The simplest way to understand the 4-point vs wind mitigation inspection question in Florida is this: a 4-point inspection decides whether you can get a home insurance policy, and a wind mitigation inspection decides how much you will pay for it. You often need both, but they answer two completely different underwriting questions. A 4-point report tells the carrier your home’s core systems are sound enough to insure; a wind mit report unlocks the storm-hardening discounts that Florida law requires insurers to give you. Neither one is a full home inspection, and a passing 4-point does not automatically earn you any premium credit.
The one-sentence difference
4-point = can you get a policy. Wind mit = how much you will pay. Hand that line to any Florida homeowner and they will understand the rest. A carrier uses the 4-point to manage its risk of a major claim from old wiring, failing plumbing, a tired roof, or a dying air handler. It uses the wind mitigation form to calculate the legally required discounts for the storm-resistant features your home already has. One is a gatekeeper; the other is a coupon.
What a 4-point inspection covers (roof, electrical, plumbing, HVAC) and why insurers ask
A 4-point inspection looks at exactly four systems, which is where the name comes from:
- Roof — age, covering type, remaining useful life, and any visible leaks or prior repairs.
- Electrical — panel brand and amperage, wiring type, grounding, and obvious hazards.
- Plumbing — pipe material, water heater age, and signs of leaks or corrosion.
- HVAC — the age and working condition of your heating and cooling equipment.
Insurers ask for it because these four systems cause the most expensive and most frequent non-weather claims. A 4-point is a quick, surface-level snapshot — not the deep inspection a buyer orders before closing. It exists purely so an underwriter can decide if your home is in good enough shape to put on the books.
What a wind mitigation inspection covers — and the OIR-B1-1802 form
A wind mitigation inspection documents the features of your home that help it survive a hurricane, and it is recorded on a single standardized state document: the Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form, OIR-B1-1802. Every Florida-licensed insurer reads the same form, so the inspector’s findings travel with you from carrier to carrier. The inspector verifies things like your roof shape, roof covering, roof deck attachment, roof-to-wall connections (clips, single wraps, double wraps), the year of roof permitting, and your opening protection (impact-rated windows, doors, and shutters). Florida updated this form effective April 1, 2026, adding items such as design wind-speed region and roof slope, with carriers expected to begin applying credits under the new form in mid-2026 — so a current inspection on the correct version matters.
Which one gets you approved vs. which one saves you money
This is the crux of the 4-point vs wind mitigation inspection distinction. The 4-point is an approval document. A clean 4-point opens the door to more carriers, and more competing carriers usually means a better rate — but the 4-point itself does not directly lower your premium. The wind mitigation report is your savings document. Under Florida Statute 627.0629, insurers are required to provide actuarially reasonable discounts for verified wind-resistant construction — covering roof strength, roof covering, roof-to-wall strength, opening protection, and more. Those credits are not optional goodwill; they are mandated. The wind mit form is simply how you prove you qualify.
When each is required: home age, carrier rules, and renewals
A 4-point is generally triggered by your home’s age. As a rule of thumb, most carriers require one once a home reaches about 30 years old, nearly all require one at 40 years, and some — including Citizens — can ask for one as early as 20 years. Newer homes usually skip the 4-point entirely. A wind mitigation inspection, by contrast, is rarely “required,” but it is almost always worth getting, because skipping it means leaving mandatory discounts on the table. Brand-new homes are the exception: under modern Florida building code they earn many wind-mit credits automatically, which is why new construction homes tend to price so favorably. Both reports also come up at renewal — carriers can re-request a 4-point on an aging home, and an expired wind mit form means your credits can quietly fall off. Roof age is its own underwriting hot button; see our breakdown of roof age and the 15-year rule for why a tired roof can sink a 4-point.
What makes a 4-point fail — and what to fix before the inspector arrives
A 4-point doesn’t have a numeric “score” — it either reports your systems as acceptable or it flags problems that make carriers walk away. Common dealbreakers include:
- Outdated or recalled electrical panels (older Federal Pacific or Zinsco-style panels), knob-and-tube, or aluminum branch wiring.
- Polybutylene plumbing, active leaks, or an old corroded water heater.
- A roof near the end of its useful life or with active leaks.
- An HVAC system that is non-functional or well past its expected lifespan.
Before the inspector arrives, fix obvious leaks, replace a failing water heater, clear access to the electrical panel and attic, and have documentation ready for any recent roof, electrical, or plumbing upgrades. Addressing a known panel or polybutylene issue ahead of time can be the difference between approval and a string of declines. A failed inspection that leads to a coverage gap can later complicate a claim — our guide on a denied home insurance claim explains how underwriting history can come back to bite you.
Wind mitigation credits explained: roof shape, roof-to-wall attachment, opening protection
The three features that move the needle most on your wind mit form are:
- Roof shape — a hip roof (sloped on all four sides) sheds wind far better than a gable roof and typically earns the largest single credit.
- Roof-to-wall attachment — how your roof is fastened to the walls, graded from toe-nails (weakest) up to clips, single wraps, and double wraps (strongest). Hurricane straps can dramatically improve this line.
- Opening protection — impact-rated windows, doors, and properly rated shutters. This is essentially all-or-nothing: if even one opening is unprotected, you can lose the full opening-protection credit, so protecting every opening matters.
Because these credits are real and required, a single wind mit inspection can pay for itself many times over.
Costs, how long reports stay valid, and scheduling both in one visit
A 4-point inspection generally runs in the low-to-mid hundreds of dollars and takes under an hour; wind mitigation inspections are similarly priced and quick. The validity windows differ in a way worth remembering: a wind mitigation form (OIR-B1-1802) is valid for up to five years as long as no material changes are made to the structure, while many carriers want a 4-point that is more recent — often within the past year or so — for older homes. Our strongest practical tip: schedule both inspections in a single visit with one inspector who can do both. You pay one trip charge, the inspector is already in your attic and at your panel, and you walk away with both documents in hand. If you qualify, the My Safe Florida Home program offers a free wind mitigation inspection to Florida homeowners of eligible single-family homes and townhouses — a no-cost way to get that OIR-B1-1802 on file.
How we use your 4-point vs wind mitigation inspection reports to shop 15+ carriers
This is where having an independent agency pays off. When you send us a clean 4-point and a current wind mit form, we run them across our panel of 15 to 20+ A-rated Florida carriers at once. The 4-point tells us which companies will even consider your home; the wind mit form tells us which one will price it lowest after every mandatory credit is applied. Two homes on the same street can pay very different premiums purely because of what their wind mit forms document — and we make sure your form is working as hard as it can for you. We also cross-check your reports against each carrier’s age and roof rules so you are not surprised at renewal. For the bigger picture on coverage, deductibles, and Florida’s market, our Florida homeowners insurance guide ties it all together, and homeowners with older housing stock in markets like Tampa home insurance benefit most from getting both inspections right.
Talk to a Florida-licensed advisor
Cornerstone Insurance is an independent, Florida-based agency that compares 15 to 20+ A-rated carriers to find the right fit for your home. Send us your 4-point and wind mitigation reports and we will do the shopping for you. Get a quote and let us put your inspections to work.
