4 Point Roof Inspection Orlando FL

If your insurance agent just asked for a 4 point inspection, the roof is usually the part that decides how it goes. Home Pros Roofing and Contracting is a licensed Florida roofing contractor based at 1935 Rafton Rd in Apopka, and we help homeowners across Orlando, Apopka, Orange County and Seminole County get the roof portion right. We inspect the roof, fill out insurance roof inspection forms such as the Citizens Roof Inspection Form, document the roof section of a 4 point form, and fix what an insurer flags before it costs you a policy.

Below: what the inspection covers, who signs each part, the roof age rules and what to do if your roof does not pass. Call us 24/7 at 407-766-4388 or book a free roof inspection.

What is a 4 point inspection?

A 4 point inspection is a short report on the age and condition of four parts of a home: the roof, the electrical system, the plumbing and the heating and cooling (HVAC) system. Insurers use it to decide whether they will write or keep a policy on an older home. It is not a full home inspection, and the Citizens sample form says plainly that the information is used only to determine insurability and is not a warranty of any system inspected.

Citizens Property Insurance publishes a sample 4 Point Inspection Form that most Florida insurers and inspectors follow closely. It asks for:

Electrical: the panel, wiring type and hazards such as exposed wiring, double taps, scorching or knob and tube wiring.
HVAC: system age, the last service date and any leaks at the air handler or drain pan.
Plumbing: the water heater and its relief valve, pipe types such as galvanized or polybutylene, and any leaks.
Roof: covering material, roof age, remaining useful life, the date of the last roofing permit, overall condition and visible damage or leaks, with photos of every roof slope.

Photos are required too, including each side of the house, every roof slope and every hazard noted.

Who fills out each part of the form?

This is where homeowners get confused. Citizens says a 4 point form must be completed, signed and dated by a verifiable Florida licensed professional, such as a general, residential or building contractor, a building code inspector or a home inspector. Its instructions add that a trade specific licensed professional may sign off only on the section for their own trade. For example, an electrician may sign off only on the electrical section.

Home Pros is a roofing company, so we focus on the roof. As a licensed roofing contractor, Home Pros fills out insurance roof inspection forms, including the Citizens Roof Inspection Form and the roof section of 4 point forms, with photos of every slope. The electrical, plumbing and HVAC sections of a full 4 point report are typically completed by a licensed home inspector or other inspector your insurer accepts. Insurers often ask for a separate wind mitigation report from an inspector as well, which is a different form used for premium discounts. If you are not sure which forms your policy needs, ask your agent first and then call us for the roof.

Citizens also notes that the roof section of its 4 point form, with photos of each slope, can take the place of the separate Roof Inspection Form. Other insurers may call their version a roof certification or roof condition form, but they ask for the same basic facts. Our roof inspection for insurance page walks through those forms in more detail.

When do insurers ask for a 4 point inspection?

Citizens requires a 4 point inspection for all homeowner, dwelling and mobile home applications on properties more than 20 years old. Private insurers set their own age limits. You are most likely to be asked for one when you buy an older home, switch insurers, or your current insurer asks for updated information at renewal.

Citizens says serious hazards, such as exposed wiring, active leaks or evidence of leaks, should be repaired before an application is submitted.

Roof age rules: Citizens and the Florida 15 year roof law

Citizens roof rules. Shingle and other soft roofs older than 25 years, and tile, slate, clay, concrete or metal roofs older than 50 years, need documentation showing at least 5 years of remaining useful life. A Florida licensed inspector must check the roof for visible damage or deterioration and complete a Roof Inspection Form. When a roof has less than 5 years of useful life left, Citizens requires proof of a full roof replacement before any policy is written.

Florida law. Under section 627.7011(5) of the Florida Statutes, an insurer may not refuse to issue or renew a homeowners policy solely because the roof is less than 15 years old. For a roof that is at least 15 years old, the insurer must let you have the roof inspected by an authorized inspector, at your expense, before it requires a replacement, and it may not refuse coverage solely because of roof age if that inspection shows 5 years or more of useful life remaining. Roofing contractors are among the authorized inspectors the law lists. Roof age is counted from the last date 100 percent of the roof was built or replaced, and the rule applies to policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2022.

That is why the date of your last full roofing permit matters so much. If you are not sure when your roof was replaced, we can help you look up the permit history before the inspection. Read more about roof age, coverage and nonrenewals in our guide to Florida homeowners insurance and roof coverage.

What the inspector looks for on your roof

The roof section of the Citizens forms has a checklist of damage and deterioration. These are the boxes that cause trouble:

Excessive granule loss and exposed asphalt on shingles that have baked in the Florida sun for years.
Cracking, cupping or curling shingles, often worst on the south and west slopes.
Missing, loose or cracked tabs or tiles after summer storms or a hurricane.
Exposed felt where shingles or tiles have slipped or blown off.
Soft spots in decking, usually from a slow leak at a valley, a wall or a pipe boot.
Visible signs of leaks in the attic, on the underside of the decking or on interior ceilings.

Inspectors also note prior repairs. A neat repair is fine, but mismatched shingles, heavy roofing cement or a caulked over pipe boot tells the underwriter the roof has problems.

Orlando and Apopka homes, and the roofs on them

Many homes here are well past the 20 year mark Citizens uses.

Downtown Orlando and Lake Eola: the Lake Eola Heights Historic District, created in 1989, has about 570 buildings. Vernacular clapboard farmhouses there date from 1890 to 1911, and the greatest period of growth ran from 1905 to 1925, with Craftsman bungalows and Mediterranean, Tudor and Colonial Revival homes.
College Park: many of its best known subdivisions were platted in the 1920s, with more building after World War II and larger homes in Ardsley Manor from the 1950s. Older shingle roofs, low eaves and big oaks are typical.
Errol Estate in Apopka: development began in 1970 around a 27 hole golf course, the first villas went up from 1972 to 1974, and other sections were added through the 2000s.
Wekiwa Springs area and newer subdivisions: newer subdivisions near Wekiwa Springs State Park and across Apopka and western Orange County often have architectural shingles or concrete tile, and many sit in HOA communities.

On older homes, the last full roof permit, not the year the house was built, sets the roof age. See our Errol Estate roofing page and our main Apopka roofing and Orlando roofing contractor pages for more on local homes.

How to get your roof ready before the 4 point inspection

Find the date of your last full roof permit.
Look for ceiling stains, especially in closets and along exterior walls.
Book a roof check before the inspector comes. We photograph every slope and tell you honestly what an inspector is likely to mark.
Fix small problems first. Pipe boots, loose flashing, a few missing shingles or cracked tiles are usually quick roof repairs.
Keep the paperwork. Permit records, invoices and photos of the repair help the inspector and the underwriter.

For a deeper look at what we check on shingle, tile, metal and flat roofs, see our main roof inspection page.

What if your roof fails the 4 point inspection?

A roof marked unsatisfactory does not always mean a new roof. The options are usually:

Repair and reinspect. If the problem is a leak or a damaged area, we repair it, document the work, and the roof can be inspected again.
Replace the roof. If the roof is past its useful life, a full roof replacement resets the roof age for insurance. Every roof we replace is built to the current Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023).

The Florida 25 percent rule matters here. The Florida Building Code says no more than 25 percent of a roof or roof section may be repaired, replaced or recovered in any 12 month period unless the covering on the entire roof or section is replaced to current code. Under section 553.844(5) of the Florida Statutes, a roof built, repaired or replaced under the 2007 Florida Building Code or later only needs the repaired portion built to current code, even when 25 percent or more is being repaired.

Who issues the permit depends on where your home is:

City of Orlando: reroof permits come from Permitting Services, with a dry in inspection, a final inspection affidavit for deck nailing and the secondary water barrier, and a recorded Notice of Commencement over $5,000.
Orlando historic districts: homes in districts such as Lake Eola Heights need a Certificate of Appropriateness. Roofs are on the city’s minor review list, and there is no fee for a minor review.
Unincorporated Orange County: many Orlando and Apopka mailing addresses are outside city limits, so the permit comes from Orange County through Fast Track.
City of Apopka: permits come from the Building Safety division through the city’s OpenGov online portal.

If your community has an HOA, check its architectural rules before choosing a roof color or material. Florida law limits an HOA’s architectural review to what its governing documents state or reasonably imply, and requires associations to adopt hurricane protection specifications. Home Pros checks the jurisdiction for your address, pulls any permit needed and schedules the inspections. Roof financing is available through Service Finance and Foundation Finance for good, fair and bad credit.

Hurricanes, storm damage and your inspection

Hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, and recent storms left damage that still shows up on inspections. During Hurricane Ian in September 2022, the National Weather Service recorded 13.20 inches of rain at Orlando International Airport and 10.95 inches near Apopka. During Hurricane Milton in October 2024, Orange County gusts peaked between 55 and 75 mph, locally as high as 87 mph, with 4 to 8 inches of rain and locally up to 10 inches.

Wind can lift and crease shingles without an immediate leak, so damage may go unnoticed until an inspector is on the roof. If a storm damaged your roof, call us for a roof check and photos before you file a claim with your insurer. Learn more about roof insurance claims in Apopka.

Home Pros Roofing and Contracting is a member of The Good Contractors List, an exclusive network that approves contractors only after a rigorous vetting process. Very few Florida contractors meet that standard, which is why you will find so few of them listed. Qualifying work is backed by the list's $25,000 third party workmanship guarantee, free to homeowners, so you can hire with confidence. View our Good Contractors List profile.

Why Orlando and Apopka homeowners call Home Pros before a 4 point inspection

Home Pros Roofing and Contracting has served Central Florida since 2015. We are licensed in Florida as a Certified General Contractor (CGC1527172) and a Certified Roofing Contractor (CCC1332789), we are a TAMKO Pro Certified Contractor and a CertainTeed ShingleMaster, and we answer the phone 24/7. One local team handles the roof check, the insurance roof form, any repair or replacement and the permit.

Got a 4 point inspection coming up? Call 407-766-4388, email [email protected], or book a free roof inspection.

4 Point Inspection FAQs for Orlando and Apopka

Does Home Pros do the full 4 point inspection?

No. Home Pros is a roofing contractor, so we inspect the roof, fill out insurance roof inspection forms such as the Citizens Roof Inspection Form, and document the roof section of a 4 point form. The electrical, plumbing and HVAC sections are typically completed by a licensed home inspector your insurer accepts.

How old does a home have to be before Citizens asks for a 4 point inspection?

Citizens requires a 4 point inspection for homeowner, dwelling and mobile home applications on properties more than 20 years old. Private insurers set their own rules, so ask your agent what your company requires.

My shingle roof is 22 years old. Can I still get insurance in Orlando?

Often, yes. Citizens' extra documentation rule for older shingle roofs starts at 25 years, and Florida law says an insurer cannot refuse a policy solely because of roof age if an authorized inspection of a roof 15 years or older shows at least 5 years of useful life left. A clean roof inspection is the best way to show that.

What makes a roof fail a 4 point inspection?

Common problems are active leaks or stains, soft decking, missing or cracked shingles or tiles, heavy granule loss, exposed felt and worn flashing or pipe boots. A roof can also be flagged if it lacks the remaining useful life your insurer needs.

Should I repair or replace my roof if it fails?

If the problem is limited to a leak or a damaged area, a permitted repair and a new inspection is often enough. If the roof is near the end of its life, a full replacement resets the roof age. We check the Florida 25 percent rule before recommending a repair.

Do I need a permit to fix my roof before the inspection?

A reroof needs a permit, and the City of Orlando says a permit is needed to replace or repair a roof. Inside Orlando city limits it comes from City of Orlando Permitting Services, in unincorporated areas from Orange County, and inside Apopka city limits from the City of Apopka Building Safety division. Home Pros checks the rules for your address, pulls any permit needed and schedules the inspections.

How soon can Home Pros check my roof?

Call 407-766-4388 any time, 24/7. We serve Orlando, Apopka and the rest of Orange and Seminole counties, and we will set up a free roof inspection and tell you honestly what an inspector is likely to see.

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4 Point Roof Inspection in Orlando, FL