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If you’ve owned a home in Fort Myers for a while, you’ve probably gotten that dreaded letter from your insurance company — the one that says something like “We need a four-point inspection before we can renew your policy.”
That letter catches a lot of homeowners off guard. You might’ve had the same company for years, paid on time, and never filed a claim. But Florida’s insurance world has changed, and they’re cracking down on older homes — especially anything built before 2000.
We see this every week at Coharbor Electric, and honestly, most of the time the inspection itself isn’t the problem. It’s what comes after the inspection that throws people off. So, we wanted to lay it out clearly — what the insurance companies are actually looking for, what happens if something fails, and what you can do to get back in compliance fast.
After so many storms, claims, and structural losses across Florida, insurers started requiring inspections to lower risk on older properties.
They want proof that your home’s major systems — roof, plumbing, HVAC, and electrical — are safe and up to code. That’s the “four-point” inspection you hear about.
In Fort Myers, the electrical portion is often where things get hung up. We see it constantly: an otherwise beautiful home that fails inspection because of one outdated panel or a few ungrounded outlets.
It’s not that the home’s unsafe right now — it’s that the insurer doesn’t want to take the chance.
Every inspection company or underwriter phrases it differently, but here’s what most insurers are laser-focused on after an electrical inspection:
Panel brand and condition.
They’ll immediately flag panels from Federal Pacific (FPE), Zinsco, or Challenger. These are considered uninsurable because they’ve been proven to fail under overload conditions.
Wiring type.
Aluminum or cloth-covered wiring is a major concern. Aluminum expands and contracts with heat, and cloth insulation deteriorates over time. Both raise the risk of arcing and fire.
GFCI protection.
Any outlet near water — kitchens, bathrooms, outdoors, or garages — must have ground-fault protection.
Proper grounding and bonding.
Missing or loose grounding can cause voltage fluctuations and shock hazards.
Overloaded circuits or double-tapped breakers.
Common in older homes where people added new appliances or outlets without expanding the system.
General workmanship.
Open junction boxes, damaged outlets, or DIY splices — anything that suggests unpermitted work will raise a flag.
If any of these items show up on your inspection, you’ll probably get a letter from your insurance company outlining what must be repaired before they’ll continue coverage.
Here’s how it usually plays out.
You submit your inspection report to your insurer. A few days later, you get a notice that says something like:
“Electrical system deficiencies noted. Please provide proof of repair or replacement of electrical panel and correction of GFCI deficiencies within 30 days.”
Sometimes they’ll even suspend renewal or threaten to cancel the policy if the issues aren’t fixed by the deadline.
That’s when our phone rings.
Most homeowners panic because they think it’s going to mean a complete rewire or something massive. But in reality, a lot of these insurance-required repairs are straightforward if handled quickly.
In Fort Myers homes, these are the top post-inspection issues we’re called to correct:
Federal Pacific or Zinsco panel replacement
Pigtailing aluminum wiring to meet code
Installing GFCI outlets in kitchens, baths, and outdoors
Repairing or grounding two-prong outlets
Securing open junction boxes or exposed wiring
Adding surge protection (some insurers now require it in high-lightning areas)
Re-labeling circuits for clarity
We’ve helped dozens of homeowners fix these items in under a week and get cleared by their insurance provider without missing renewal.
When you call us after an inspection, we don’t just rush in swinging tools. We start with a targeted reinspection — a quick, focused walkthrough of the areas flagged in your report.
Here’s our typical process:
Review the report.
We read exactly what the inspector or insurer flagged — no guessing.
Verify each issue.
Sometimes we find that not every item on the list is accurate or current. We confirm what actually needs work.
Estimate and repair.
We give you an upfront quote to make everything compliant. If you approve, we handle the work immediately — most small jobs are done same-day or next-day.
Document everything.
We take before-and-after photos, provide a detailed invoice, and, if needed, issue a signed compliance letter for your insurer.
Coordinate re-inspection (if required).
Some insurance companies want a licensed electrician to verify completion, which we handle directly.
A homeowner in Cypress Lake called us last summer after their insurance inspection failed. Their report listed “Outdated electrical panel, no GFCI outlets, ungrounded circuits in living room.”
The panel? A 1973 Federal Pacific. Classic example.
We replaced it with a 200-amp Square D load center, installed GFCIs in the kitchen and bathrooms, and added proper grounding to six outlets. The job took two days, start to finish, and we sent all documentation to their insurer.
Three days later, the homeowner emailed us: “They renewed the policy. We couldn’t have done it without you guys.”
That’s how smooth it can go when the process is handled properly.
Between humidity, heat, and lightning, Florida’s electrical systems take a beating. Insurers know that older systems are more likely to fail — and when they do, fires spread fast in our climate.
That’s why many carriers now require:
Panels newer than 25 years
Wiring verified as copper
Proof of grounding and bonding
GFCI protection throughout
Licensed documentation for all work
If your home hasn’t been inspected in the last 10–15 years, chances are you’ll be required to bring it up to these standards sooner or later.
We always tell homeowners: don’t wait for the insurance company to tell you there’s a problem.
A simple pre-insurance electrical inspection can flag potential issues before they hit your renewal file. That gives you time to plan repairs on your schedule — not under a 30-day deadline.
We check everything the insurance companies care about and provide a clean report you can keep on file. That way, when renewal time comes around, you’re already ready.
We handle dozens of post-inspection and pre-insurance jobs every month across Fort Myers.
Our goal isn’t just to make the work pass inspection — it’s to make sure your system is actually safe, reliable, and built to handle Florida’s environment.
When you hire us, you get:
Licensed, insured electricians familiar with local insurance requirements
Fast turnaround for repair documentation
Clear reports with photos and part numbers
Coordination with your insurance agent if needed
No upselling — just what’s required to pass and protect your home
Insurance inspections can be stressful, but they don’t have to derail your coverage or your peace of mind. Most of the issues insurers flag are routine — we fix them every day for homeowners all over Fort Myers.
The key is not waiting until the last minute. A little preparation goes a long way toward avoiding those 30-day scramble letters.
👉 Call Coharbor Electric today to schedule your post-inspection or pre-insurance electrical checkup. We’ll identify what your insurance company will care about, fix what’s needed fast, and give you the documentation to prove it’s done right.
We make electrical compliance simple, honest, and built for Fort Myers homeowners who want to protect both their property and their peace of mind.
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Serving Southwest Florida including: Fort Myers, Naples, Cape Coral, and more...
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Serving SWFL customers for 13+ years. Licensed and Insured throughout Florida.
EC13004475. EC13012422.
At Coharbor Electric, this is what to expect when entrusting us with fixing your electrical issues.
The first step is to get all the information we will need so that we can correctly assess the problem or situation. The photos or videos you send will be sent directly to the electrician.
Once our electrician has the info he needs, we will dispatch one in the next available spot–armed with expertise, equipment, and the parts he’ll most likely need.
Our Promise is to to You is to perform the job completely, efficiently, and to the Florida electrical code standards. We are committed to fair and honest pricing.
We offer flat rate pricing for service calls, so you always know the price up front. Simple to understand. Flat-rate fixed price so you can be confident you’ll get what paid for.
As a Florida homeowner, you have an endless list of choices for electrical contractors to hire…some great, some good, some bad.
At Coharbor Electric, our benchmark is to be “great”. If you decide to hire us for your electrical service, here’s what you can expect from our electricians:
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