Building Inspection Glossary

Plain-language definitions of the building and property inspection terms used across InspectPro reports — so clients and new inspectors can read a report with confidence.

Inspection area

A defined part of a property that an inspector documents separately — such as the interior, exterior, roof, subfloor, plumbing, or electrical system. Reports are organised area by area so findings and photos stay grouped by location.

Severity rating

A label applied to a documented defect to indicate how serious it is. Inspection reports commonly use four levels — minor, moderate, major, and critical — so clients can prioritise which issues need attention first.

Specialty section

A part of an inspection covering a higher-risk or specialised concern, such as moisture, weathertightness, methamphetamine, asbestos, or Healthy Homes. These sections often carry specific liability disclaimers because they fall outside a standard visual inspection.

Weathertightness

How well a building keeps water out. A weathertightness assessment looks at cladding, joinery, flashings, and drainage for signs of moisture entry — a major concern in New Zealand following the leaky-building era.

Moisture testing

Measuring the moisture content of building materials, usually with a moisture meter, to detect dampness that may not be visible. Elevated readings can indicate leaks, condensation, or weathertightness problems behind linings.

Healthy Homes

New Zealand's Healthy Homes Standards, which set minimum requirements for heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture ingress and drainage, and draught stopping in rental properties. Inspectors assess a rental against these standards in a dedicated section.

Methamphetamine testing

Sampling surfaces in a property to detect methamphetamine contamination. Screening or laboratory testing is used to check whether residue levels exceed accepted thresholds, typically as a specialty section separate from a general inspection.

Asbestos survey

An assessment that identifies materials likely to contain asbestos — common in buildings constructed before the 1990s. It is treated as a specialty area because disturbing asbestos carries specific health and legal obligations.

Subfloor

The space beneath a suspended floor, between the ground and the underside of the building. Inspectors check it for moisture, ventilation, drainage, framing condition, and pest or borer activity.

Preset comment

A reusable, pre-written note an inspector can drop into a report instead of retyping common observations — for example, "No significant issues were observed." Preset comment libraries speed up reporting and keep wording consistent.

Business letterhead

The branding applied to every report — typically the inspector's logo, name, licence number, and contact details. A consistent letterhead presents reports professionally and identifies who carried out the inspection.

PDF inspection report

The final, shareable document produced from an inspection, containing the findings, photos, severity ratings, and signatures in a fixed layout. A PDF can be emailed or saved and viewed on any device without special software.