida homeowners who qualify. Florida's regulator lists it for individual homeowners, so check its eligibility rules after you close.
How much will the flagged repairs cost?
Only a licensed contractor's bid for the scope on your report settles that. Before the bids come in, pricing the whole report tells you whether the house still makes sense at this price.
If your 4-point flagged items you now need to put in a repair request, upload your home inspection report (not the 4-point form) to Kept and get repair figures for those items before your deadline.
Sources
- Citizens Property Insurance, Inspections
- Citizens Property Insurance, 4-Point Inspection Form
- Citizens Property Insurance, Wind Mitigation Inspections
- Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, Wind Mitigation Resources
- My Safe Florida Home
- Home Inspection Services, 4-Point Inspection
- Home Inspection Services, Wind Mitigation Inspection
Cost figures are modeled from public wage and materials data unless a line says observed. Kept is accountable for the numbers on this page, and corrections go to support@usekept.com. How we price.