Do You Perform “4-Point” Inspections?

In some parts of the country (not San Antonio), inspectors are allowed to perform a much quicker, simpler inspection known as the “four-point” inspection. The 4-point inspection is known as such because it only focuses on:

• The Roof
• The Air-Conditioning System
• The Plumbing System
• The Electrical System

This creates a much quicker and more compact inspection that is primarily used by home insurance companies to estimate premiums. This home inspection is significantly shorter than a TREC standard home inspection and as such is often significantly cheaper to perform in the areas its used in.

If a “Four-Point” Inspection is cheaper, Why Doesn’t Everybody Do It?

Because in the State of Texas, if the home is the subject of a real estate transaction (i.e. being bought or sold), home inspectors ARE REQUIRED to apply the entire TREC Standards of Practice to the home. That means that in the San Antonio and New Braunfels area, if you’re buying a home, you are getting a full-fledged home inspection or no home inspection at all. This is to ensure that a home buyer is getting the full picture of the home they are purchasing, including many important systems and components that would otherwise not be present in the 4-point inspection.

In summary, Ensure Home Inspections does not perform “four-point” inspections, and neither does any other home inspector in Texas.