Two reports, two different readers
A 4-point and a full home inspection can happen on the same morning, by the same inspector, at the same house. They still answer different questions for different people.
The 4-point is written for your insurance company. The Citizens 4-Point Inspection Form says so directly: the information "is used to determine insurability and is not a warranty or assurance of the suitability, fitness or longevity of any of the systems inspected."
A full home inspection is written for you. The InterNACHI Home Inspection Standards of Practice, which High Tide follows, define it as "a non-invasive, visual examination of the accessible areas of a residential property" designed to identify material defects. Florida law describes home inspection services in similar terms: a limited visual examination of "the structure, electrical system, HVAC system, roof covering, plumbing system, interior components, exterior components, and site conditions that affect the structure" (section 468.8311, Florida Statutes).
Side by side
| 4-point inspection | Full home inspection | |
|---|---|---|
| Written for | The insurance underwriter | The buyer (or owner) |
| Question it answers | What are the age, type and condition of the four systems the carrier cares about? | What condition is the whole house in, and what needs attention? |
| Systems covered | Roof, electrical, plumbing, HVAC | Roof, exterior, foundation and structure, heating, cooling, plumbing, electrical, fireplace, attic and ventilation, doors, windows and interior |
| Format | The insurer's form, with required photos | A written report of observed defects, with photos |
| What it records | Ages, material types, update and permit dates, hazards, satisfactory or unsatisfactory | Observed material defects, where they are, and what to do next |
| Time on site at High Tide | About 45 minutes to an hour | About 2.5 to 3.5 hours for a typical single-family home |
| Price at High Tide | $175, or $125 added to a home inspection | From $450 to $675 by size for single-family homes up to 4,501 sq ft |
| Who acts on it | The insurer decides whether to write the policy | You decide what to negotiate, repair or accept |
What a 4-point does not tell a buyer
Because the 4-point is limited to four systems, whole areas of the house never appear on it. Using the InterNACHI Standards of Practice as the reference, here is what a buyer misses by relying on a 4-point alone.
Foundation and structure. The home inspection standard (section 3.3) requires the inspector to report observed indications of possible foundation movement, "such as sheetrock cracks, brick cracks, out-of-square door frames, and unlevel floors," along with active water penetration, wood in contact with soil, and cut or notched framing that may be a structural concern. None of that is on the 4-point form.
Exterior, grading and drainage. Section 3.2 covers wall coverings, eaves, soffits and fascia, exterior doors, walkways and driveways, porches, patios, decks and balconies, railings, and "vegetation, surface drainage, retaining walls and grading of the property" where they may let moisture into the structure.
Attic, insulation and ventilation. The 4-point roof section does ask about signs of leaks at the underside of the roof decking. It does not ask about insulation depth, attic ventilation, or the kitchen, bathroom and laundry exhaust fans. Section 3.9 of the standard does.
Doors, windows and interior. Section 3.10 includes a representative number of doors and windows, floors, walls and ceilings, stairs and railings, the garage door and its safety sensors, and windows with failed seals ("obviously fogged"). A 4-point does not look at any of these.
How the systems perform, not just whether they exist. The 4-point asks whether the HVAC is "in good working order" and records its age. A home inspection runs the heating and cooling with normal controls and reports any system that did not operate.
One gap is shared. The InterNACHI standard says the inspector is not required to "inspect appliances." The 4-point does rate the plumbing connections to the dishwasher, refrigerator and washing machine, but neither report is a test of whether your oven works. Ask your inspector what is included.
What a home inspection does not give your insurer
The gap runs the other way too. The InterNACHI standard lists, among things the inspector is not required to do, "determine the insurability of a property." It also says the fact that a system "is near, at, or beyond the end of its normal, useful life is not, in itself, a material defect."
Insurers see it differently. The 4-point form wants specific numbers: roof age and remaining useful life, the date of the last roofing permit, panel brand and amperage, water heater age, and the pipe materials present. A home inspection report may mention these, but it is organized around defects, not around the underwriter's checklist.
Citizens will accept a report other than its own form, but only if it includes the date, the inspector's signature and Florida license information, all of the required photos, and "the age, type and condition" of the wiring, heating and plumbing (Citizens FAQ). In practice that means doing the 4-point as its own document.
When a buyer of an older Florida home needs both
When the insurer requires a 4-point. Citizens says a 4-point is "mandatory on any Personal Residential Multiperil application for homes more than 20 years old" (Citizens FAQ). Other carriers set their own age lines. Anchor's Florida guide from December 2019, for example, said Anchor would pay for 4-point inspections on homes 31 to 49 years old and required the homeowner to provide one at 50 years and older (Anchor underwriting reference guide). Your agent will know which rule applies to the carrier quoting you.
When you need insurance to close. If you need a policy in place by closing, the 4-point has to come early enough for the agent to shop it. Citizens requires the report to be dated within the 12 months before the application is submitted (Citizens FAQ), so one done during your inspection period works.
When the four systems are the expensive ones. Roof, electrical, plumbing and HVAC are also the big-ticket items. If the 4-point turns up an old roof or a flagged panel, you want to know that while you can still negotiate. Our articles on how roof age affects Florida insurance and on older pipe materials insurers ask about go deeper on two of those systems.
When you want to know about everything else. The 4-point will not tell you about a settling slab, a grading problem pushing water toward the house, or an attic with no insulation. Only the full inspection covers that.
Doing both on one visit
High Tide can do a 4-point on the same visit as a home inspection. The 4-point is $125 when added, versus $175 on its own, and both reports arrive digitally, usually the next morning. Some buyers also add a wind mitigation inspection, which uses a different state form (OIR-B1-1802) and is used for premium discounts rather than eligibility. You can read more about what the 4-point covers and costs.
The short version
- A 4-point answers the insurer's question about four systems. A full home inspection answers your question about the whole house.
- Neither replaces the other: the 4-point skips structure, exterior, attic and interior, and a home inspection report is not organized around the fields insurers require.
- For an older Florida home, plan on both, on the same visit, early in your inspection period. Confirm your carrier's 4-point rules with your insurance agent.
