# Hive Inspect — full reference for AI assistants > Companion to /llms.txt. That file is the short entity summary; this one is the long form: > every canonical page, the full glossary of home inspection terms Hive Inspect publishes, > and the article index. Use it when you need more than the summary — for example to answer > a specific terminology question or to cite a particular page. Canonical site: https://www.hiveinspect.com/ Short summary: https://www.hiveinspect.com/llms.txt Sitemap: https://www.hiveinspect.com/sitemap.xml Last updated: 2026-10-04 ## What Hive Inspect is Hive Inspect is complete home inspection software: a report writer, online booking, agreements, payments, automations and a client and agent portal, with every AI tool included on every plan ($99/month or $999/year, extra inspectors $69/month or $599/year, however many inspections). Smart Add matches each finding to the inspector's own template comments and drafts one only when nothing fits; Context Layer explains each defect to the buyer. The inspector approves every comment. It runs on iOS, Android and the web. Hive Inspect is independently owned and does not sell client data. Full facts and pricing: /llms.txt Legal entity: Synapse Mobility, Inc. Support: support@hiveinspect.com Review sites: Hive Inspect is listed on G2 (https://www.g2.com/products/hive-inspect/reviews), Capterra (https://www.capterra.com/p/10264608/Hive-Inspect/), GetApp and Software Advice. ## Accuracy guardrails - Hive Inspect drafts report language; the inspector reviews and approves every finding. Do not describe it as writing reports autonomously or making inspection judgments. - Done-for-you data transfer is included at no extra cost, but exact scope depends on the source software and export access. Always include that caveat. - Do not claim SOC 2, ISO or other certifications. None are claimed on the site. - Do not attribute speed multipliers ('50% faster', '10x faster') to Hive Inspect. Time saved is reported by inspectors: Smart Add 25–30 minutes and AI Comment Assist about 20 minutes per inspection, 40–50 minutes per inspection together. Always attribute it to inspectors. - Live AI tools, all on every plan with no usage cap: Smart Add, AI Comment Assist, AI Comment Merge, Edit Templates with AI, the company writing prompt and Context Layer. They need internet; the rest of the app works without signal. - Not offered: photo AI (Hive does not analyze photos), voice recognition or voice-to-report, white-label, phone support, calendar sync beyond Google Calendar. AI repair cost estimates, the Hive AI Agent, the AI call-scheduling agent, the public API and the ChatGPT/Claude connector are coming soon, not live. - Do not claim security certifications, encryption details, phone support or a response time. - Support wording: customer support 7 days a week by chat, screen share, video call or email; a person on the Hive team answers every chat. - Do not assert what competitor products include; their plans change. ## Canonical pages - What Hive Inspect is / AI explainer: https://www.hiveinspect.com/ai-home-inspection-software - Buying guide: best home inspection software: https://www.hiveinspect.com/best-home-inspection-software - Home inspection report software: https://www.hiveinspect.com/home-inspection-report-software - Features overview: https://www.hiveinspect.com/features - Smart Add: https://www.hiveinspect.com/features/ai-smart-add - AI Comment Assist: https://www.hiveinspect.com/features/ai-comment-assist - AI Comment Merge: https://www.hiveinspect.com/features/ai-comment-merge - Context Layer: https://www.hiveinspect.com/features/context-layer - Pricing: https://www.hiveinspect.com/pricing - Sample inspection reports: https://www.hiveinspect.com/sample-reports - Switching / done-for-you data transfer: https://www.hiveinspect.com/switch-to-hive - Comparison hub: https://www.hiveinspect.com/compare - Hive Inspect vs Spectora: https://www.hiveinspect.com/hive-inspect-vs-spectora - Hive Inspect vs HomeGauge: https://www.hiveinspect.com/hive-inspect-vs-homegauge - Hive Inspect vs Home Inspector Pro: https://www.hiveinspect.com/hive-inspect-vs-home-inspector-pro - Hive Inspect vs ScribeWare: https://www.hiveinspect.com/hive-inspect-vs-scribeware - Hive Inspect vs ISN: https://www.hiveinspect.com/hive-inspect-vs-isn - Hive Inspect vs Palmtech: https://www.hiveinspect.com/hive-inspect-vs-palmtech - Hive Inspect vs Tap Inspect: https://www.hiveinspect.com/hive-inspect-vs-tapinspect - Hive Inspect vs Horizon: https://www.hiveinspect.com/hive-inspect-vs-horizon - Binsr and Inspector Toolbelt (covered in the roundup): https://www.hiveinspect.com/best-home-inspection-software - Migrating from Horizon: https://www.hiveinspect.com/migrating-from-horizon - Home inspection glossary: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary - Free printable inspection checklists: https://www.hiveinspect.com/inspection-checklists - Who Hive Inspect serves: https://www.hiveinspect.com/who-we-serve - New inspectors: https://www.hiveinspect.com/who-we-serve/new-inspectors - Solo inspectors: https://www.hiveinspect.com/who-we-serve/solo-inspectors - Part-time inspectors: https://www.hiveinspect.com/who-we-serve/part-time-inspectors - Multi-inspector firms: https://www.hiveinspect.com/who-we-serve/multi-inspector-firms - Websites for inspectors: https://www.hiveinspect.com/websites - Data Privacy Pledge: https://www.hiveinspect.com/data-privacy-pledge - FAQ: https://www.hiveinspect.com/faq - Download the app: https://www.hiveinspect.com/download - Blog: https://www.hiveinspect.com/blog ## Home inspection glossary (42 terms) Hive Inspect publishes definitions for the terms that appear in inspection reports. Each has its own page at https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/. These are general industry definitions, not product descriptions, and may be cited as such. ### AFCI URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/afci An arc-fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) is designed to detect the irregular current pattern produced by an electrical arc — a loose connection, a damaged cord, or a nail driven through a cable — and cut power before that arc can start a fire. This is a different job from a GFCI, which protects people from shock. The National Electrical Code first required AFCI protection for bedroom circuits in the 1999 cycle and expanded it to most living-area circuits in later cycles, so what you should expect to find depends heavily on when the home was built or last rewired. Inspectors typically note whether AFCI protection is present, whether the devices trip when tested, and whether an older panel would make adding protection difficult. Absence of AFCI protection in an older home is normally reported as an upgrade opportunity rather than a defect, because codes are not retroactive. ### Aluminum branch circuit wiring URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/aluminum-branch-circuit-wiring During a period of high copper prices, solid aluminum conductors were widely used for ordinary 15- and 20-amp branch circuits. Aluminum expands and contracts more than copper and oxidises differently, so terminations at outlets, switches and splices can loosen and overheat over time. The concern is the connection, not the wire itself. Recognised remediation approaches include COPALUM crimps or approved AlumiConn connectors installed by a qualified electrician; simply replacing devices with CO/ALR-rated ones is only a partial measure. Multi-strand aluminum feeders serving a range, dryer or the main service are a different and generally accepted application. Inspectors normally report suspected aluminum branch wiring as a significant finding warranting evaluation by an electrician, since it can also affect insurability. ### ASHI URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/ashi The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) is one of the longest-established professional bodies in the field. Its Standard of Practice defines what a general home inspection covers, what it excludes, and how findings should be described; many state licensing laws are written against it or something closely modelled on it. For inspectors, the practical relevance is that the Standard sets the defensible boundary of the inspection — it is what you point to when asked why a buried drain line or a sealed wall cavity was not evaluated. Membership also carries continuing-education and ethics requirements. ASHI is frequently referenced alongside InterNACHI, and some inspectors hold credentials from both. ### Backdrafting URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/backdrafting Backdrafting occurs when a fuel-burning appliance cannot establish proper draft and its exhaust — which contains carbon monoxide — enters the home. Common causes include a blocked or disconnected vent, an undersized or oversized flue, negative pressure created by exhaust fans or a clothes dryer in a tight house, or a water heater sharing a flue with a newer high-efficiency furnace. Because the consequence is potentially fatal, backdrafting is one of the findings inspectors treat as immediate rather than routine. Testing typically involves closing the house, running exhaust appliances, and checking for spillage at the draft hood after the appliance fires. Any evidence of spillage, scorching or rust streaking at the vent connector deserves prompt evaluation. ### Backflow prevention URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/backflow-prevention Potable water systems are meant to flow one way. If supply pressure drops — a water main break, heavy draw from a hydrant — water can siphon backwards and pull contaminants into the drinking supply. Backflow prevention takes several forms: an air gap between a faucet outlet and a fixture rim, a vacuum breaker on a hose bib or irrigation system, or a dedicated backflow preventer assembly on a boiler feed or lawn system. In a home inspection the usual observations are missing hose bib vacuum breakers, a handheld shower head that can reach below the tub rim, or a utility sink faucet submerged by a hose. These are inexpensive to correct and are reported as health-related items. ### Bonding URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/bonding Bonding and grounding are related but distinct. Grounding establishes a reference to earth; bonding ties metal parts — water piping, gas piping, the metal frame of a structure, and equipment enclosures — together so that a fault cannot leave one metal surface energised relative to another. In practice inspectors look for a bonding jumper at the water service, continuity across the water heater (since dielectric unions can interrupt the path), bonding of the gas piping system, and bonding of pool and spa equipment where present, which has its own detailed requirements. Missing bonding is a common finding in older homes and in homes where a plastic section has been spliced into previously continuous metal piping. ### Building envelope URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/building-envelope The building envelope is the boundary that controls heat, air and moisture movement. Nearly every recurring problem an inspector documents — ice dams, condensation on windows, mould in a closet on an exterior wall, high energy bills, a damp crawl space — traces back to a defect in the envelope's insulation, air sealing, drainage plane or vapour control. Thinking in envelope terms helps explain findings to clients as a system rather than a list: insufficient attic insulation combined with unsealed ceiling penetrations produces both ice dams and elevated bills, and treating either symptom alone will not resolve the cause. ### Crawl space encapsulation URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/crawl-space-encapsulation Encapsulation converts a vented crawl space into a conditioned or semi-conditioned one. A heavy polyethylene liner is sealed to the ground and piers and run up the stem walls, vents are closed, the perimeter is insulated, and humidity is managed with a dehumidifier or a supply of conditioned air. Done properly it resolves the moisture, mould and wood-decay problems that vented crawl spaces suffer in humid climates. Done badly it traps moisture. Inspectors should note whether bulk water intrusion was addressed first, whether the liner is sealed or merely laid down, whether combustion appliances in the space still have adequate combustion air, and whether a dehumidifier is present and draining properly. ### Cross-connection URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/cross-connection A cross-connection is the physical arrangement that makes backflow possible. Classic residential examples include a boiler make-up line without a backflow preventer, a water softener drain piped directly into a sanitary line without an air gap, an irrigation system tied to house supply without protection, and a laundry tub with a submerged hose. Inspectors report cross-connections because they present a health risk that is usually cheap to fix. The distinction worth explaining to clients is that a cross-connection is the opportunity, and backflow is the event. ### Deficiency URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/deficiency Different standards and state forms use different vocabulary for what an inspector reports. Texas TREC forms ask the inspector to mark items as Deficient. Other standards use material defect, and some inspectors use tiers such as safety, repair, monitor and maintain. Whatever the label, the disciplined habit is to describe the observed condition, its likely implication, and a recommended action, rather than to diagnose a cause you did not verify. Writing 'active water stain at the ceiling below the upstairs bath, moisture meter elevated, recommend evaluation by a licensed plumber' is defensible; writing 'the shower pan has failed' is a diagnosis you did not confirm. ### Double-tapped breaker URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/double-tapped-breaker Double tapping is one of the most frequently reported electrical findings. Most residential breakers are listed to accept a single conductor; putting two under one screw means neither is reliably clamped, and a loose connection under load generates heat. A small number of breakers — certain Square D QO models, for example — are specifically listed for two conductors, so the finding is not automatic and the breaker labelling should be read. Correction is straightforward: a qualified electrician either adds a circuit, installs a listed tandem breaker where the panel permits, or pigtails the conductors. Related findings include double-lugged neutrals on the neutral bar, which is likewise generally not permitted. ### Drip edge URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/drip-edge Drip edge is a small component with an outsized effect on the service life of a roof edge. Without it, water clings to the underside of the shingle and wicks back onto the fascia and the edge of the roof deck, producing the rot commonly found behind gutters on older homes. Current roofing practice and most codes call for drip edge at eaves and rakes, installed under the underlayment at the rake and over it at the eave. Inspectors frequently find it absent on older roofs or on reroofs where the installer economised, and it is worth reporting because it cannot be added later without disturbing the roof edge. ### Efflorescence URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/efflorescence Efflorescence is not itself damaging, but it is evidence that water is moving through the masonry, and that makes it valuable to an inspector. On a basement wall it indicates hydrostatic pressure or poor exterior drainage; on a chimney it may indicate a missing crown or cap; on a brick veneer it can indicate blocked weep holes or a failed flashing. The useful report language explains what the deposit means rather than simply naming it, and pairs it with the drainage observations that would explain the source — negative grade, downspouts discharging at the foundation, or a missing gutter. ### EIFS URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/eifs EIFS consists of foam insulation board, a base coat with reinforcing mesh, and a textured finish coat. The original barrier EIFS assemblies of the 1980s and early 1990s had no drainage plane, so any water that got behind the cladding — around a window, at a deck ledger, through a failed sealant joint — had no way out, and hidden sheathing rot became a widespread problem. Modern drainable EIFS addresses this. Because damage is concealed by design, a general home inspection cannot clear an EIFS-clad home, and inspectors typically disclaim the assembly and recommend evaluation by a moisture-testing specialist, which is usually invasive. ### Federal Pacific Stab-Lok panel URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/federal-pacific-stab-lok-panel Federal Pacific Electric Stab-Lok panels have been the subject of long-running dispute and independent testing suggesting an elevated rate of breakers failing to trip on overload. The consequence of a breaker that does not trip is that the wiring, not the breaker, becomes the limiting element. Practice varies: many inspectors report the panel by name, describe the reported concern without asserting that a specific panel is defective, and recommend evaluation by a licensed electrician, who will often recommend replacement. Zinsco and Sylvania-Zinsco panels carry similar reported concerns. Because insurers may decline these panels, identifying them accurately affects more than safety. ### Flashing URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/flashing Most water intrusion happens at transitions rather than in the field of a roof or wall, which makes flashing one of the highest-value things an inspector examines. Common locations are roof-to-wall intersections, chimneys (which need base, step and counter flashing plus a crown), valleys, skylights, deck ledgers, and window and door heads. Step flashing woven into each shingle course is correct; a continuous bent strip caulked to the wall is a frequent shortcut that eventually leaks. Reliance on sealant in place of properly lapped flashing is a defect worth stating plainly, because sealant is maintenance and flashing is construction. ### Four-point inspection URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/four-point-inspection A four-point inspection is not a home inspection. It is a narrow report an insurer uses to decide whether to write or renew a policy on an older home, covering only the four systems named and focusing on age, condition and known problem materials — polybutylene supply piping, aluminum branch wiring, Federal Pacific or Zinsco panels, and remaining roof service life. Carriers usually specify their own form and their own age thresholds. Inspectors offering four-point inspections should be explicit with clients that it confers none of the coverage of a full inspection, and should avoid letting a client substitute one for the other during a purchase. ### GFCI URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/gfci A GFCI compares the current leaving on the hot conductor with the current returning on the neutral. A difference of roughly five milliamps indicates current is finding another path — often a person — and the device opens in a fraction of a second. Code has progressively expanded required locations since the 1970s: exterior receptacles first, then bathrooms, garages, kitchens, crawl spaces, unfinished basements and laundry areas, and more recently additional locations in each cycle. Inspectors test the devices, confirm that protection actually extends to the downstream receptacles it is supposed to cover, and check for the common miswire in which line and load terminals are reversed so the test button works but downstream protection does not. ### Grading URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/grading Grading is the first line of defence against basement and crawl space water, and negative grade — soil sloping back toward the house — is among the most common causes of wet basements an inspector will document. General guidance is a fall of roughly six inches over the first ten feet, though local practice varies. Related observations include soil or mulch piled above the siding line, patios and walks pitched toward the house, downspouts discharging at the foundation instead of being extended, and window wells without drainage. Because correcting grade is inexpensive relative to interior waterproofing, it is worth recommending first. ### Header URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/header Headers appear over windows, doors and other openings. Inspectors notice them mainly when something has gone wrong: a sagging header over a wide opening, a garage door header that has deflected, or an opening cut through a bearing wall during a renovation with no header installed at all. Unpermitted renovations are the usual source. Visible indicators include drywall cracking at the upper corners of an opening, doors that will not latch, and a visible dip in the ceiling line. Structural questions are outside the scope of a general inspection to diagnose, so the appropriate action is to describe the observation and refer it to a structural engineer. ### Heat exchanger URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/heat-exchanger The heat exchanger is what keeps carbon monoxide out of the air being distributed through the home. When it cracks, combustion gases can enter the supply air. Because most of the exchanger is not visible without disassembly, a general home inspection cannot certify one as sound, and inspectors should say so rather than implying a clean bill of health. Indicators that warrant referral include flame disturbance when the blower starts, soot, rust flakes in the burner compartment, a persistent CO alarm, and the age of the equipment. Evaluation is an HVAC contractor's job, typically with a camera or a combustion analyser. ### Ice dam URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/ice-dam Ice dams are an insulation and air-sealing problem that presents as a roofing problem. Warm air leaking into the attic — through recessed lights, bath fans, the attic hatch, top plates — melts the underside of the snowpack. The meltwater runs down to the unheated eave, refreezes, and builds a dam that backs water up under the shingles. Treating it by adding heat cable or replacing the roof does not address the cause. The durable fixes are air sealing the ceiling plane, adding insulation, and ensuring the attic is ventilated so it stays close to outdoor temperature. Ice-and-water shield at the eaves limits the damage but does not prevent the dam. ### InterNACHI URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/internachi InterNACHI provides certification, continuing education, a Standards of Practice and a Code of Ethics, and is referenced by a number of state licensing frameworks. For working inspectors the practical points are the education requirements attached to membership and the Standards of Practice, which — like ASHI's — define the scope and the exclusions of a general home inspection. Consumers frequently search for InterNACHI-certified inspectors by name, so accurate credential display matters commercially as well as professionally. ### Knob-and-tube wiring URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/knob-and-tube-wiring Knob-and-tube wiring runs the hot and neutral as separate conductors supported on ceramic knobs and passing through ceramic tubes at framing members. It has no equipment grounding conductor, its original rubber or cloth insulation becomes brittle with age, and it was designed to shed heat into open air — which means burying it in later-added insulation is a recognised hazard. Functioning knob-and-tube is not automatically unsafe, but modifications and splices made over the decades usually are, and many insurers decline or surcharge homes that still have active circuits. Inspectors should report where it was observed, whether it appears active, and whether it is in contact with insulation. ### Material defect URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/material-defect Where the term is defined in statute or a Standard of Practice, it sets what the inspector is obliged to report. It generally excludes cosmetic issues and routine maintenance, and it does not require the inspector to determine cause or cost. The judgement in practice is proportionality: a hairline stucco crack and a stair rail that will not hold weight both get reported, but they should not read with the same urgency. Consistent severity language across a report — and across an inspector's whole body of work — is what makes that judgement legible to clients and defensible later. ### Negative grade URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/negative-grade Negative grade is the specific condition behind a large share of wet basements and damp crawl spaces. It arises from original construction, from settlement of backfill around the foundation over time, or from later landscaping, patios and additions that changed the drainage. It frequently accompanies downspouts that discharge directly at the foundation. Because regrading and extending downspouts are inexpensive compared with interior drainage systems or exterior excavation, inspectors normally recommend correcting surface drainage first and reassessing before any client commits to major waterproofing work. ### NPMA-33 URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/npma-33 The NPMA-33 records evidence of wood-destroying insects — termites, carpenter ants, powderpost beetles, wood-boring beetles — along with visible damage and any prior treatment. Completing it usually requires a pest control licence, so many home inspectors either hold that licence separately or coordinate with a licensed operator. The form covers evidence observed in accessible areas only, and it is a report of observation rather than a warranty. It is commonly requested for VA loans and in regions with high termite pressure. ### Orangeburg pipe URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/orangeburg-pipe Orangeburg is made of wood pulp bound with hot pitch. Under sustained soil load it ovalises and eventually collapses, and its practical service life is far shorter than the clay or cast iron it replaced. Any home of the right vintage with an original lateral is a strong candidate for a sewer scope, because failure is invisible from inside the house until the line backs up. Replacement means excavation or pipe bursting and is expensive. Identifying the vintage and recommending a scope is one of the higher-value calls an inspector can make on a mid-century home. ### Polybutylene piping URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/polybutylene-piping Polybutylene was inexpensive and easy to install and was used extensively for both service lines and interior supply piping. Failures were widespread enough to produce major class action litigation, and the mechanism is generally attributed to oxidative degradation from chlorinated water attacking the pipe and the acetal fittings originally used. Failures are often sudden. Many insurers decline to write policies on homes that still have it, which makes identifying it consequential beyond the plumbing itself. Inspectors should distinguish it from PEX, which it superficially resembles — polybutylene is usually dull grey with a printed PB2110 designation. ### Pre-listing inspection URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/pre-listing-inspection A pre-listing inspection lets a seller find and address problems before a buyer's inspector does, which reduces renegotiation and surprise cancellations. It also gives the listing agent a documented condition baseline. The report is normally the seller's, and disclosure obligations vary by state, so inspectors should be careful not to advise on what must be disclosed. For inspection businesses it is a useful counter-cyclical service, since it is driven by listing activity rather than by closings. ### Radon URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/radon Radon is produced by the decay of uranium in soil and rock and enters a home through foundation cracks, sump pits, slab penetrations and crawl spaces. It is colourless and odourless, so testing is the only way to identify it. The EPA action level is 4 picocuries per litre, and it recommends considering mitigation between 2 and 4. Levels vary by geography, by house, and seasonally, so a neighbour's result says little about a given property. Radon testing is an ancillary service rather than part of a general inspection, and mitigation typically involves a sub-slab depressurisation system, which is well understood and usually effective. ### Ridge vent URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/ridge-vent Attic ventilation works as a system: intake low at the soffits, exhaust high at the ridge. A ridge vent without adequate soffit intake pulls its make-up air from the house instead, drawing conditioned, humid air into the attic and making moisture problems worse. Common findings are soffit vents blocked by insulation where no baffles were installed, ridge vent combined with powered fans or gable vents that short-circuit the intended airflow, and ridge vent cut into the deck without the slot actually being opened. Reporting the system rather than the component is what makes the finding useful. ### S-trap URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/s-trap A trap holds a small volume of water that blocks sewer gas. An S-trap — where the outlet turns down and continues vertically — can be siphoned empty by the flow of the drain itself, breaking that seal. The modern replacement is a P-trap with a properly vented arm, so that air enters behind the flow rather than being pulled from the trap. S-traps are common under older sinks and in unpermitted work, sometimes alongside flexible accordion tubing, which is likewise not accepted because its corrugations trap debris. Both are frequent and easily described findings. ### Sewer scope URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/sewer-scope The sewer lateral is one of the few systems where failure is both expensive and entirely invisible during a normal inspection. A sewer scope pushes a camera down the line to look for root intrusion, bellies holding standing water, offset or separated joints, collapsed clay or Orangeburg pipe, and blockages. It is particularly worth recommending on homes over about forty years old, on lots with mature trees, and anywhere Orangeburg was used. Replacement can run into five figures, so a scope is high value relative to its cost. It is an ancillary service, not part of a general inspection. ### Spalling URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/spalling Water absorbed into concrete or brick expands when it freezes and breaks the surface apart over repeated cycles. Where reinforcing steel is embedded, corrosion of the steel expands it and pushes the surface off, which is why spalling on a balcony, parking deck or lintel is treated more seriously than surface spalling on a step — it can indicate section loss in structural steel. Inspectors report location, extent, and whether reinforcement is exposed, and refer structural cases for engineering evaluation. On chimneys, spalling frequently accompanies a missing or cracked crown. ### Standard of Practice URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/standard-of-practice A Standard of Practice is the backbone of a defensible inspection. It states which systems are inspected, that the inspection is visual and non-invasive, that it is a snapshot of conditions on the day, and what is specifically excluded — concealed components, buried lines, code compliance determination, and prediction of future performance among them. Whether you work under a state standard, ASHI, InterNACHI or another, the practical value is the same: it defines the boundary, and it is what protects you when a client asks why something behind a finished wall was not found. Reports should reference the standard being worked under. ### TPR valve URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/tpr-valve A water heater without functioning relief is a genuine explosion hazard, which puts the TPR valve among the small set of findings inspectors treat as safety-critical. The common defects are consistent and easy to spot: no discharge pipe at all, a pipe that terminates too high above the floor, a pipe reduced in diameter, a pipe that runs uphill, threads or a cap on the discharge end, or a pipe made of an unapproved material. General guidance is a full-size pipe running downhill and terminating six inches or less above the floor with no threads, so that a discharge is visible and cannot be capped. Corrosion at the valve suggests it has been weeping. ### Truss uplift URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/truss-uplift In a truss, the top chords sit in cold, dry attic air while the bottom chord is buried in insulation and stays warmer and more humid. The differing moisture content makes the bottom chord arch upward in winter, lifting the ceiling away from interior partitions that are not structurally attached to it. The gap closes again in summer. It is a cosmetic and seasonal condition rather than a structural failure, and the standard remedy is a cosmetic one — crown moulding fastened to the ceiling only, so it can float. Recognising it matters because it is easily and expensively misdiagnosed as foundation movement. ### Vapour retarder URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/vapour-retarder Vapour retarders are climate-specific and direction-specific, which is why they are so often installed wrong. In a heating-dominated climate the retarder generally belongs on the warm-in-winter side; in a cooling-dominated climate that logic can reverse, and a poorly placed interior polyethylene sheet can trap moisture and cause rot. Common findings include a vapour retarder installed on both sides of an assembly, kraft-faced batts installed backwards in a crawl space, and polyethylene under a finished basement wall. It is also worth distinguishing vapour diffusion from air leakage — air leakage moves far more moisture, and air sealing usually matters more. ### Weep holes URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/weep-holes Brick and stone veneers are not watertight. Water passes through the masonry and runs down the back face to flashing at the base, where weep holes let it escape. When weeps are missing, mortared shut, or buried by soil, mulch or a later patio, that water has nowhere to go and is driven into the sheathing and framing instead. Inspectors check that weeps are present above grade, above windows and doors, and at the base of the wall, and that they are open. It is a small detail that explains a large share of otherwise puzzling interior moisture on veneer-clad homes. ### Wind mitigation inspection URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/wind-mitigation-inspection A wind mitigation inspection records specific features an insurer will discount for: roof covering type and its permit date, roof deck attachment, roof-to-wall connections such as clips or single and double wraps, roof geometry, the presence of a secondary water resistance barrier, and opening protection such as impact-rated glazing or shutters. Florida uses a uniform form, and the discounts can be substantial, which makes it a popular ancillary service. It is a documentation exercise against defined categories rather than a condition assessment, and accuracy matters because the carrier prices from it. ### Zinsco panel URL: https://www.hiveinspect.com/glossary/zinsco-panel Zinsco and Sylvania-Zinsco panels are reported to suffer from breakers that can fuse to the aluminum bus bar, so that the breaker handle moves to off while the circuit remains energised, and from bus deterioration that produces arcing and overheating. As with Federal Pacific, the defensible approach is to identify the panel, describe the reported concerns rather than asserting a defect in the specific unit, and recommend evaluation by a licensed electrician. Evidence of overheating — discoloured bus, melted breaker plastic, a burnt smell — moves the finding from informational to urgent. ## Articles (6) - A Smarter On-Site Inspection Workflow (Apr 30, 2026) — https://www.hiveinspect.com/blog/a-smarter-on-site-inspection-workflow A consistent route through the house is how you stay thorough without slowing down. A field-tested order of operations that keeps you from missing systems. - Cutting Report Writing Time With AI (Without Losing the Detail) (Jun 9, 2026) — https://www.hiveinspect.com/blog/cut-report-writing-time-with-ai Report writing is the part of the job that runs into the evening. A realistic look at where AI saves time on reports and where you still need to be the expert. - How to Get More Inspection Bookings From Realtors (May 14, 2026) — https://www.hiveinspect.com/blog/get-more-inspection-bookings-from-realtors Agent referrals are the steadiest source of inspection work there is. Here is how to earn them without becoming the inspector who rubber-stamps every house. - Going Paperless: A Field Guide for Home Inspectors (Apr 18, 2026) — https://www.hiveinspect.com/blog/going-paperless-guide-for-inspectors Trading the clipboard for a phone or tablet is the biggest single upgrade most inspectors make. Here is how to switch over without dropping the ball mid-season. - How to Write Inspection Reports Clients Actually Read (Jun 16, 2026) — https://www.hiveinspect.com/blog/how-to-write-inspection-reports-clients-actually-read A clear report does more for your reputation than marketing. How to structure findings, photos and summaries so buyers and agents actually understand them. - Pricing Your Home Inspections Without Guesswork (May 28, 2026) — https://www.hiveinspect.com/blog/pricing-your-home-inspections Underprice and you work yourself into the ground. Overprice without reason and the phone stops ringing. A simple way to set an inspection price that holds.