New Hampshire Code of Administrative Rules
Home - Board of Home Inspectors
Chapter Home 600 - STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
Part Home 602 - DEFINITIONS
Section Home 602.01 - Definitions

(a) "Alarm systems" means warning devices installed or free-standing including but not limited to smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, flue gas, and other spillage detectors, and security equipment.

(b) "Architectural services" means any practice involving the art and science of building design for construction of any structure or grouping of structures and the use of space within and surrounding the structures or the design for construction, including but not specifically limited to, schematic design, design development, preparation of construction contract documents, and administration of the construction contract.

(c) "Automatic safety controls" means devices designed and installed to protect systems and components from unsafe conditions.

(d) "Component" means a part of a system.

(e) "Decorative" means ornamental, not required for the operation of the essential systems and components of a home.

(f) "Describe" means to identify, in writing, a system or component by its type or other distinguishing characteristics.

(g) "Dismantle" means to take apart or remove any component, device, or piece of equipment that would not be taken apart or removed by a homeowner in the course of normal and routine home owner maintenance.

(h) "Engineering" means the application of scientific knowledge for the design, control, or use of building structures, equipment, or apparatus building structures, equipment, or apparatus.

(i) "Further evaluation" means examination and analysis by a qualified professional, tradesman, or service technician beyond that provided by the home inspection.

(j) "Home inspection" means the process by which an inspector visually examines the readily accessible systems and components of a home and which describes those systems and components in accordance with these standards of practice.

(k) "Household appliances" means kitchen, laundry, and similar appliances, whether installed or free-standing.

(l) "Inspect" means to examine any system or component of a building in accordance with Home 600, using normal operating controls and opening readily accessible covers.

(m) "Inspector" means a person hired to examine any system or component of a building in accordance with these standards of practice.

(n) "Installed" means attached such that removal requires tools.

(o) "Normal operating controls" means devices such as thermostats, switches, or valves intended to be operated by the homeowner.

(p) "Readily accessible" means available for visual inspection without requiring moving of personal property, dismantling, destructive measures, use of a ladder, or any action which will likely involve risk to persons or property.

(q) "Readily accessible panel" means a panel provided for homeowner inspection and maintenance that is readily accessible, within normal reach, can be removed by one person, and is not sealed in place.

(r) "Recreational facilities" means spas, saunas, steam baths, swimming pools, exercise, entertainment, athletic, playground or other similar equipment, and associated accessories.

(s) "Report" means communicate in writing.

(t) "Representative number" means one component per room for multiple similar interior components such as windows and electric receptacles and one component on each side of the building for multiple similar exterior components.

(u) "Roof drainage systems" means components used to carry water off a roof and away from a building.

(v) "Siding" means exterior wall covering and cladding; such as: aluminum, asphalt, brick, cement or asbestos, exterior insulation finishing system, stone, stucco, veneer, vinyl, or wood.

(w) "Significantly deficient" means unsafe or not functioning.

(x) "Shut down" means a state in which a system or component cannot be operated by normal operating controls.

(y) "Solid fuel burning appliances" means a hearth and fire chamber or similar prepared place in which a fire may be built and that is built in conjunction with a chimney, or a listed assembly of a fire chamber, its chimney, and related factory-made parts designed for unit assembly without requiring field construction.

(z) "Structural component" means a component that supports non-variable forces or weights, dead loads and variable forces or weights, live loads.

(aa) "System" means a combination of interacting or interdependent components, assembled to carry out one or more functions.

(ab) "Technically exhaustive" means an investigation that involves dismantling, the extensive use of advanced techniques, measurements, instruments, testing, calculations, or other means.

(ac) "Under floor crawl space" means the area within the confines of the foundation and between the ground and the underside of the floor.

(ad) "Unsafe" means a condition in a readily accessible, installed system or component that is judged to be a significant risk of bodily injury during normal, day-to-day use caused by damage, deterioration, improper installation, or a change in accepted residential construction standards.

(ae) "Wiring methods" means identification of electrical conductors or wires by their general type, such as non-metallic sheathed cable, armored cable, or knob and tube.