Insurance & inspections
Roof inspections for insurance: what a 4-point covers
Updated 2026-09-16. Facts checked against official sources on that date.
Short answer
A 4-point inspection checks a home's roof, electrical, plumbing and heating and cooling systems for an insurer. For the roof, the inspector records the covering, its age, remaining useful life, permit dates, visible damage and signs of leaks. It's an insurer requirement, not a state law.
What a 4-point inspection is
Insurers use a 4-point inspection to decide whether to insure an older home. A Florida-licensed inspector checks the electrical system, the plumbing, the heating and cooling (HVAC) and the roof, then reports the age, type and condition of each.[1]
Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, Florida's state-created insurer, requires one for property owner, dwelling and mobile home applications on properties more than 20 years old. Private insurers set their own rules.[1]
Not a warranty
Citizens says the inspection is for insurability only. It isn't a warranty of how long the roof will last.[3]
What the roof section records
| Item | What the inspector notes |
|---|---|
| Covering material | The type of roof covering. |
| Roof age | In years. |
| Remaining useful life | In years. |
| Last roofing permit | The date of the last roofing permit, and the date of the last update. |
| Replacement | Whether a replacement was full or partial, and the percentage. |
| Overall condition | The inspector's rating of the roof. |
| Visible damage | Checkboxes such as cracking, curling, granule loss, exposed felt, missing or loose tabs or tiles, soft decking and hail damage. |
| Signs of leaks | In the attic or underside of the decking, and on interior ceilings, with an explanation for any “yes”. |
Photos of each roof slope are a minimum requirement. With them, this section can replace Citizens' separate Roof Inspection Form. Citizens doesn't require its own form, but any other report must include at least the same detail.[2]
Citizens says serious problems such as active leaks or signs of leaks should be repaired before you apply for coverage.[1]
Roof age and your insurance
By Florida law, an insurer can't refuse to issue or renew a homeowner's policy solely because the roof is less than 15 years old. For a roof 15 years or older, the insurer must allow an inspection, at your cost, before requiring replacement. If that inspection shows at least 5 years of useful life left, the insurer can't refuse solely because of age.[5]
These protections apply to homeowners' policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2022. They don't apply to mobile home policies, and insurers can still decline for other lawful reasons. Under the law, a roof's age counts from the last date 100% of its surface was built or replaced to code.[5]
| Roof | What Citizens requires |
|---|---|
| Shingle-type roof older than 25 years | Documentation of at least five years of remaining useful life. |
| Tile, slate, clay, concrete or metal roof older than 50 years | Documentation of at least five years of remaining useful life. |
| Less than five years of remaining life | Proof of a full roof replacement before a policy is written. |
Who can sign the roof inspection
Citizens' Roof Inspection Form can be signed by a licensed general, residential, building or roofing contractor, a building code inspector or a Florida-licensed home inspector. Under the roof-age law, your insurer must also approve the inspector.[3][5]
4-point vs wind mitigation inspection
A roof or 4-point inspection doesn't verify wind mitigation features. That takes a separate state form, the Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form (OIR-B1-1802), updated effective April 1, 2026.[3][6]
- Roof covering, with a permit date or product approval number and the year installed
- How the roof deck is attached
- How the roof is attached to the walls, from toenails (weakest) through clips, single wraps and double wraps to structural connections
- Roof shape, and whether there's a sealed roof deck or secondary water resistance (standard underlayment doesn't count)
The wind mitigation form needs at least one photo or document for each feature marked. It must be signed by a qualified inspector listed in Florida law, and that list includes home inspectors with hurricane mitigation training, building code inspectors, general, building and residential contractors, engineers and architects.[7]
Every roofer in this directory shows its license
Each listing carries the license number, type and status from the state record, with the date we checked.
Find roofers by countyQuestions
Does Florida law require a 4-point inspection?
No. It's an insurer requirement. Citizens Property Insurance Corporation requires one for property owner, dwelling and mobile home applications on properties more than 20 years old, and private insurers set their own rules.
Can my insurer drop me because my roof is old?
Not solely for age if the roof is under 15 years old, or if it's 15 or older and an inspection shows at least 5 years of useful life left (s. 627.7011, Florida Statutes). Insurers may still decline for other lawful reasons.
What does a 4-point inspection check on the roof?
The covering material, roof age, remaining useful life, last permit date, whether it was fully or partly replaced, overall condition, visible damage and signs of leaks, with photos of each roof slope.
Is a 4-point inspection the same as a wind mitigation inspection?
No. A 4-point inspection looks at condition for insurability. A wind mitigation inspection uses the state's OIR-B1-1802 form to document features like roof deck attachment and roof-to-wall connections.
Sources
- [1] Citizens Property Insurance Corporation: Inspections, checked 2026-09-16
- [2] Citizens: Sample 4-Point Inspection Form (Insp4pt 03 25, PDF), checked 2026-09-16
- [3] Citizens: Sample Roof Inspection Form (RCF-1 03 25, PDF), checked 2026-09-16
- [4] Citizens: Roof and 4-point inspection form updates (March 20, 2025), checked 2026-09-16
- [5] Florida Statutes s. 627.7011: Homeowners' policies; roof age, checked 2026-09-16
- [6] Florida Administrative Code Rule 69O-170.0155: adopted forms, checked 2026-09-16
- [7] OIR-B1-1802 Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form (Rev. 04/26), checked 2026-09-16
General information, not legal advice. Laws and records change; confirm with the agency before you act.