Inspection Glossary
Every acronym, form name, and roof-part term you'll encounter in a Lunar report or a Florida insurance inspection — defined without jargon and cross-linked to the services they belong to. New to inspection scope? Start with the Standards of Practice, explained, or the 2026 wind mitigation form guide.
Definitions written and reviewed by Brian Walker, CMI · FL License #HI-14111 · Last updated 29 July 2026
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Terms beginning with A
Active Leak
Water intrusion observable at the time of the inspection — wet materials, dripping, or elevated moisture-meter readings at the source. Distinct from historic staining that tests dry. Reported with photographs and meter readings where applicable.
Actual Cash Value (ACV)also: ACV
A claim-settlement basis that pays replacement cost minus depreciation. Many Florida policies settle roof claims at ACV once a roof passes a stated age — one reason documented roof age matters at renewal.
Admitted Carrier
An insurance company licensed by Florida’s Office of Insurance Regulation and backed by the state guaranty fund. Contrast with a non-admitted (surplus lines) carrier, which operates under different rules and protections.
Aluminum Branch Wiring
Single-strand aluminum wiring used in some homes built roughly between the mid-1960s and mid-1970s. Carriers commonly ask about it on a 4-Point because of connection-overheating history; some require remediation or added documentation before binding. Carrier positions vary — presence is a documented condition, not an automatic denial.
Asphalt Shingle
The most common residential roof covering in Northeast Florida. Comes in three-tab and architectural (dimensional) styles. Wind rating and installation method both matter on the OIR-B1-1802 form — a shingle rated for 130 mph earns a stronger credit than one rated for 90 mph.
Attic Access
The hatch, stair, or scuttle that lets an inspector physically enter the attic. Wind-mitigation attestations for roof-to-wall connections and deck attachment depend on what is visible from inside the attic — no access, or a sealed hatch, can leave a feature marked unknown.
Terms beginning with B
Building Code
The construction rulebook a home was built or remodeled under. On the wind-mit form, the year and edition of Florida Building Code that applied to the roof drives the credit baseline — homes permitted under 2001 FBC or later generally earn credits homes permitted under older codes cannot.
Built-Up Roof (BUR)
A low-slope roof assembly built from alternating layers of bitumen and reinforcing felts, often finished with gravel. Common on older flat sections; age and drainage condition drive most carrier questions about it.
Terms beginning with C
Cast-Iron Drainage
Cast-iron drain, waste, and vent piping, common before the 1970s. It corrodes from the inside over decades; carriers and buyers often ask about its condition in older homes. A visual inspection reports observed condition — interior pipe condition may require a plumber’s camera evaluation.
Certified Master Inspector (CMI)also: CMI
A voluntary, board-adjudicated professional designation for home inspectors who meet minimum experience, continuing-education, and code-of-ethics requirements. Brian Walker holds this credential, in addition to Florida Home Inspector License HI-14111.
Citizens Property Insurance Corporationalso: Citizens
Florida’s state-created insurer of last resort. Citizens has its own eligibility rules and documentation expectations, and frequently requests inspection forms — wind mitigation, 4-Point, roof condition — at binding or renewal. Eligibility and acceptance decisions are Citizens’ alone.
Clip (Roof-to-Wall)
A single-sided metal connector between the roof truss and the top wall plate. Better than toe-nails only; not as strong as a single or double wrap. Documented on the wind-mit form based on what's visible in the attic.
Cloth Wiring
Wiring insulated with fabric rather than modern thermoplastic, found in homes largely built before the 1960s. Insurers ask about it because aging insulation can become brittle; positions vary by carrier and condition. Its presence is reported as an observed condition with photos.
Commercial Property Inspection
A scope-defined evaluation of a commercial building's structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and life-safety systems. Priced by property type and square footage rather than a flat fee. Learn more on the commercial page.
Terms beginning with D
Deck Attachmentalso: roof deck attachment
How the roof sheathing (usually plywood or OSB) is nailed to the trusses. Larger nails (8d instead of 6d) at tighter spacing (6" instead of 12") earn a stronger credit on the OIR-B1-1802. One of the biggest wind-mit line items.
Deductible
The amount you pay out of pocket before coverage responds. Florida policies typically carry a separate, percentage-based hurricane deductible in addition to the all-other-perils deductible.
Documentary Evidence
Records — permits, product approvals, contractor invoices, prior forms — used to support a wind-mitigation attestation when a feature can’t be fully verified by eye. The current OIR-B1-1802 distinguishes between what was observed and what was documented; both are legitimate, but they are reported differently.
Double Tap
Two conductors landed under a single breaker terminal designed for one. A common 4-Point electrical finding; usually a straightforward repair for an electrician, and reported with a photograph so the fix can be verified.
Double Wrap (Hurricane Strap)
A metal strap that wraps over the top of the truss and down both sides of the wall plate. The strongest roof-to-wall connection documented on the wind-mit form — and the one that earns the largest connection credit.
Terms beginning with E
Eave
The overhang where the roof extends past the exterior wall. On a wind mitigation inspection, we photograph the underside of the eave to document soffit and roof-to-wall attachment.
Electrical Panelalso: Panelboard
The load center distributing power through the home. On a 4-Point, carriers want the brand, capacity, and photographed interior — certain legacy brands (Federal Pacific, Zinsco) receive extra underwriting scrutiny.
Endorsement
A written amendment that changes a policy’s coverage — adding, removing, or modifying terms. Ask your agent, not your inspector: endorsements are insurance decisions; the inspection supplies the documentation they may depend on.
Evidence of Leakage
Staining, corrosion, damage, or moisture readings indicating water has been where it shouldn’t — past or present. An inspection distinguishes evidence of a past event from an active leak where conditions allow, and reports what was observed on the day.
Exclusion
A peril, property type, or circumstance a policy expressly does not cover. Exclusions are defined by the policy contract; reading them is an agent-and-policyholder task the inspection report can inform but never replace.
Terms beginning with F
FBC (Florida Building Code)
The statewide construction code that governs everything from foundations to hurricane-resistant fasteners. Wind-mit credits are tied to the FBC edition in force at permit date — the 2001 FBC brought the first modern wind-resistance requirements to the whole state.
Federal Pacific Panelalso: FPE
A legacy electrical-panel brand whose Stab-Lok breakers have a documented history of failure-to-trip concerns. Many carriers ask about it by name on a 4-Point; some require replacement or an electrician’s evaluation before binding. Positions vary by carrier — the inspection documents the panel; the carrier decides.
FHA Inspection
An informal term for the well-water test and appraisal-side property review required for FHA-backed loans. Lunar performs the well-water testing per FHA/VA lender requirements; the appraisal itself is performed by an appraiser, not an inspector.
Flashing
The metal or membrane transitions that keep water out where a roof meets walls, chimneys, valleys, and penetrations. A frequent source of leaks well before the roof covering itself wears out, and a standard photo stop on roof-condition work.
Florida Product Approvalalso: FL Product Approval
The state system (FL numbers) confirming a building product — shutters, windows, roofing — was evaluated for use in Florida. On wind-mitigation work, a legible product-approval label or matching documentation is often what turns “unknown” into a supported attestation.
Four-Point Inspectionalso: 4-Point
A short, insurance-specific inspection covering only four systems — roof, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. Usually required by Florida carriers for homes 30+ years old (or older roofs) to bind or renew a policy. Not a substitute for a full home inspection. See 4-Point inspections.
Terms beginning with G
Gable Roof
A roof with two sloped sides that meet at a ridge, leaving triangular end walls. Simpler and cheaper than a hip roof — but does not earn the wind-mit "hip" credit because the flat end walls catch more wind load.
Galvanized Steel Piping
Zinc-coated steel water piping common before the 1960s. It corrodes internally, restricting flow and eventually leaking; carriers commonly ask its extent on older homes. Reported as an observed material with photographed examples.
Glazed Opening
Any opening with glass — windows, glass doors, skylights. Wind-mitigation opening-protection credits assess glazed and non-glazed openings differently, and the weakest opening typically controls the rating.
Terms beginning with H
HI-14111
Brian Walker's Florida Home Inspector License number, issued by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). Every Lunar report is signed under this license.
Hip Roof
A roof where all four sides slope down to the walls — no vertical gable ends. Sheds wind loads better than a gable roof and earns the strongest wind-mit "roof geometry" credit when 100% of the perimeter is hip.
Hurricane Deductible
A separate deductible — usually 2%, 5%, or 10% of dwelling coverage — that applies to hurricane losses instead of the flat deductible. Set by the policy; mitigation credits affect premium, not the deductible itself.
HVAC
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. One of the four systems on a 4-Point; carriers generally want age, type, and evidence it functions. In Florida’s climate, condenser age is a common underwriting question.
Terms beginning with I
Impact-Rated Opening
A window, door, or skylight tested to an impact standard (large- or small-missile) and carrying a product approval to prove it. Ratings are established by testing and documentation — not by appearance — which is why labels and paperwork matter at inspection time.
Inaccessible Area
Any space that cannot be reached safely without moving obstructions, dismantling, or risking damage — sealed attic sections, blocked crawl spaces, locked rooms. Inspections report inaccessible areas rather than guessing at what’s inside them.
Insurabilityalso: Eligibility
Whether a carrier will offer or continue coverage on a property, under its own underwriting rules. Inspections inform the decision with documentation; they do not determine it. No inspection finding guarantees eligibility, and no inspector controls a carrier’s answer.
Insurance Bundle
A same-visit package that combines wind mitigation, 4-Point, and roof certification — the three forms most Florida carriers ask for when binding or renewing a policy on an older home. See the bundle page.
Investor Snapshot
A condensed condition inspection tailored for rental and turnover decisions — major systems, safety, and rent-readiness at a lower fee than a full buyer inspection. See Investor Snapshot.
Terms beginning with L
Large-Missile Impact
The tougher of the two opening-protection test standards — products tested against a lumber projectile at speed (with small-missile testing used for higher elevations). The distinction appears in product approvals and affects which wind-mitigation category an opening supports.
LB-15 (My Safe Florida Home)
The Uniform Mitigation Verification form used by the My Safe Florida Home program in its grant-eligibility process. Similar in structure to the OIR-B1-1802 but with program-specific fields. Lunar performs eligible inspections as a participating inspector; eligibility determinations are made by the program.
Loss Historyalso: Claims History
The record of past claims on a property or policyholder, typically pulled by carriers from claims databases at quoting. Loss history is between you and your carrier — but inspection documentation of completed repairs can help put an old claim in context.
Low-Slope Roofingalso: Flat Roof
Roofing at a pitch too shallow to shed water like shingles do — membrane, modified bitumen, or built-up systems instead. Carriers often ask what percentage of a roof is low-slope; drainage and ponding are its recurring condition questions.
Terms beginning with M
Material Defect
A condition of a system or component that significantly affects its value, operation, or safety — the threshold a professional inspection is built to identify and explain. Cosmetic wear, by itself, is not a material defect.
Metal Roofing
Panel or standing-seam roof coverings with long service lives and strong wind performance when properly attached. Attachment method and permitted installation date drive both condition assessments and wind-mitigation answers.
Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA)also: NOA
A product approval issued by Miami-Dade County, historically the strictest testing jurisdiction. An NOA on a shutter or window label is strong documentation for opening-protection attestations anywhere in Florida.
Mitigation Creditalso: Wind Credit
A premium adjustment Florida carriers apply for documented wind-resistant features — roof shape, attachment, covering, and opening protection — reported on the OIR-B1-1802. Credit amounts and application are set by each carrier’s filed rates; the inspection documents the features, the carrier applies the math.
Modified Bitumenalso: Mod-Bit
A rolled, asphalt-based membrane for low-slope roofs, installed by torch, adhesive, or self-adhering sheets. A common Florida flat-roof covering; seams and flashings are its usual failure points.
My Safe Florida Homealso: MSFH
A Florida state program that offers wind mitigation inspections and matching-grant funding to eligible homeowners for storm-resistant upgrades, subject to program rules and available funding. Lunar performs eligible inspections as a participating inspector; eligibility, assignments, funding, and final determinations are controlled by the state program.
Terms beginning with N
New-Construction Phase Inspection
An inspection performed during a specific phase of new-home construction — pre-slab, pre-drywall, or final. Documents defects the builder can still correct before closing. See new construction.
Non-Admitted Carrieralso: Surplus Lines
An insurer writing Florida risks without being an admitted Florida carrier — used when admitted-market options are limited. Different regulatory rules apply, including no state guaranty-fund backing. A licensed agent is the right guide here; inspection reports serve both markets identically.
Non-Invasive Inspection
The standard method of a home inspection: observe, operate normal controls, measure, and photograph — without opening walls, lifting flooring, dismantling equipment, or destructive testing. It is why concealed conditions are outside inspection scope.
Nonrenewal
A carrier’s decision not to continue a policy at the end of its term, on notice required by Florida law. Distinct from mid-term cancellation. Carriers sometimes pair nonrenewal notices with requests for updated inspection documentation — roof condition most commonly.
Terms beginning with O
Observable Evidence
What the inspector can personally see and photograph — the clip at the truss, the label on the window, the nail pattern at a deck seam. The strongest support an attestation can have, and the reason attic access and legible labels change wind-mitigation outcomes.
Observed Condition
The state of a component as found and documented on the day of inspection. Reports describe observed conditions rather than predicting future performance — a system working today is a finding about today.
OIR-B1-1802also: 1802 form, wind mit form
The statewide Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form issued by Florida's Office of Insurance Regulation. Every wind mitigation inspection in Florida is documented on this exact form; carriers use it to apply premium credits under Florida law §627.711.
Opening Protection
Impact-rated windows, doors, garage doors, and shutters that protect a home's openings during a hurricane. Documented per opening on the OIR-B1-1802. "All openings protected" earns the strongest credit; partial protection earns nothing on many carriers' rate tables.
Overcurrent Protection
Breakers or fuses sized to stop a circuit from carrying more current than its wiring can safely handle. 4-Point electrical review checks that protection is present, appropriately sized as visible, and free of obvious modifications.
Terms beginning with P
PCA (Property Condition Assessment)
A commercial due-diligence inspection following ASTM E2018 standards. Broader than a residential inspection: reviews architectural, structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire/life-safety, and ADA systems and produces a capital-planning outlook.
Permit Closurealso: Final Inspection (Permit)
The municipal final inspection that closes a building permit. An open (never-finaled) roof permit is a common surprise in county records — it can complicate documentation even when the work itself looks complete. Permit status is public record and worth resolving before an insurance deadline.
Permit Date
The date a building's permit was issued or its roof was permitted. Anchors the OIR-B1-1802's "Building Code" credit — and often the single biggest lever on the whole form.
Policy Renewal
The annual re-issue of a policy, when carriers most often re-examine roof age, prior claims, and inspection documentation. Renewal season is when current-edition forms matter — an outdated form can hold up an otherwise routine renewal.
Polybutylene Pipingalso: Poly-B
Gray plastic supply piping installed widely from the late 1970s to mid-1990s and later withdrawn after fitting-failure litigation. Many carriers ask about it by name; some restrict coverage until it’s replaced. The inspection identifies and photographs it — carrier response varies.
Pre-Drywall Inspection
A new-construction phase inspection performed after framing, plumbing, electrical, and HVAC rough-in but before drywall is installed. The last chance to see the structure and mechanicals without cutting anything open.
Pre-Listing Inspection
A full home inspection ordered by the seller before putting the home on the market. Surfaces issues you'd rather learn from us than from a buyer's inspector three weeks into contract.
Terms beginning with R
Readily Accessible
Reachable and observable without moving obstructions, dismantling components, or creating risk of damage or injury. The phrase that defines what a visual inspection can evaluate — and the honest boundary of every report.
Remaining Useful Lifealso: RUL
An informed estimate of how much service a system has left, based on age, materials, and observed condition. Carriers ask for it on roofs especially. It is an estimate, not a warranty — actual life depends on weather, maintenance, and events no inspection can foresee.
Repair Verification
A short return visit that confirms whether previously documented repair items were completed. Up to 10 items included; additional items priced per item.
Replacement Costalso: RCV
A claim-settlement basis that pays to replace damaged property with like kind and quality, without deducting depreciation. Contrast actual cash value. Which basis applies — and to which systems — is a policy term.
Report Summary
The prioritized front matter of a Lunar report — safety items first, then major-system issues, then maintenance. Designed to be readable in under 15 minutes even when the full report runs 60+ pages.
Roof Age
How old the roof covering is — established by permit records, invoices, or documented estimates. One of the most consequential numbers in Florida underwriting: it drives renewal questions, settlement basis, and roof-condition report requests.
Roof Certification
A short inspection focused only on the roof's estimated remaining life, condition, and recent repairs, in the format carriers require to bind or renew coverage on an older home. See roof certification.
Roof Covering
The outermost weather-shedding layer on the roof — shingle, tile, metal, TPO, or other. Documented on the OIR-B1-1802 by material, wind rating, and Florida Product Approval number.
Roof Deckalso: Sheathing
The structural skin — plywood, OSB, or boards — fastened over framing that everything else is built on. Its thickness, and how it is nailed, is exactly what the wind-mitigation deck-attachment question measures from inside the attic.
Roof Geometry
The shape of the roof (hip, gable, flat, or mixed) as documented on the OIR-B1-1802. A 100% hip roof earns the strongest geometry credit; mixed roofs earn a partial credit; flat roofs earn none for this line item.
Roof Slopealso: Pitch
The steepness of a roof, expressed as rise over run. Slope determines which coverings are appropriate, how water sheds, and whether a section counts as low-slope for insurance questions.
Roof-to-Wall Connection
How the roof structure is fastened to the exterior walls — toe-nails, clips, single wraps, or double wraps. One of the biggest wind-mit credits and the reason inspectors photograph inside the attic.
Terms beginning with S
Sealed Roof Deck
A roof deck where every seam is covered by a self-adhering underlayment (peel-and-stick) or an equivalent sealed system. Qualifies as Secondary Water Resistance on the wind-mit form — the credit that assumes your shingles fail and the deck still keeps water out.
Secondary Water Resistance (SWR)also: secondary water resistance
A backup weather barrier layer under the primary roof covering — typically a self-adhering underlayment covering every deck seam, or a peel-and-stick over the whole deck. Earns a wind-mit credit because it keeps water out even if the shingles or tile fail.
Shutter
Storm panels that protect windows and doors during a hurricane. Only impact-rated shutters (accordion, roll-down, storm panels rated to ASTM E1996) count as Opening Protection on the wind-mit form. Plywood does not.
Single Wrap (Hurricane Strap)
A metal strap that wraps over the top of the truss and down one side of the wall plate. Stronger than clips or toe-nails; not as strong as a double wrap.
Soffit
The underside of the roof overhang. In a windstorm, unsecured soffit is often the first thing that fails — and once it's gone, wind drives water into the attic even when the roof is intact.
Spectora
The inspection reporting software Lunar uses to deliver interactive reports, most within 24 hours. Recipients get an emailed link with an online report they can filter, share, and download as PDF.
Standards of Practicealso: SOP
The published standard defining the minimum scope of a home inspection — the systems addressed and the limits that apply. Florida licensees work under the state’s standards (Chapter 61-30, F.A.C.); InterNACHI members also follow the association’s SOP. Lunar’s plain-English summary lives at InterNACHI Standards of Practice, explained.
Terms beginning with T
Thermal Imagingalso: infrared, IR
Infrared imaging that reveals temperature differences invisible to the eye — used to find missing insulation, active moisture intrusion, overheating electrical connections, and HVAC air-loss. See thermal imaging.
Tile Roofing
Concrete or clay tile coverings with long lives and specific attachment rules. Condition work looks for cracked or slipped tiles and underlayment age — on tile systems, the underlayment usually ages out before the tile does.
Toe-Nail
The oldest and weakest roof-to-wall connection: nails driven at an angle through the truss into the top plate. On the OIR-B1-1802, toe-nails-only earns the smallest roof-to-wall credit.
Terms beginning with U
Underlayment
The felt or synthetic sheet installed between the roof deck and the roof covering. Self-adhering ("peel-and-stick") underlayment can qualify as Secondary Water Resistance on the wind-mit form.
Underwriting
A carrier’s process of evaluating whether to insure a property and at what price. Inspection forms exist to feed underwriting with verifiable documentation. Underwriting decisions — acceptance, pricing, conditions — belong entirely to the carrier.
Underwriting Documentation
The paperwork underwriting relies on: current-edition inspection forms, photographs, permits, and product approvals. The Lunar standard is that every checked box carries evidence — because documentation, not adjectives, is what a file reviewer can use.
Unknown / Undetermined
The honest answer when a feature cannot be verified by observation or documentation — a sealed attic, an unlabeled window, a missing permit. On wind-mitigation forms, unknown entries typically earn no credit, which is why access and paperwork preparation matter before the visit.
Terms beginning with V
VA Well Water Testing
The lab-analyzed well-water test required by VA lenders for VA-backed loans on properties served by a private well. Lunar coordinates the sample and lab processing.
Visual Verification
Confirming a feature by direct observation — seeing the clip, the nail pattern, the label — rather than inferring it. The wind-mitigation form is built around what was verified, how, and with what photographic evidence.
Terms beginning with W
Water Heater
Reviewed on the 4-Point for age (from the nameplate serial), visible condition, and installation basics like discharge piping. Age is the number carriers most often act on; nameplate photos remove the guesswork.
WDO (Wood-Destroying Organisms)also: termites
Inspection for termites, other wood-destroying insects, and wood-destroying fungi. In Florida, WDO inspections are regulated by the state and performed by licensed pest-control operators. Lunar coordinates WDO inspections with an approved partner — we don't perform them directly.
Weakest Opening
The least-protected opening on the structure. Opening-protection credits are generally set by the weakest opening, not the average — one unprotected window can control the answer for the whole house. A nuance worth planning around before a shutter project.
Well Water Test
Lab analysis of a private well's water supply for coliform bacteria, nitrates, and other parameters lenders and health departments care about. Standard for VA loans, common on FHA loans, prudent for buyers.
Wind Mitigation Inspectionalso: wind mit
An inspection that documents a Florida home's hurricane-resistant features on the OIR-B1-1802 form so the carrier can apply windstorm premium credits under Florida law §627.711. See wind mitigation.
Windstorm Coverage
The portion of a property policy covering wind losses, subject to the hurricane deductible and any policy exclusions. In coastal Florida it is the premium driver that mitigation credits act on.
Terms beginning with Z
Zinsco Panelalso: Sylvania-Zinsco
A legacy electrical-panel brand with a documented history of breaker and bus-bar problems. Like Federal Pacific, it draws carrier attention on a 4-Point; some carriers require an electrician’s evaluation or replacement. The inspection documents brand and condition — the carrier sets the requirement.