This Is Florida · Home and insurance
Florida home inspections: wind mitigation vs. four-point vs. roof
A wind-mitigation inspection, a four-point inspection, and a roof inspection answer different questions. This guide is for residential insurance inspections, mainly individual homes. Requirements vary by insurer, policy, property type, and circumstances. An inspection is not an insurance approval, a repair warranty, or a guarantee that a home will survive a hurricane.
Wind mitigation, four-point, and roof inspections compared
Florida’s Department of Financial Services treats these as distinct inspection categories. They are not interchangeable names for the same service. Before you order anything, ask your insurance agent which report, form version, inspector qualifications, and photographs the insurer requires. That conversation can keep you from paying for the wrong inspection, or paying twice for information already in another report.
| Question | Wind-mitigation inspection | Four-point inspection | Roof-condition inspection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main purpose | Document wind-resistant construction features that may qualify for windstorm credits | Evaluate the condition of major systems for insurance underwriting | Evaluate roof condition and remaining useful life |
| What is examined? | Roof construction and connections, roof shape, water-resistance measures, and opening protection | Roofing, electrical, plumbing, and heating and air conditioning | Roofing materials, age, deterioration, leaks, repairs, and replacement history |
| Who usually needs it? | A homeowner documenting mitigation features or seeking applicable credits | An applicant or policyholder whose insurer requires it | A homeowner whose insurer requests more roof information |
| Main paperwork | OIR-B1-1802 and supporting evidence | The insurer’s accepted four-point report and photographs | The insurer’s accepted roof report and photographs |
| Who can perform it? | An authorized mitigation inspector who meets Florida’s requirements | A properly licensed professional the insurer accepts for that report | An authorized professional the insurer accepts for the roof inspection |
| How is it used? | To evaluate documented mitigation features and applicable credits | To help decide whether the property meets underwriting requirements | To help evaluate roof eligibility and replacement concerns |
| What it does not guarantee | A specific discount, insurance acceptance, or hurricane-proof construction | That every part of the house was inspected, or that systems will not fail | A leak-free future, a warranty, or acceptance by every insurer |
The comparison draws on Department of Financial Services guidance, Florida’s mitigation-inspector statute, and Citizens Property Insurance Corporation’s published inspection pages. Where this page describes a Citizens rule, that rule is an example from one insurer. It is not a statewide underwriting rule for every Florida policy. On a phone, swipe the table sideways.
Important 2026 update: the wind-mitigation form changed
Inspections performed on or after April 1, 2026, must use OIR-B1-1802, Revision 04/26. Older articles and downloadable forms may still show Revision 01/12. Do not use the old form for a new inspection.
The Office of Insurance Regulation’s April 2026 data-call instructions identify OIR-B1-1802, revision 04/26, as adopted by Rule 69O-170.0155 and effective April 1, 2026. The Department of Financial Services premium-discounts guide says the same: inspections on or after that date must use the new form. The revised form adds wind-speed region, roof slope, and a place for a qualifying FORTIFIED Home certificate, and it changes existing categories.
The form text in the Office of Insurance Regulation rule package says the verification form is valid for up to five years if no material changes have been made to the structure and no inaccuracies are found on the form. It also says some items listed may not qualify for a discount, and that at least one photograph or document must accompany the form for each attribute marked in questions 2 through 9.
Does an older report immediately become worthless?
No. The form change does not automatically erase every earlier inspection. Citizens’ March 19, 2026 bulletin says that if no changes have been made to the structure, Citizens will continue to accept OIR-B1-1802, Revision 01/12, when it was completed within five years prior to April 1, 2026. That bulletin also says the added fields did not change the credits Citizens applied at that time.
Do not assume an old report remains acceptable after a roof replacement or other material change. Confirm acceptance with the insurer before you pay for another inspection. A new checkbox on the 2026 form is not, by itself, a new dollar credit.
Homeowner preparation checklist
Ask which items matter for your home and for the report you ordered. Give the inspector copies. A sentence that “the installer said it was hurricane-rated” is weaker than a record that names the product and its approval. Keep your own complete set after you submit the report.
| Gather before the appointment | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| The insurer’s inspection request | Identifies the report, the deadline, and the specific questions |
| Previous inspection reports and photographs | Shows earlier findings and documented features |
| Roof permit and completion records | Helps establish what work was performed and when |
| Roofing contract, invoice, and product details | Identifies materials and the scope of replacement |
| Window, shutter, door, and skylight records | Helps identify opening-protection products |
| Product approvals or acceptance documents | Supports verification beyond a marketing description |
| Electrical, plumbing, and HVAC update records | Helps distinguish original equipment from later work |
| Repair records and a recent change list | Explains corrected leaks, additions, replacements, or other changes |
| An applicable FORTIFIED certificate | May support specified attributes on the current mitigation form |
Citizens’ wind-mitigation bulletin tells agents to confirm that required photographs are attached. Its four-point materials call for photographs of specified equipment and conditions. Locate stored storm panels, and clear a path to the attic opening, the electrical panel, the water heater, the heating and cooling equipment, and under-sink plumbing.
Leave panel-cover removal, roof access, and entry into a hazardous attic to the qualified professional. Clear ordinary storage from the approach. Do not climb into an unsafe space or remove building materials yourself to chase a discount.
What is a wind-mitigation inspection?
Mitigation means reducing the chance or severity of damage. A wind-mitigation inspection documents construction features intended to help a building resist wind and related water intrusion. Section 627.711, Florida Statutes, requires insurers to notify personal-lines residential policyholders of available windstorm discounts and to use the uniform mitigation verification form. The Office of Insurance Regulation explains that Florida law requires residential property insurers to file the discounts they offer for recognized wind-loss mitigation. The inspection is evidence. It does not set the premium, and it does not improve the building.
Florida’s Insurance Consumer Advocate publishes a roof-connection illustration of the kind of hardware examined during this work. That picture is not certification of a particular house, installation, or insurance discount. This page does not reproduce the illustration.
| Feature | Plain-English meaning |
|---|---|
| Roof covering | The installed roofing material and the compliance information that supports it |
| Roof-deck attachment | How the roof sheathing is fastened to the framing |
| Roof-to-wall attachment | How the roof framing connects to the walls |
| Roof geometry and slope | The roof’s shape and steepness |
| Secondary water resistance | Qualifying protection against water intrusion if the roof covering is lost |
| Opening protection | Protection of windows, doors, skylights, and garage doors |
| Building information | Applicable construction-code information, wind-speed region, and other required details |
A feature that cannot be verified should not be guessed into a better category. The form says a FORTIFIED Home Roof, Silver, or Gold certificate may be used, with a photocopy attached, to validate specified attributes. The insurer may still ask more questions.
Impact windows do not answer every opening-protection question
The inspector has to consider the applicable openings, not only the newest windows. Garage doors, entry doors, skylights, and other openings can affect the classification. A receipt that says “hurricane windows” is less useful than records that identify the product and its approval. Metal roof connectors do not, by themselves, establish that every connection meets the required classification.
Attic access can matter
An inaccessible attic can prevent verification of roof-to-wall attachments, roof-deck attachments, or secondary water resistance. Tell the inspector about access limits before the appointment. Citizens tells agents to review the inspection for completeness, including photographs, before submission. The appointment itself does not apply a discount. The agent submits the report for review.
What is a four-point inspection?
A four-point inspection examines four systems. It is not four random places in the house. The Insurance Consumer Advocate’s four-point guide, developed with InterNACHI, describes it as a specialized evaluation insurers use when issuing or renewing a policy. It is narrower than a comprehensive home inspection. The report should describe what exists. It should not make the home appear newer than it is.
| System | Examples of information documented |
|---|---|
| Roofing | Materials, age, condition, visible damage, leaks, and estimated remaining life |
| Electrical | Wiring type, panel information, condition, and visible hazards |
| Plumbing | Supply and drain materials, water-heater information, leaks, and updates |
| Heating and air conditioning | Equipment age, operating condition, and visible deficiencies |
Insurers can have different acceptance criteria. Citizens’ public inspections page says Citizens requires a four-point inspection for property-owner, dwelling, and mobile-home applications on properties more than 20 years old. Its agent guidance has also described the four-point as mandatory on a personal residential multiperil application for a home more than 20 years old, with a report ordinarily dated within the previous 12 months for new business. Renewal requirements can differ. Another insurer may use a different age, a different form, or no four-point at all.
There is no single age in these sources that applies to every insurer. Do not assume that a house “only 18 years old” rules an inspection out, or that every 21-year-old home follows the same process. Ask about the actual property and policy.
What happens when the inspector finds a problem?
The report should identify hazards, deficiencies, and systems that are not working properly. Citizens’ inspections page says serious hazards, such as exposed wiring, an active leak, or evidence of leaks, should be repaired before an application is submitted. Citizens’ four-point form calls for those findings to be described and photographed. An insurer may require repairs or more information before it proceeds. A contractor’s invoice and a follow-up inspection can serve different purposes, so ask which evidence will be accepted.
Do not conceal a leak, alter a report, or ask the inspector to omit a problem. Resolve the condition and document the correction.
What is a roof inspection for insurance?
A roof-condition inspection focuses on the roofing system rather than the whole home. Citizens’ roof form asks about the main and secondary roof areas, covering materials, age, estimated remaining life, permits, full or partial replacement, deterioration, and visible leaks. It requires photographs and a dated signature from an appropriately licensed professional the form accepts.
Roof age and remaining useful life are different. Age is how long the roof has been in place. Remaining useful life is a professional estimate of how much serviceable life remains. A report that estimates five remaining years is not a five-year promise that the roof will never leak. Citizens’ public page uses the roof form to document condition for eligibility. Read the form your insurer accepts, and do not treat the estimate as a warranty.
Citizens’ agent guidance says a completed four-point report may be submitted instead of its separate roof-condition form when the required roof photographs, signature, date, and other conditions are satisfied. Ask this before you buy a separate roof inspection: “Will the roof section of my four-point report satisfy your requirement, or do you need an additional roof report?” That is an acceptance question for that insurer. It is not permission to skip documentation the insurer asked for.
A wind-mitigation form does not replace that roof report. Citizens’ materials for the 2026 wind form say the form verifies construction features. It is not acceptable proof of roof condition or of a roof replacement.
Florida’s roof-age insurance rule
A roof that reaches 15 years does not automatically mean Florida law requires replacement. Section 627.7011(5), Florida Statutes (2026), says:
- An insurer may not refuse to issue or renew a homeowner’s policy on a residential structure with a roof less than 15 years old solely because of the age of the roof.
- For a roof that is at least 15 years old, the insurer must allow the homeowner to have a roof inspection by an authorized inspector, at the homeowner’s expense, before the insurer requires roof replacement as a condition of issuing or renewing a homeowner’s policy.
- If that inspection indicates the roof has 5 years or more of useful life remaining, the insurer may not refuse to issue or renew solely because of roof age.
- For this subsection, roof age is calculated from the last date on which 100 percent of the roof surface was built or replaced under the building code then in effect, or from the start of a series of partial replacements that together covered 100 percent of the surface.
The important words are “solely because of roof age.” The statute does not require an insurer to accept a damaged roof, overlook other underwriting concerns, or provide every requested coverage. Subsection (6) says this section does not apply to mobile-home policies, and it does not apply to policies that are not homeowners’ policies as that term is commonly understood in the industry. The inspector must be approved by the insurer and must be one of the professional categories the subsection lists, or another person the insurer recognizes.
A useful question for the agent is: “Is the concern the roof’s age alone, its documented condition, its remaining life, or another underwriting requirement?”
Citizens example, not the statute. Citizens’ inspections page says roofs older than 25 years for soft coverings such as shingles, or 50 years for hard coverings such as tile, slate, clay, concrete, or metal, need documentation of at least five years of remaining useful life. That is one insurer’s eligibility rule. It is not section 627.7011, and it is not a rule that every Florida policy uses.
Do you need both a wind-mitigation report and a four-point?
You may. They serve different purposes. One documents protective features. The other evaluates the condition of major systems. Having one report does not automatically satisfy a request for the other.
As a planning example, a buyer looking at an older home might arrange a comprehensive purchase inspection, provide a required four-point report for insurance, and submit wind-mitigation evidence for applicable credits. Before you schedule, ask the inspection company whether it can complete the required services in one visit. One appointment can still mean separate reports, separate qualifications, separate photographs, and separate charges.
A four-point is not a full buyer’s inspection
Section 468.8311, Florida Statutes, defines home-inspection services as a limited visual examination of readily accessible installed systems and components, including the structure, electrical system, HVAC, roof covering, plumbing, interior, exterior, and site conditions that affect the structure, for a written opinion of condition. Even that broader inspection is not a search of every concealed problem. A four-point report’s narrower insurance purpose is not a complete purchase evaluation.
The Department of Business and Professional Regulation licenses home inspectors and explains that license. A home inspector’s condition assessment is not the same job as a building official’s code inspection. An insurance report is not a local government’s permit inspection or final approval.
Will a new roof lower Florida home insurance?
It may help. No responsible guide can promise a fixed saving for every homeowner. A roof project can create a chance to document qualifying improvements. The insurer has to receive the evidence and evaluate it. After mitigation work, tell the agent. Updated photographs, documents, or a new inspection may be required.
Before you sign a roofing contract, ask the agent which proposed features could affect the policy, what proof the insurer will need, and whether the agent can estimate the change using your current coverage and deductibles. Keep that answer separate from a contractor’s story about what other customers saved.
Wind discounts do not necessarily apply to the entire bill
The Office of Insurance Regulation’s Notice of Premium Discounts for Hurricane Loss Mitigation (OIR-B1-1655) says these discounts apply to the hurricane-wind portion of the policy. It also says the discounts are not calculated by adding each percentage together. When one discount is applied, other discounts are reduced until the policy reaches its maximum.
A simplified example, not an insurance quote. Assume a hypothetical annual premium of $6,000, with $3,000 attributable to hurricane-wind coverage. A hypothetical 10 percent reduction in that $3,000 component would equal $300, if everything else stayed unchanged. It would not equal $600. The useful comparison is the insurer’s revised quote with the same coverage limits and deductibles.
Citizens’ March 19, 2026 notice said the new form fields did not change the credits it applied at that time. Document the home accurately, then get the insurer’s actual result.
Who is qualified to perform these inspections?
Qualifications depend on the report. An advertisement that says “insurance inspections” is not the qualification.
Wind mitigation. Section 627.711(2) says an insurer shall accept a uniform mitigation verification form signed by:
- A home inspector licensed under section 468.8314 who has completed at least 3 hours of hurricane-mitigation training approved by the Construction Industry Licensing Board, including mitigation techniques and the uniform form, and who has completed a proficiency exam
- A building-code inspector certified under section 468.607
- A general, building, or residential contractor licensed under section 489.111
- A professional engineer licensed under section 471.015
- A professional architect licensed under section 481.213
- Any other individual or entity the insurer recognizes as qualified to complete the form
A general home-inspection license alone does not meet the wind-mitigation training and proficiency requirement. The same statute says the person who signs must inspect the structure personally, with a limited exception for a direct employee of an engineer or of a contractor licensed under those sections. An insurer may accept a form from someone else, but it does not have to.
Four-point and roof reports. The accepted signer is whoever that insurer’s form lists. A license in one trade does not automatically qualify a person to sign every section of a four-point report. For the roof-age rule in section 627.7011, an authorized inspector must be approved by the insurer and must be a licensed home inspector, a certified building-code inspector, a licensed general, building, or residential contractor or a roofing contractor, a licensed engineer, a licensed architect, or another person the insurer recognizes. Being qualified for a roof-condition report does not establish eligibility to sign a wind-mitigation form.
Verify that the person’s license is active. Home-inspector licensing questions go to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation at 850-487-1395, or through its home-inspector pages.
How long are the reports valid?
| Report | What the source says |
|---|---|
| Wind-mitigation form | The Office of Insurance Regulation form is valid for up to five years if the structure has not materially changed and the form is not inaccurate. That is not an instruction to reuse it unchanged after a reroof, an added room, or new opening protection. |
| Citizens, older wind form | Citizens’ March 19, 2026 bulletin continues to accept Revision 01/12 when the structure is unchanged and the form was completed within five years before April 1, 2026. A new inspection on or after that date uses Revision 04/26. |
| Citizens four-point | Citizens’ new-business guidance has used a report dated within the previous 12 months, with situations that require a newer report. Do not apply the wind-mitigation five-year period to a four-point report. Another insurer may use a different period. |
After structural changes, new mitigation features, a roof replacement, or certain damage claims, ask the insurer whether the earlier report still describes the property.
What do these inspections cost?
The Insurance Consumer Advocate says a standalone four-point inspection may typically range from $100 to $300, and that location, the professional, the local market, the size of the home, and bundled services change the price. That is a budgeting reference. It is not a regulated fee and it is not a quote for a particular house.
For any inspection, ask for a written total that covers the visit, photographs, forms, report delivery, and possible follow-up. Ask whether correcting a factual error is handled differently from a return visit after repairs.
Citizens says some inspections are the property owner’s to pay for, and some are paid by Citizens. Its underwriting field surveys are free to the policyholder. A four-point or wind-mitigation report that you order because an application or a credit requires it is generally your expense. An insurer-ordered underwriting survey is the insurer’s expense. Ask which kind of visit you are scheduling.
Are free wind-mitigation inspections available?
The My Safe Florida Home program offers wind-mitigation inspections for qualifying properties, subject to program rules and available funding. The Insurance Consumer Advocate describes the program as separate from an ordinary insurance inspection: an inspection application is not the same thing as grant approval. Receiving an inspection does not mean a grant is approved, and it does not replace a four-point report or a purchase inspection. Check the official program before you pay someone who claims to guarantee government assistance. The Department of Financial Services premium-discounts guide also points readers to MySafeFLHome.com.
After the inspection: turn the report into an answer
Read the report and resolve errors. Check the address, dates, equipment information, listed roof work, qualifications, and attachments. Ask the inspector to explain anything that conflicts with your records. Do not edit the signed findings yourself. Section 627.711(8) makes it a first-degree misdemeanor to knowingly provide or utter a false or fraudulent mitigation verification form with the intent to obtain a premium discount the person is not entitled to. The form also warns that false or fraudulent mitigation information can be reported for investigation.
Ask what must be repaired or documented. For an underwriting concern, ask the agent to name the actual requirement and the proof of correction that will be accepted. For a missing mitigation credit, separate a feature the house does not have from a feature that has not been documented well enough. Citizens notes that an incomplete inspection, including missing photographs, should not be submitted as if it were finished.
Submit the complete package. Send the signed report, the required photographs, and the supporting records through the channel your agent specifies. Keep a copy and ask for confirmation of receipt. On a Citizens policy, the published process has the agent submit the wind-mitigation report. The inspection appointment alone does not apply a discount.
Confirm the insurance result. Ask whether the report was accepted, which credits changed, the effective date, and whether anything is still outstanding. Look for the written policy result. The invoice for the inspection does not prove the premium changed. Citizens says accepted mitigation changes can result in a revised declarations page.
Condo and manufactured-home owners
Do not automatically use the single-family checklist for a condo unit or a manufactured home. Section 627.7011’s roof-age rule does not apply to mobile-home policies. Citizens’ public four-point description covers property-owner, dwelling, and mobile-home applications and does not, on that page, set the rule for every condo or tenant policy. Its mitigation process uses different forms for some building types. Ask the agent which property-specific requirement applies. When the insurer needs the building rather than the unit, get the records from the association. Florida condo laws are a separate subject from an insurance inspection form.
Common questions
Does a wind-mitigation inspection replace a roof inspection?
Not automatically. Wind mitigation documents construction features. A roof-condition report evaluates condition and remaining life. Citizens’ roof materials separate those two purposes.
Does passing a four-point guarantee insurance?
No. The report supplies information for underwriting. The insurer still evaluates eligibility, supporting documents, and applicable requirements.
Do I need a new wind report after replacing the roof?
Ask the insurer. A roof replacement can materially change the features in an earlier report. Citizens ties continued use of an older wind-mitigation form to no changes to the structure.
Does a favorable inspection mean my home is hurricane-proof?
No. The state mitigation form says its definitions are for inspection purposes only and cannot be used to certify any product or construction feature as offering protection from hurricanes. The purpose is documented risk reduction, not a guarantee against loss.
Where to get help
For an insurance question, a report-acceptance concern, or a complaint, contact Florida Department of Financial Services Consumer Services at 1-877-693-5236. Out of state, the premium-discounts guide lists (850) 413-3089. Have the policy information, the insurer’s correspondence, the report, and the specific question ready. The consumer site is Mitigation Notices, Inspections and Forms.
For a home-inspector license question or complaint, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation lists 850-487-1395 and its online licensing and complaint services.
Order the right report, gather the evidence, verify the professional, and confirm what the insurer actually accepts. A better inspection process starts before anyone climbs into the attic. The goal is an accurate picture of the home.
What this page tracks separately
| Item | As checked November 7, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Form revision | OIR-B1-1802, Rev. 04/26. Older form on the page is Rev. 01/12. |
| Effective date | Inspections on or after April 1, 2026, use Rev. 04/26. Adopted by Rule 69O-170.0155. |
| Citizens examples | Labeled in the text. They are not statewide underwriting rules. |
| Report-age limits | Wind form: up to five years if unchanged and accurate. Citizens older form: completed within five years before April 1, 2026, and no structural change. Citizens four-point new business: often within 12 months. |
| Statutes | Sections 627.711, 627.7011, and 468.8311, Florida Statutes. |
| Verification date | November 7, 2026. |
Sources
- Florida Senate: section 627.711 (2026), section 627.7011 (2026), section 468.8311 (2025)
- Office of Insurance Regulation: OIR-B1-1802 data-call instructions, updated April 2026, rule package containing the Rev. 04/26 form text, Notice of Premium Discounts, OIR-B1-1655, premium discounts for hurricane loss mitigation
- Department of Financial Services: mitigation notices, inspections, and forms, hurricane mitigation, premium-discounts consumer guide, Insurance Consumer Advocate four-point guide, Insurance Consumer Advocate mitigation page
- Citizens Property Insurance Corporation: inspections, March 19, 2026 form-change bulletin
- Department of Business and Professional Regulation: home inspectors
- My Safe Florida Home: mysafeflhome.com
This page is general information for homeowners. It is not an insurance quote, a coverage decision, or a repair specification. Confirm the current form and the insurer’s instructions before you schedule.