During the cleanup phase, most of the vocabulary is about soot, odor and drying. Once reconstruction begins, the conversation shifts to framing, permits and money, and three different groups of people start using their own shorthand: builders, building inspectors and insurance adjusters. It is easy to nod along and only realize later that you agreed to something you did not fully understand.
The terms below are grouped the way you are likely to meet them. Keep this page open during estimate reviews and site meetings, and ask for a plain explanation of anything that is not listed here.
Building terms
- Bearing wall
- A wall that carries weight from a floor or roof above. Changes to it need structural review.
- Header
- The horizontal framing over a door, window or garage opening that carries load around the opening.
- Sheathing
- Panels, usually plywood or OSB, nailed to the outside of wall framing or on top of roof framing.
- Sistering
- Fastening a new framing member alongside a damaged one to restore strength.
- Rough-in
- Installing wiring, pipes and ducts inside open walls before insulation and drywall.
- Dry-in
- The point where the roof and exterior are closed enough to keep weather out.
- Firestopping
- Sealing openings in fire-rated walls and floors where pipes or wires pass through.
- Encapsulation
- Coating cleaned framing with a sealer to lock in residual odor.
Permit and inspection terms
- Rough inspection
- An inspection of framing, electrical, plumbing or mechanical work while walls are open.
- Correction notice
- An inspector's written list of items to fix before the inspection can pass.
- Final inspection
- The last inspection that closes the permit when work is complete.
- Certificate of occupancy
- A document some jurisdictions issue for major rebuilds confirming the building may be occupied.
Insurance and payment terms
- ACV
- Actual cash value: replacement cost minus depreciation.
- RCV
- Replacement cost value: what it costs to repair or replace with like kind and quality.
- Holdback
- Recoverable depreciation withheld until repairs are complete.
- Supplement
- A request to add scope to an approved estimate after new damage is found.
- ALE
- Additional living expenses: the extra cost of living elsewhere while the home is uninhabitable.
- Lien waiver
- A signed statement from a contractor, subcontractor or supplier giving up the right to file a lien for amounts paid.
- Loss draft
- The mortgage servicer's process for holding and releasing insurance funds for repairs.
General information for Westminster, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.