Quick Answer - Wind Mitigation vs 4-Point Inspection
A 4-point inspection checks whether your home qualifies for insurance coverage at all, evaluating the age and condition of your roof, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems. A wind mitigation inspection checks whether your home qualifies for a discount, documenting wind-resistant features like roof shape, roof-to-wall connections, and opening protection. One decides if you can get a policy. The other lowers what you pay for it. Homes with an aging roof or a roof replacement on the horizon usually need both done around the same time.
Need a roof estimate in Nocatee? Call Gimo's Roofing at (904) 606-5313.
The One-Line Difference
4-point inspection = "Can I get insured?" Wind mitigation inspection = "Can I get a discount?" Both look at your roof. Neither replaces the other.
What Is a Wind Mitigation Inspection
A wind mitigation inspection documents the features of your home that help it resist hurricane-force wind, using Florida's standardized Office of Insurance Regulation form, OIR-B1-1802. The inspector records your roof shape (hip roofs generally score better than gable roofs), the roof covering's age and permit date, the type and condition of your roof-to-wall connections, and whether your windows and doors have impact-rated protection.
None of this affects whether an insurer will write your policy. It only affects the price. Every verified feature can lower the wind portion of your premium, sometimes substantially, and the credits apply as soon as your carrier has the completed form on file. Our guide to hurricane straps and roof-to-wall connections covers the single line item that most often changes the outcome of this inspection.
The seven line items an inspector scores on the OIR-B1-1802 form are:
- Building code year: whether the home was built or roofed to the 2001 Florida Building Code or later
- Roof covering: the material and whether it carries a wind-rated product approval
- Roof deck attachment: nail size, spacing, and pattern securing the decking to the trusses
- Roof-to-wall connection: toe nails, clips, single wraps, or double wraps, in ascending order of credit
- Roof geometry: hip roofs score better than gable or flat roofs because they shed wind more evenly
- Secondary water resistance: a sealed roof deck that keeps water out even if the covering is lost
- Opening protection: impact-rated windows, doors, and garage doors, or approved shutters
What Is a 4-Point Inspection
A 4-point inspection evaluates four major home systems: roof, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. Insurers require it on older homes, typically 15 to 30 years old depending on the carrier, before they will issue or renew a policy at all. The roof section documents age, material, visible condition, and the inspector's estimate of remaining service life.
Each of the four systems is scored independently, and a failure in any one of them can hold up the whole application:
- Roof: age, material, visible damage, and estimated remaining life
- Electrical: panel brand and age (some brands like Federal Pacific are an automatic red flag), visible wiring condition, and code compliance
- Plumbing: pipe material (polybutylene and older galvanized pipe are frequent flags), visible leaks, and water heater age
- HVAC: system age, visible maintenance condition, and whether the unit is functional at the time of inspection
Unlike wind mitigation, a 4-point inspection can result in a flat "no." A roof rated with little remaining life, visible damage, or multiple layers of shingles can get an application declined or a policy non-renewed outright, not just priced higher. Our deep dive on Florida roof insurance age limits and non-renewal covers exactly where insurers draw that line by roof age.
Wind Mitigation vs 4-Point: Side by Side
| Factor | Wind Mitigation | 4-Point |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Earns a premium discount | Decides eligibility for coverage |
| Official form | OIR-B1-1802 | Insurer-specific form |
| Systems covered | Roof shape and wind features only | Roof, electrical, plumbing, HVAC |
| Typical trigger | Any homeowner, any time | Homes 15-30+ years old |
| Worst outcome | No discount applied | Non-renewal or declined coverage |
| Typical validity | 5 years | Varies by carrier, often 3-5 years |
Who Requires Each Inspection
No one is required to get a wind mitigation inspection. It is entirely optional, and homeowners who skip it simply pay full price for the wind portion of their premium instead of the discounted rate. A 4-point inspection, by contrast, is usually required by the insurance carrier itself, not by law, once a home crosses that carrier's age threshold. New policies on older homes and renewals on aging homes are the two situations that most often trigger the requirement.
Cost and How Long Each Report Lasts
A wind mitigation inspection typically costs $75 to $150 and is valid for 5 years under Florida law, or until you make a qualifying change like a new roof, at which point getting an updated inspection can increase your credits further. A 4-point inspection typically costs $100 to $200, and how long it remains valid depends on the carrier, commonly 3 to 5 years, though a carrier can request a new one sooner if the home's condition is in question.
A quick way to see why this matters: a homeowner in a 25-year-old single-story home with a hip roof and toe-nail roof-to-wall connections might pay full price for wind coverage simply because no wind mitigation form is on file, while also facing a 4-point inspection that flags the roof's remaining life as under 3 years. Updating both at once, replacing the roof, adding double-wrap straps, and filing a fresh wind mitigation form, can lower the premium and resolve the 4-point flag in the same project.
Do You Need Both
If your home is under roughly 15 years old, you likely only need a wind mitigation inspection to start capturing premium credits. If your home is older than that, most carriers will require a 4-point inspection regardless of whether you also get a wind mitigation inspection done, and doing both in the same visit is efficient since an inspector is already on the roof. This is especially worth timing around a roof repair or replacement, since a new roof resets both the age clock on your 4-point eligibility and the credits available on your wind mitigation form.
How to Schedule Each Inspection in Florida
Both inspections must be performed by a licensed inspector, contractor, engineer, or other qualified professional recognized under Florida statute, not by the homeowner. Many insurance agents can refer an inspector, and many roofing contractors and home inspection companies offer both inspections in a single appointment since the roof-related line items overlap. Ask specifically whether the inspector is filling out the OIR-B1-1802 form for wind mitigation and a separate 4-point form, since some visits only cover one or the other unless you request both.
Common Mistakes Homeowners Make
The most expensive mistake is assuming one inspection covers the other and only scheduling one when a carrier actually wants both. The second most common mistake is letting a wind mitigation form go stale after a roof replacement or new hurricane straps, missing out on credits the home already qualifies for. The third is waiting until a renewal notice or non-renewal letter forces the issue, rather than scheduling a 4-point inspection proactively so any roof repair it turns up is handled on a normal timeline instead of an urgent one.
Which One Do You Need First
Get a wind mitigation inspection first if your home is under 15 years old, your policy is not up for renewal soon, and you simply want to check whether you are leaving discount money on the table. It is low cost, has no downside, and cannot hurt your eligibility for coverage.
Get a 4-point inspection first if your home is approaching or past your carrier's age threshold, you have received a renewal notice mentioning an inspection requirement, or you are shopping for a new policy on an older home. Knowing where you stand before the carrier's own inspector shows up gives you time to address any roof, electrical, plumbing, or HVAC issue on your own schedule rather than the insurer's.
Get both at once if you are already having a roofer or inspector on the property for any reason, since scheduling them together typically costs less in combined fees and travel time than two separate visits, and it gives you a complete picture of both your eligibility and your discount opportunities in one appointment.
Not Sure Which Inspection You Need?
Gimo's Roofing helps Jacksonville-area homeowners understand what their insurer is actually asking for, and whether their roof will pass a 4-point inspection or qualify for stronger wind mitigation credits.
Key Takeaways
- A 4-point inspection decides whether you can get or keep a policy. A wind mitigation inspection decides how much you pay for it.
- Wind mitigation inspections are optional but can meaningfully lower your premium. 4-point inspections are usually required by carriers once a home reaches a certain age.
- Wind mitigation credits are documented on the standardized OIR-B1-1802 form and typically last 5 years or until a qualifying upgrade.
- 4-point inspections typically cover roofs 15 to 30+ years old and can result in a declined application or non-renewal, not just a higher price.
- A new roof or added hurricane straps is the ideal time to update your wind mitigation form and capture credits you may not be receiving yet.
- Ask your inspector directly whether a visit covers both forms. Many roofing contractors and inspectors can complete both in a single appointment.
