Glossary

Four-point inspection

A limited inspection of an older home's roof, electrical, plumbing and heating and cooling systems that insurers may require before writing a policy.

Also called: 4-point inspection, 4 point inspection, four point home inspection, insurance inspection report

A four-point inspection is a narrow report on four systems: the roof, the electrical system, the plumbing and the HVAC. It is not a full home inspection. The inspector looks at roof age and condition, the panel and wiring type, supply and drain pipe materials, and whether the heating and cooling equipment works and how old it is, then notes anything an underwriter would treat as a hazard.

Insurers usually ask for one when a house reaches a certain age, commonly somewhere between 20 and 30 years, though the cutoff is each company's own underwriting guideline. The request usually comes with a new application rather than at an ordinary renewal. The report is generally good only for a limited window, often a few months, so a buyer should not order one until the insurer confirms what it wants.

What it can cost you: a roof near the end of its life, aluminum branch wiring, a Federal Pacific or Zinsco panel, or polybutylene pipe can lead to a decline, a surcharge, or a requirement to replace the item before binding. Ask the agent which items they will accept as fixed, and get written confirmation. See four-point inspections for older homes, Federal Pacific, Zinsco and other problem electrical panels and polybutylene, galvanized and other pipes insurers dislike.

Last reviewed October 10, 2026

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Related terms

Underwriting How an insurer evaluates a home and its owner, decides whether to offer coverage and on what terms, and sets the price. Underwriting guidelines An insurer's internal rules for which homes it will write, which it will decline, and what conditions, limits or surcharges apply to the ones it accepts. Wear and tear The slow breakdown of materials from age, weather and ordinary use, which homeowners policies exclude because insurance pays for sudden loss, not upkeep. Wind mitigation inspection An inspector's checklist of a house's storm-resistant features, such as roof fastening and window protection, that insurers use to apply wind discounts. Loss history The record of insurance claims tied to you and to your property over the past several years, which underwriters use to judge risk and set price.

Related guides

How the age of your home affects insurance Older homes cost more to insure and can be harder to place because of aging wiring, plumbing and roofs. Newer homes earn credits that fade. What to document. Old wiring, electrical fires and insurability A fire from bad wiring is a covered fire loss, but the wiring is not, and old systems can get a home declined or nonrenewed. What insurers ask for. Four-point inspections for older homes What a four-point inspection covers (roof, electrical, plumbing, HVAC), which homes need one, what makes a report fail, and how to prepare before applying. How rising insurance costs affect home prices and sales Premiums shrink what buyers can borrow, and studies find they slow price growth in the riskiest ZIP codes. What the research shows and what to do. Insurance cost disclosure in home sales What sellers must and must not tell buyers about claims, flood history and insurability, why no law makes them disclose premiums, and how buyers find out. New-home and renovated-home discounts How insurers define a new or renovated home, which upgrades earn a credit, how fast the credit fades, and what paperwork gets it onto your policy.