There is no Florida state law that mandates a 4-point inspection. It is not a statutory requirement like the wind mitigation inspection credits outlined in Florida Statute §627.0629. The 4-point inspection is an insurance industry requirement — individual carriers decide when and whether to require one as a condition of issuing or renewing a policy. That being said, I would seriously scrutinize any company that does not require a 4-point inspection on a home over 20 years old if you are shopping around or changing companies. The reason I say this is that virtually all reputable insurance companies require it. They do this because they want to see the condition of the home they are insuring. I would question why that one company does not, especially when they are in the business of bean counting.
With that in mind, it is required often enough that most Florida homeowners will encounter it at some point. The most common trigger is the age of the home. Citizens Property Insurance requires a 4-point inspection for all applications on properties more than 20 years old. Most private carriers follow a similar threshold, though some set it at 25 or 30 years, and a few require it for homes as young as 15 years old. The trend across the industry has been moving toward requiring it earlier rather than later.
Beyond home age, a 4-point inspection is commonly required when you are applying for a new policy — whether because you just purchased a home, you are switching insurance carriers, or your previous insurer has dropped you. Some carriers also require an updated inspection at renewal, particularly for older homes, to confirm that the systems documented in the previous report have not deteriorated. Unlike a wind mitigation inspection, which is valid for five years, a 4-point inspection is generally valid for only one year.