Proposed Universal 4-Point Insurance Inpection form.

http://www.nachi.org/4point.htm

This is the form we’ve been working on. We’re trying to make it universal so that other insurance companies (not just Citizens) can use it. It appears to have everything they are looking for and more.

Please tell us how we can improve it without making it too much longer.

http://www.nachi.org/4point.htm

We are able to make standard choices on the right column for some so that you can just circle them, but it looks kind of quick and dirty that way, you decide.

Once we get it down I’ll get Citizen’s approval.

Then we’ll have IT build us it online so that we have the option of either downloading the form, or… filling it out online so that our answers are all typed nice and neat.

It will of course be fetchreport.com compatible.

Anyway, what improvements should we make to it?

I think there’s items in there that really don’t serve any purpose for what the insurance companies are looking at. One jumps at me, like the sump pump. I don’t know about everywhere else in Florida, but after 3 yrs of inspections I have yet to see a sump pump here. Also, does the insurance company actually care what the water pressure is like? I’m thinking no. Fire sprinkler system? Very rare if ever in a single family home. And freeze hazards? It’s Florida! :slight_smile: My experience with the insurance companies is, “the simpler, the better” They don’t want to spend a lot of time reading
Just my opinion.

You need to have a spot on there for a secondary roof.
There is no service location for the electrical system.
Not sure I would mention AFCI, unless requested by the insurance companies, as none of these homes will have them.

I also think you need to go to more of a check box style like the agents are used to. I would also shy away from rating anything as good, fair, or poor. Example: that 17 year old water heater could last another 5 years. It is not up to us to determine if it will need to be replaced. It is up to the insurance company to make that determination.

I have more, but have to run to an inspection right now.

Take out flashing and roof sheathing I have never been asked about those items before. All you are doing is making more work for us for which people will not pay any extra money. There are inspectors who do 4 points in Orlando for $75.00
There is also no need for shut off vales to be this inspection. Apart from the roof coving I have never been asked by an insurance company what upgrades are needed so why put it in, it will only create problems?

Hi Carl,

Isn’t flashing and sheathing a part of inspecting the roof portion of the four point inspection?

Looks like it still needs a lot of work. It would probably help if you worked with some inspectors from Florida that perform these inspections.

I don’t understand why NACHI is on the form since it is supposed to be a universal form that can be used by all.

Hello Wendy,

NO!

Wendy,

Yes and no.

It is a part of the inspection on a home over 50 years old. It is not a part of the report for homes less than 50 years old.

Greg,

It would be great if Citizen’s came up with their own 4 point form that all could use and just allow NACHI inspectors to fill out the form as they do the other two. But from what I heard, the other two have a 14 page form out there for 4 point inspections.

4 point are for homes over 35 yrs so AFCI’s wouldn’t play in there. They didn’t show up until 2002.

This is the form that is required for homes over 50 years old. I just spoke with the director of underwriting at Citizens about this form yesterday.

http://www.bellinspection.com/files/Four_Point_Form2.doc

Thanks for the info guys. I appreciate the distinction Greg, thank you.

Thanks guys. I’ll make some more changes to it tonight. Citizens says I should get approval in a matter of days for the new Universal form.

Greg, it is “universal” in that it is “universal” for use by all insurance companies (I had to add some of their requirements as well). It is not “universal” in that it is only for NACHI member use.

Nick

Will this report be accepted for homes over 50 years old?

Yes. What I’ve done is requested and received the information desired by all the insurance companies in FL.

There has been some misinformation out there regarding 4-point inspections. Technically, no home inspector, regardless of qualifications, is permitted to do an actual 4-point inspection. A true 4-point requires a licensed general contractor to do a portion and a licensed electrician to do a portion. What Citizens permits is a 4-point style inspection in lieu of an actual 4-point. A minor, but nonetheless real distinction. These can be done by certain home inspectors (now including NACHI members) provided enough particular information is included in the report… hence this Universal Four Point Insurance Inspection form we’re building for use by all insurance companies.

Can we get a list of the insurance companies which require a 4-point? I know many do, but many don’t. I’d like to market to those agents as well as Citizens agents.

This sounds like it will open this market up to inspectors that were not doing them before. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE [size=3]Do not undersale this service, this is not a $50 or $75.00 service. This is more of a $150 to $200 item, I get $199.00 a my area. Just my thoughts.[/size]

I did get one call from an agent in my area - asking if I would do a 4-point. I told him $149 and he laughed. he said he had someone that would do them for $50. He just didn’t want to have them drive from Altamonte Springs to St Cloud for it.
I said he would have to drive, cause I wasn’t going to do it for $50. He wasn’t very happy…

For anyone,
If you do a 4-point, do ytou ever get called or asked to do a full inspection? If so, do you discount a little as you’ve already hit those points…?