Many Jacksonville neighborhoods have homes built decades ago. An older home can be well kept and comfortable to live in, but insurance companies look closely at a few systems before they write a policy.

McGriff-Williams Insurance does not perform 4-point, roof or any other home inspections. A licensed member of our team may be able to compare options from the insurance companies we represent.

How old are Jacksonville homes? A look by ZIP code

U.S. Census Bureau estimates show how many homes in some Jacksonville ZIP codes were built in the 1980s or earlier. Older homes are found all over Jacksonville, and everything below applies to an older home wherever it is. ZIP codes don’t line up exactly with neighborhoods, so the areas named below are approximate.

ZIP code (includes parts of) Median year built Built in the 1980s or earlier
32204 (Riverside area) about 1956 about 73%
32205 (Avondale, Westside) about 1952 about 90%
32207 (San Marco area) about 1964 about 78%
32210 (Westside) about 1972 about 72%
32211 (Arlington) about 1967 about 79%
32277 (Arlington) about 1978 about 68%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates, tables B25035 and B25034, covering apartments as well as houses.

What insurers look at on an older home

Insurers focus on four systems: the roof, electrical, plumbing, and heating and air conditioning (HVAC). For each one, they want its age, type and condition. They also look at whether the dwelling limit is high enough to rebuild, which wind-resistant features the home has, and whether you can prove updates.

The 4-point inspection

In our agency’s experience, most of the insurance companies we work with ask for a 4-point inspection on homes about 30 years old and older. A handful now waive it entirely, so ask before you pay for one. Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, Florida’s state-created insurer, sets an earlier age: as of its FAQ updated February 18, 2026, a four-point inspection is mandatory on its personal residential multiperil applications for homes more than 20 years old. Citizens says that applies to new business, and its underwriters may ask for one at renewal case by case (FAQ updated February 20, 2026).

The report must be signed by a verifiable Florida-licensed professional, such as a general, residential or building contractor, a building code inspector or a home inspector, according to Citizens’ sample form (Insp4pt 03 25). Citizens accepts a report dated in the 12 months before a new-business application, with shorter windows in some cases (FAQ updated May 20, 2026). Our post on what a Florida 4-point inspection checks walks through the form in detail.

Roof age: Florida’s 15-year rule

Under section 627.7011(5), Florida Statutes, an insurer may not refuse to issue or renew a homeowners policy solely because of roof age if the roof is less than 15 years old. For a roof at least 15 years old, the insurer must let you have it inspected, at your expense, before requiring a new roof. The inspector must be one the insurer approves, such as a licensed home inspector, contractor or engineer. The insurer can’t refuse to issue or renew solely because of roof age if the inspection shows at least 5 years of useful life left.

Roof age counts from when the entire roof was last built or replaced. These rules were added by Senate Bill 2-D in 2022 (chapter 2022-268, Laws of Florida) and apply to homeowners policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2022. The word “solely” matters: an insurer can still decline for other lawful reasons, including the roof’s condition. Citizens’ Inspections page says soft roofs, such as shingle, over 25 years old and hard roofs, such as tile or metal, over 50 years old need documentation of at least 5 years of remaining useful life (checked October 30, 2026).

If an older roof needs a large repair, part or the whole roof may have to be brought up to the current building code, so ask your roofer and check your law and ordinance coverage. Roof age can also affect how a roof claim is paid, as our post on Florida roof payment schedules and roof deductibles explains.

Electrical: what insurers watch for

Citizens’ 4-point form (Insp4pt 03 25) records the panel type (circuit breakers or fuses), amperage, age and brand, and the wiring type, such as copper, single-strand or multi-strand aluminum, or cloth (knob and tube) wiring.

  • Aluminum branch wiring. As of its FAQ updated April 16, 2026, Citizens accepts multi-strand aluminum wiring, but single-strand aluminum branch circuit wiring needs documented remediation, either a full copper rewire or one of two connection repair methods Citizens names.
  • Certain older panels. In our agency’s experience, many insurance companies won’t accept Federal Pacific (FPE or Stab-Lok) or Zinsco electrical panels, so ask before you buy or renew.
  • Fuses and cloth or knob and tube wiring. These are recorded on the form and often lead to questions or a repair-first requirement.

What usually helps is a panel replacement or rewire by a licensed electrician, with a permit and an invoice.

Plumbing: older pipe types and water coverage

The form records supply and drain pipe age, whether the home was fully or partly re-piped, and pipe types such as copper, PVC or CPVC, galvanized, cast iron, polybutylene and PEX. It also records the water heater’s age, location and relief valve, and any active or prior leaks.

  • Leaks. Citizens lists signs of active leaks or unrepaired water damage, and plumbing not in good working order, among the conditions that make a home ineligible (FAQ updated February 25, 2026).
  • Polybutylene. As of its FAQ updated January 26, 2026, Citizens says homes 20 years old or newer with polybutylene piping may be eligible if there are no signs of leaks, unrepaired water damage, disrepair or hazards, but new-business homes more than 20 years old with polybutylene piping aren’t insurable on the policy forms it lists.
  • Galvanized supply lines and cast iron drains. Both are recorded on the form, and insurers may ask about them because older metal pipe can corrode from the inside and drain lines run under slabs and inside walls where leaks are hard to see. A re-pipe, or a camera inspection of the drain line, with paperwork can help that conversation.

Older plumbing can also affect water damage coverage, because some insurance companies limit water damage on older homes. Our post on water damage limits for older Florida homes explains how those limits work.

Heating and air conditioning

For HVAC, the form asks for the system’s age and the year it was last updated, the last service date, a photo of the manufacturer’s dated plate, and signs of leakage at the air handler or drain pan. A serviced system with records is easier to document.

Insure for what it would cost to rebuild

Your dwelling limit should reflect the current cost to rebuild the home with comparable materials, not the sale price or the tax value. Older construction, such as plaster walls, solid wood floors and trim, and solid wood doors, can cost more to repair or replace than standard drywall construction.

Florida law requires insurers to offer replacement cost coverage and law and ordinance coverage before issuing a homeowners policy (section 627.7011(1), Florida Statutes). Law and ordinance coverage helps pay the added cost of meeting current building codes after a covered loss, limited to 25% or 50% of the dwelling limit, as the policyholder chooses. It applies only to the damaged portion unless the total damage exceeds 50% of the structure’s replacement cost. Unless you reject it in writing, the policy is deemed to include law and ordinance coverage at 25%. On an older home, a repair can bring wiring, roofing and other work up to current code, so ask what your percentage is and whether the replacement cost estimate reflects the home’s actual materials.

Wind mitigation on an older home

Florida law requires residential property insurance rate filings to include actuarially reasonable discounts, credits or other rate differentials, or appropriate reductions in deductibles, for homes with construction features shown to reduce wind losses, including roof strength, roof covering performance, roof-to-wall strength, opening protection, and window, door and skylight strength (section 627.0629(1), Florida Statutes). The amount varies by insurance company and by home.

A wind mitigation inspection uses the state’s OIR-B1-1802 form, whose current version took effect April 1, 2026, and the Office of Insurance Regulation says a form is valid for up to 5 years as long as no material changes are made to the home and nothing on the form is found to be inaccurate. A roof replacement is a natural time to add features, because Florida law directs that a roof replacement on a site-built single-family home include a secondary water barrier and strengthened or corrected roof deck attachment (section 553.844(3)(a), Florida Statutes). The inspection may be at your own cost.

Keep proof of updates

The 4-point form asks what was updated, when and by whom, along with the last roofing permit date. Keep these records together:

  • Permits and final inspection results
  • Contractor invoices for the roof, panel, re-pipe and HVAC
  • Documentation of aluminum wiring remediation, if it applies
  • Before and after photos
  • Your latest wind mitigation form (the inspection may be at your own cost)

For homes in the City of Jacksonville, the City says the public can look up permits and inspection results in JAXEPICS by permit number, confirmation number or address. Some older records may not be online, so you may need to ask the City for them.

Buying an older home in Jacksonville

  • Order the 4-point early in your inspection period, and get an insurance quote before the contingency ends.
  • Check the flood zone and the evacuation zone separately, as our Jacksonville home insurance page explains.
  • If you already have a policy and want it reviewed, see our second opinion page.

Have an older Jacksonville home, or a 4-point with a few red flags? Call (352) 371-7977 or request a quote with the year built, the roof year and your update dates, and a licensed member of our team can walk through what insurers are likely to ask about.

Frequently asked questions

At what age does a Jacksonville home need a 4-point inspection?

In our agency’s experience, most of the insurance companies we work with ask for one on homes about 30 years old and older, and a handful now waive it. Citizens requires one on new-business applications for homes more than 20 years old (FAQ updated February 18, 2026).

Can an insurer turn me down just because my roof is old?

Not solely for age if the roof is less than 15 years old. For a roof at least 15 years old, the insurer must let you have it inspected, at your expense, and it can’t refuse to issue or renew solely because of roof age if the inspection shows at least 5 years of useful life left. Condition and other lawful reasons still count.

Will my older home have a water damage limit?

It may, depending on the insurance company and the plumbing. Documented re-piping can help.

Can an older home qualify for wind mitigation credits?

It can, often after a re-roof or new opening protection, depending on the home and the insurance company. The state’s OIR-B1-1802 form is valid for up to 5 years as long as no material changes are made to the home and nothing on the form is found to be inaccurate. The inspection may be at your own cost.

Does McGriff-Williams Insurance do inspections?

No. We don’t perform inspections, but we can help you understand what a report means for your insurance and compare coverage options.

General information, not legal or coverage advice. Coverage depends on the policy issued, its terms and underwriting. Citizens details are as of the update dates shown, and sources were checked October 30, 2026. McGriff-Williams Insurance is an independent insurance agency in Gainesville, in business since 1983 and licensed in Florida. We are not affiliated with Citizens Property Insurance Corporation.

Sources