Preparing for Your 4-Point Inspection

A 4-point inspection is a relatively quick process — for most single-story homes it takes roughly 45 minutes — but there are more areas the inspector needs to access than many homeowners expect. Unlike a wind mitigation inspection, which is focused almost entirely on the roof structure and the exterior, a 4-point inspection takes the inspector through multiple rooms and systems inside your home. A little preparation ahead of time keeps things moving and helps avoid the kind of delays that turn a 45-minute appointment into a much longer one.

The Inspection Agreement

Before the inspection begins — sometimes at the time of booking, sometimes upon arrival — you will be asked to sign a standard inspection agreement. This is a routine document that defines the scope of the inspection: what is being evaluated, what is not, and the limitations of a visual inspection. It is not unusual and it is not something to be concerned about. Read it, ask questions if you have any, and keep a copy for your records.

Access Is Everything

The single most important thing you can do to prepare for a 4-point inspection is to make sure the inspector can physically get to every system they need to evaluate. If something is blocked, buried behind storage, or locked behind a gate with no key left out, it slows down the inspection and in some cases may prevent a portion of it from being completed at all.

Here is what the inspector will need to reach:

Electrical Panel — The inspector will need to remove the dead front cover of your electrical panel to photograph the interior, including the wiring, breakers, and panel label. Make sure there is nothing stacked in front of it or blocking access. Technically, electrical code requires three feet of unobstructed clearance in front of a panel — and while your inspector is not there to enforce code, they do need enough room to safely work with the cover off.

Water Heater — The inspector needs to photograph the data plate on your water heater to document its age, and will also be checking the condition of the unit and the presence of a properly installed temperature and pressure relief (TPR) valve with an appropriate discharge pipe. If your water heater is in the garage, make sure it is not buried behind boxes, bikes, or holiday decorations. If it is in the attic, the inspector will need a clear path to reach it.

Attic Access — Depending on your home, your air handler, water heater, or both may be located in the attic. If so, the inspector will need to get up there. If you have pull-down stairs, make sure nothing is stacked beneath them. If your attic is used for storage, clear a path to the equipment. If your home does not have pull-down stairs, your inspector may prefer to use their own ladder for safety and liability reasons — do not take it personally, it is standard practice. And do not worry about whether your attic light works. Many inspectors prefer to use a headlamp anyway, as overhead attic lighting tends to cast shadows that interfere with the photographs they need to take.

Under-Sink Plumbing — The inspector will need to photograph the plumbing connections under every sink in the home, as well as toilet supply lines and laundry hookups. You do not necessarily need to empty out your cabinets completely — as long as the plumbing is visible and accessible, most inspectors can get what they need. That said, if your under-sink area is packed tight, pulling a few things out ahead of time will save you both time during the inspection.

HVAC System — The inspector will document the age and condition of both your air handler and your exterior condensing unit. Make sure the area around your air handler is accessible, and clear any vegetation or debris from around the outdoor unit so the inspector can photograph its data plate and overall condition. If you have a maintenance contract with an HVAC company, have the most recent service invoice available — especially if the technician’s service label on the unit is missing, faded, or hard to read.

The Roof — The inspector will need to photograph the roof from above and will also walk the exterior of your home to photograph the front, back, and sides. This means they will be in your yard, including your side yards and any areas behind fences or gates.

Pets

If you have dogs, let your inspector know ahead of time and keep them secured where they will not interfere with the inspector while they are in the yard or the home. This is not just about the inspector’s safety — as a practical matter, an inspector opening and closing gates and screen doors while photographing the exterior of your home creates opportunities for a pet to slip out. No inspector wants to be responsible for a dog getting loose, and no homeowner wants that phone call.

Gates, Screen Doors, and Pool Enclosures

If your yard is fenced, make sure the gate is unlocked before the inspector arrives. If you have a pool cage or screened lanai, those screen doors need to be accessible as well. The inspector will need to get to the side and rear of the home, and locked gates or latched enclosures that nobody mentioned ahead of time are one of the most common causes of delays.

Have Your Documentation Ready

If you have had work done on any of the four systems — a roof replacement, an electrical panel upgrade, a re-pipe, a new air conditioning system, a new water heater — have the permits, invoices, or receipts available. Your inspector can often verify permits through your county or city’s public records portal, but those records are not always complete or up to date. Having the paperwork on hand eliminates any guesswork about when the work was done and whether it was performed under permit.

This is especially relevant for recent work that may not have made it into the public record yet, or for work that was done years ago by a previous homeowner who may or may not have pulled permits.

Delivering Your Report to Your Insurance Company

When the inspection is complete, your report will be delivered to you as a PDF file via email. This is the format your insurance company needs. Do not print the report and bring a paper copy to your agent’s office — insurance companies process these reports electronically, and a printed copy will almost certainly result in your agent calling the inspector to request the PDF anyway. Save yourself the extra step and simply forward the email with the attached PDF directly to your insurance agent.