Wind Mitigation & 4-Point Issues

Hi gang,

I recently performed a Wind Mitigation and 4-Point inspection on a home here in Florida. I ran into 2 issues I never anticipated and wanted some feedback from more seasoned vets out there.

*The dead-front panel on the electrical panel had drywall encroaching it so much that I was not able to remove it without damaging the wall. I opted not to remove it and damage the wall, and thus, I couldn’t inspect the panel properly. I did report the issue as such, but feel like it could be viewed as a convenient excuse, which it really wasn’t. Was this the right choice?

*Wind Mitigation - I am sometimes having an issue seeing the roof-to-wall connections in some homes clearly. Sometimes, it’s no problem. However, in this case, I could not navigate close enough, and the blown-in insulation was so thick it obstructed them anyway. I then tried my Depstech scope camera from exterior holes in the soffit, but to no avail. Any advise? How would you report this?

I feel like I was unable to successfully complete the inspections, but since I “observe and report,” I did achieve that and can’t help the condition of the house. Thanks for some direction.

If you can’t get the cover off safely or without damage, don’t try. Just report that it wasn’t readily accessible. For the RTW attachment photo, try out a camera pole.

I won’t take the cover off but will ask the homeowner to at least cut back enough drywall so I can get the cover off. Tried to sell the" I can’t get the cover off" to the insurance companies and it did not go well. A couple of times the only way they would write coverage is for me to go back get the interior pictures. As for the RTW good flashlight and telephoto lens. Done in seconds.

Thanks for the responses. Yes that’s what I was thinking the insurance company’s take on it would be, but the homeowner wasn’t there at the time of the inspection, just the buyer. So I couldn’t ask them to remove it. The camera pole…are you referencing the Spectoscope, or another type of device? Have any of you ever been able to peel back soffit to peek at it? I know…if I won’t cut drywall, I certainly won’t go this route very often. :cool:

You will rarely if ever come across a soffit you can peel back unless “MAYBE” Vinyl.

I really suggest you make the short trip to Weston and take Dennis Bonner’s Insurance Inspection Class at HOH II. You will learn all the tips and tricks and what needs to be done and then some. I think the next class will be around the middle of feb. Check the HOH II class schedule & good luck.

Florida Insurance Inspections Certification Class – InterNACHI House of Horrors

Dennis B. doesn’t use a camera pole as far as I can tell. He’s small enough to crawl down to the end. Not me, I’m too old for that. I do 80% of my RTW photos right from the attic hatch. The Spectoscope is certainly not what you would use in an attic. Just a medium length painters pole with a camera adapter is all that is needed.