Wind Mitigation and 4-Point Inspections Explained

by Tim Hart | Nov 18, 2019 3:17:00 PM

What Inspection Do I Need?

Home inspections are a key part of the home-buying process. No one wants to find any nasty surprises after they’ve moved into their new home. The outcome of an inspection can make or break a deal. I sat down with Troy Thornhill from Healthy Home Inspections, and he gave me the scoop on the different types of inspections beyond your standard home inspection that you need to know about when buying a house in Florida.

Types of Home Inspections

Wind Mitigation Inspection

This kind of inspection will save you money on your homeowners insurance 90% of the time, according to Troy. Most insurance companies require this inspection for homes built prior to 2003, so if you’re buying a new house, make sure you check with your insurance carrier to see if you need a wind mitigation inspection.

A wind mitigation inspection is essentially a hurricane study on the house. There’s a list of things inspectors go through, and there are certain discounts the insurance company will give based on their findings and how the house is constructed. Your insurance will look at various features of your house to calculate any discounts, including the age of the house and roof and the presence of hurricane shutters, but the two features that will affect your insurance the most are hurricane straps and the shape of the roof.

  • Hurricane Straps — This is what’s called roof-to-wall attachment. It’s what holds the roof down and connects it to the exterior walls of the house. New homes have single wraps, which are metal connectors that wrap up and over the top of the roof trusses. Older homes have clips, which don’t wrap over the trusses. If those clips are secured properly, it can make a huge difference in your insurance.
  • Roof Shape — This isn’t something you can really change about the house. Basically, if you have a hip roof, you could see a nice discount on your homeowners insurance.

4-Point Inspection

This inspection determines whether the house is even insurable and can make or break a deal. During a four-point inspection, the inspector looks at four key areas:

  • Roof
  • Electrical
  • Plumbing
  • Heating and cooling

Four-point inspections are almost always required for older homes. If you’re buying a home that’s 25 years or older, you’ll likely need a four-point inspection. That said, during our conversation, Troy noted that some insurance companies have been requiring four-point inspections on homes as new as 10 years old.

The reason many people will get a four-point inspection done when they get a home inspection is because they’ll be able to get it done during their due diligence period. If the inspector comes back with any items that need to be repaired for the home to be insurable, you can negotiate with the seller. If you wait until after that period, you might be out of luck. No lender is going to give out loans on houses that aren’t insurable.

If you've ever had a deal fall through after an inspection, whether you're a buyer or a Realtor, you know it can be a devastating experience. Home inspectors like Troy are often accused of “killing deals.” But, as we mentioned earlier, no one wants an unpleasant surprise after buying their new home.

“The bad part of my job is sometimes we have to give people the bad news they don’t want to hear,” Troy said. “When I see my clients in the second round, I tell them, ‘The second one almost always works out better. I think you’re going to be much happier.’ More often than not, the second house is much better and they are much happier.”

Home inspections can be frustrating, but they’re an important part of the process. If you have questions about home inspection or any part of the home-buying process, get some answers by calling 239-437-4278 today.

 



Born and raised in Southwest Florida, I have been in the Mortgage business since 2001 I'm a grizzly, battle tested mortgage veteran. I am also the Host of Rates & Reels, which is the most popular fishing show in Southwest Florida, hosted by a guy named Tim. In my spare time I love spending time with my family, coaching baseball, and anything else my kids or wife want me to do. I would be happy to help you or someone you know with any of your Mortgage needs.

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