What Is A 4 Point Inspection?
4 point inspections were designed by insurance companies to help them better understand the homes that they were insuring. They identified a few key areas that led to the most insurance claims and chose to focus their effort on them. That’s why it’s a “4 point” inspection. The 4 points are:
- The roofing
- The HVAC
- The Plumbing
- The electrical system
4 point inspections are often a required part of the home buying process — especially for older homes. Insurers need to know whether a home is systematically and structurally sound before they insure it. This requirement may seem a bit cynical, but ask yourself: would you really want to live in a home that’s considered a liability anyway? Probably not. Your home is supposed to be a secure space for you and your family. 4 point inspections are simply one way of making sure your home is safe.
How Is This Different From A Home Inspection?
4 point inspections are more limited in scope than full home inspections. As mentioned earlier, they focus on only 4 areas of the home: the roofing, the HVAC, the plumbing, and the electrical system. Full-home inspections, on the other hand, hit on every aspect of the home from the basement to the exterior. Full-home inspections are often termed buyer’s inspections because they are typically used to make purchasing decisions. The bottom line here is that a 4 point inspection is not sufficient to base a purchasing decision on.
Recent Changes To 4 Point Inspection Reports
As of September 1st, 2018, 4 point inspection reports have changed. These changes aren’t major, but they do add a few requirements that are worth noting. Here’s a brief overview of these changes:
- HVAC Changes – Inspectors must now make note of the date of the last HVAC servicing
- Roof Changes – Inspectors must now include one photo of each roof slope
- Electrical System Changes – Inspectors must now include photos of the door label for the main electrical panel
- Plumbing Changes – Inspectors must now include photos of any exposed valves
In most cases, these changes won’t drastically impact the results of an inspection. They will simply help your insurance providers get a better picture of the status of the house.
So, 4 point inspections are often mandatory if you wish to buy a home, and insurers use it to help guide their decisions. It’s really not as scary as it sounds. Most homes will “pass” the inspection without issue. For those that don’t, well, would you rather find that out before you buy the home or after?
At Super Inspection Pros our licensed inspectors have years experience performing efficient 4 point inspections. Our deep understanding of different insurance carriers allows us to tailor your report to get you the best possible results. Please, contact us today to learn more about our inspection process or to schedule an inspection of your home.
