Last updated: October 6, 2026 · By Michael Bass, Owner, True Day Water Damage Restoration

Water Damage Restoration Glossary

Published September 30, 2026 · Authored by Michael Bass, Owner, True Day Water Damage Restoration · Utah Contractor License #960332-3505 · IICRC Certified Firm #927354-5258

Why This Glossary Exists

Water damage restoration comes with its own vocabulary. Xactimate scopes reference “LGR dehumidifiers.” Adjusters ask about “Category 3 water.” Insurance policies mention “sudden and accidental.” Homeowners see these terms in documents they signed but never had explained to them.

This glossary defines every term you’re likely to encounter during a water damage restoration project in Utah, in plain language, from the point of view of a working contractor rather than a marketing website. If a term is used in your project’s paperwork and you don’t see it here, call (385) 247-9359 and ask — we’ll add it.

Water Categories & Classes (IICRC S500)

Category 1 Water

Clean water from a sanitary source: supply line breaks, faucet leaks, refrigerator water lines, sink overflows without contaminants. Standard drying methodology applies. If not addressed within 24–48 hours, Category 1 water can degrade to Category 2 as bacteria establishes.

Category 2 Water

“Grey water” — contains significant contamination but is not sewage. Sources include dishwasher overflows, washing machine discharge, aquarium leaks, punctured waterbeds, and Category 1 water that has aged past 48 hours. Requires antimicrobial treatment during drying.

Category 3 Water

“Black water” — grossly contaminated. Sources include sewage backup, toilet overflows past the trap, flood water from outside the home, and Category 2 water that has aged past 48 hours. Requires HEPA containment, full PPE for technicians, removal of porous materials, and antimicrobial treatment.

Class 1 Water Damage

Slow evaporation rate. Small amount of moisture affecting only part of a room, minimal absorbed materials. Typical: a small supply line drip caught within hours.

Class 2 Water Damage

Fast evaporation rate. Entire room affected, carpet and cushion wet, moisture wicking up walls less than 24 inches. Typical: a burst pipe caught within a day.

Class 3 Water Damage

Fastest evaporation rate. Water came from above, saturating ceiling, walls, insulation, and floor. Typical: an upstairs water heater failure or overhead pipe burst.

Class 4 Water Damage

Specialty drying situations. Deeply saturated materials like hardwood floors, plaster, brick, concrete. Requires specialty methods and extended timelines.

Equipment

LGR Dehumidifier (Low Grain Refrigerant)

Industrial dehumidifier that performs at higher efficiency under low-humidity conditions than consumer dehumidifiers. Rated in pints per day at 90 degrees Fahrenheit and 60% relative humidity. LGR units are what enable structural drying to complete in 3–5 days instead of weeks.

Desiccant Dehumidifier

Uses moisture-absorbing silica or other desiccant materials instead of refrigerant coils. Effective at lower temperatures than LGR units, used in cold environments or specialty drying (Class 4).

Air Mover

High-CFM industrial fan positioned at 15–45 degree angles to wet surfaces per IICRC S500 methodology. Accelerates evaporation from surfaces so the dehumidifier can extract the resulting vapor from the air.

FLIR Thermal Imaging Camera

Reads infrared radiation from surfaces. Wet materials appear cooler than dry ones because evaporation is a cooling process. Used to map hidden moisture behind walls, ceilings, and floors without demolition.

Calibrated Penetrating Moisture Meter

Pin-style meter that measures the actual moisture content of building materials as a percentage of their dry weight. Wood framing is dry at 6–12% depending on species. Drywall is dry at 0.5–1.0%. OSB is dry below 10%.

Non-Penetrating Moisture Meter

Reads surface moisture without leaving pin holes. Used for finished surfaces where marks would be visible.

Portable Water Extractor

Truck-mounted or self-contained unit that removes standing water and free water from carpet, hard flooring, and saturated materials. Every gallon extracted is a gallon that doesn’t need to be evaporated by dehumidification.

HEPA Air Scrubber / Negative Air Machine

Creates pressure containment between the affected area and the rest of the home. HEPA filtration removes particles down to 0.3 microns — small enough to capture mold spores, fine soot, and airborne bacteria from sewage backup.

Moisture Sensor / Data Logger

Placed in walls, floors, or the affected space during drying to record continuous humidity and moisture readings. Used to verify drying progress and to document to insurance carriers that dry standards were achieved.

Drying & Restoration Concepts

Dry Standard

Species-specific target moisture percentage that a material must reach to be considered dry. Wood framing (6–12%), drywall (0.5–1.0%), OSB (<10%). Verified with calibrated meter readings before drying equipment is removed.

Structural Drying

The process of removing moisture from building materials using controlled airflow, dehumidification, and heat. Follows IICRC S500 methodology.

Psychrometry

The physics of water vapor in air. Restoration technicians use psychrometric calculations to size dehumidifiers and air movers for a specific project.

Grains Per Pound (GPP)

Unit measuring moisture in air, used in psychrometric calculations. 7,000 grains = 1 pound of water. Restoration technicians calculate the vapor load in grains to size drying equipment.

Vapor Pressure

The pressure exerted by water vapor in the air. Drying moves water from higher vapor pressure (wet material) to lower vapor pressure (dry air after dehumidification).

Wicking

Capillary action pulling water up through porous materials. Drywall wicks water upward from a flooded floor. Carpet cushion wicks water throughout the pad.

Efflorescence

White powdery residue on concrete walls or floors, caused by dissolved salts left behind when water evaporates through concrete. A common Utah basement seepage indicator.

Hidden Moisture

Water absorbed into materials that aren’t visibly wet from the outside — drywall interior, insulation, subfloor, cabinet backs. FLIR imaging and calibrated meters find hidden moisture.

Trapped Moisture

Water enclosed behind vapor barriers or in poorly ventilated cavities. Common in Category 3 sewage projects where wall cavities held saturated insulation.

Mold & Contamination (IICRC S520)

Containment

Physical barrier (6-mil poly sheeting) separating the mold-affected area from the rest of the home, held under negative pressure by a HEPA air scrubber. Prevents cross-contamination during remediation.

Remediation vs Removal

Mold remediation is the industry standard: contain, remove porous contaminated materials, HEPA-vacuum non-porous surfaces, apply antimicrobial, verify with post-remediation clearance testing. “Mold removal” as a marketing term usually means the same thing but is not the technically correct phrase.

Post-Remediation Verification (PRV)

Independent air-quality testing after mold remediation to confirm spore counts have returned to acceptable baseline levels. Performed by a third-party Indoor Environmental Professional (IEP), not the remediation contractor.

Antimicrobial

EPA-registered chemical treatment applied to surfaces to kill or inhibit mold, bacteria, and other microorganisms. Common formulations include quaternary ammonium compounds (“quats”), hydrogen peroxide accelerated products, and botanical thymol-based solutions.

Porous vs Non-Porous Materials

Porous materials (drywall, insulation, carpet cushion, particle board) absorb contamination and typically must be removed in Category 3 or mold projects. Non-porous materials (glazed tile, sealed hardwood, glass, metal) can be cleaned in place.

Indoor Environmental Professional (IEP)

Independent testing professional who assesses air quality, identifies mold species, and verifies remediation completion. Not the same as the remediation contractor — separation of testing and remediation is a best practice.

Insurance Terms

Xactimate

The industry-standard estimating software used by insurance carriers and restoration contractors. Every scope submitted to a carrier goes through Xactimate. If your restoration contractor doesn’t produce an Xactimate scope, expect claim delays.

Scope of Work

The line-by-line breakdown of work being performed on a restoration project. Xactimate scopes include labor, equipment, materials, and overhead calculations for every task.

Sudden and Accidental

Standard homeowners insurance policy language covering water damage from a specific unexpected event (burst pipe, water heater failure, appliance malfunction). Contrasted with gradual damage, which is typically excluded.

Duty to Mitigate

Clause in every homeowners policy requiring the homeowner to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage. Delaying restoration response can result in denied coverage for damage that could have been prevented.

Deductible

The amount the homeowner pays out of pocket before insurance coverage begins. Typical Utah homeowners deductibles are $1,000–$2,500.

Supplement

Additional Xactimate scope filed with the carrier mid-project when new damage is discovered. Requires carrier approval before the supplemental work is authorized.

Sewer Backup Endorsement

Add-on to a standard homeowners policy that provides coverage for damage from sewer surcharge or drain backup. Typically $50–$200/year for $5,000–$25,000 in coverage.

NFIP (National Flood Insurance Program)

The federal flood insurance program. Standard homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage from outside the home; NFIP is a separate policy.

Preferred Vendor

Restoration contractor that has agreed to a carrier’s cost-containment terms in exchange for referrals. Homeowners are not required to use preferred vendors — you have the right to choose your own contractor.

Direct Bill / Insurance Billing

Arrangement where the restoration contractor bills the insurance carrier directly for the covered portion of the project, and the homeowner pays only their deductible.

Loss of Use Coverage (Coverage D)

Insurance coverage for additional living expenses (hotel, rental, meals) when a homeowner cannot occupy their home during restoration.

Public Adjuster

Licensed advocate who represents the homeowner in claim negotiations with the insurance carrier. Typically charges 10–15% of the claim value. Different from the carrier’s adjuster, who represents the carrier.

Water Damage Types

Burst Pipe

Sudden supply line rupture caused by freezing, corrosion, water pressure spike, or physical damage. Releases hundreds of gallons per hour until the main is shut off.

Slab Leak

Supply line failure under a concrete slab foundation. Detected via warm spots on floor, unexplained water bills, or FLIR imaging. Requires specialty locating and often slab excavation.

Sewer Backup

Municipal sewer surcharges or a house drain clog forces waste water back up through basement floor drains, toilets, or bathtubs. Always Category 3.

Foundation Seepage

Groundwater or snowmelt penetrating through foundation walls, floors, or cold joints. Driven by hydrostatic pressure in saturated soil around the foundation.

Hydrostatic Pressure

The pressure exerted by water in saturated soil against foundation walls. High during Wasatch snowmelt season (March–May) in Utah.

Ice Dam

Ridge of ice at the roof edge that traps snowmelt behind it, forcing water under shingles and into the attic. Common in Utah homes with inadequate attic insulation or ventilation.

Sump Pump Failure

Pump in a basement sump pit fails to remove groundwater during peak accumulation. Can flood a finished basement in hours.

Appliance Leak

Water damage from washing machine, dishwasher, refrigerator ice maker, or water heater. See the True Day appliance failure article for specific service-life data.

Roof Leak

Water intrusion through damaged shingles, flashings, vent boots, or ridge vents. Often only visible as ceiling stains after significant hidden damage has already occurred.

Basement Flooding

General term for water accumulation in a basement from any source. Requires source diagnosis before restoration methodology is committed.

Category 3 Sewage Event

Sewage backup or blackwater flooding. Requires HEPA containment, full-body PPE, and removal of all porous materials that contacted contaminated water.

Reconstruction Terms

Demolition (Demo)

Removal of non-salvageable materials before drying begins. Includes cutting out saturated drywall, removing carpet and cushion, extracting damaged flooring, and disposing of contaminated insulation.

Cut Line / Cut Height

The height on a wall where drywall is cut and removed. Typically 2 feet above the wet line for Category 1, 4 feet for Category 2, and full height for Category 3 to allow proper drying of framing and insulation behind.

Content Manipulation

Moving furniture and belongings out of the affected area, either to a dry portion of the home (“content manipulation, on-site”) or to an off-site storage facility (“pack-out”).

Pack-Out

Full removal of homeowner belongings from the affected area to an off-site storage facility for the duration of the project. Included in Xactimate scopes for major-loss events.

Framing / Studs

The wood or metal skeleton of a wall. Wood framing gets wet in water events and must be dried to species-specific dry standard (typically 12% moisture content or lower for lumber) before drywall is reinstalled.

Subfloor

Structural layer beneath finished flooring — typically plywood or OSB. Wet subfloor must be dried before new flooring is installed or the new flooring will fail.

Baseboard / Base Trim

The horizontal trim at the bottom of a wall. Usually removed before drying (to allow air movement to the bottom of the wall cavity) and replaced during reconstruction.

Ordinance and Law Coverage

Insurance endorsement that pays the cost to bring a home up to current code during restoration. Standard policies cap this coverage at 10% of the dwelling coverage; endorsements can increase to 25–50%.

Local Utah Context

JVWCD (Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District)

The municipal water district serving South Jordan and much of the Salt Lake Valley. Provides some of the hardest municipal water in the country, which contributes to accelerated copper supply line corrosion over 20–30 year cycles.

Bonneville Smectite Clay

The clay soil under much of the Salt Lake Valley, including South Jordan. Expands dramatically when wet during snowmelt or heavy rain, driving hydrostatic pressure against foundations.

North American Monsoon

Weather pattern July through September bringing intense afternoon storm cells to Utah. Overwhelms municipal sewers and drainage systems, causing seasonal sewer backup events.

Wasatch Snowmelt

Spring runoff from the Wasatch Front snowpack, March through May. Saturates soil around Salt Lake Valley foundations, driving basement seepage events.

Standards & Certification

IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification)

The industry standard-setting body for restoration. IICRC S500 covers water damage restoration; IICRC S520 covers mold remediation. Firm-level and technician-level certifications are available.

IICRC S500 Standard

The ANSI-approved standard for professional water damage restoration. Defines categories, classes, methodology, drying standards, and documentation requirements.

IICRC S520 Standard

The ANSI-approved standard for professional mold remediation. Defines containment, PPE, remediation methodology, and post-remediation clearance requirements.

Utah DOPL (Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing)

Utah state agency that licenses contractors. Verify any Utah restoration contractor’s license status at Utah DOPL’s public search.

Certificate of Insurance (COI)

Document naming the contractor’s insurance carrier and coverage amounts. Every legitimate restoration contractor should be able to produce a current COI on request within 24 hours.

Common Questions About Terminology

“My adjuster used a term not on this list.” Call us at (385) 247-9359 and read the term to Michael — we’ll define it and add it here for the next homeowner.

“My contractor’s Xactimate scope has a code I don’t understand.” Xactimate uses specific line-item codes (like WTR EXTRACT, DRY – EMER SVC, DEHUMID). These are industry-standard line items. Any Xactimate-trained contractor can walk you through them.

“Someone told me ‘we don’t need to follow IICRC standards for a small project.'” Every professional restoration project follows IICRC methodology, regardless of size. Small projects still require category assessment, moisture readings, proper drying protocol, and documentation.

Glossary version 1.0 — Published September 30, 2026 · Next review: October 2026 · If a term you need isn’t defined here, call (385) 247-9359 and we’ll add it.

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Water damage restoration glossary

The terms we use on-site, in your file, and in conversations with your adjuster — translated into plain English.

Dry Benchmark: The moisture reading of an unaffected area of the same material (dry drywall in another room, dry hardwood under a bed). It’s the target the wet material must reach before our equipment comes off.
Category (1, 2, 3): How contaminated the water is. Category 1 is clean (burst supply line, rain), Category 2 is grey (dishwasher discharge, aquarium), Category 3 is black (sewage, groundwater, water older than 48 hours).
Class (1, 2, 3, 4): How much drying the loss needs. Class 1 is a small wet area, Class 2 is full-room wet, Class 3 is water from above, Class 4 is specialty drying for low-permeability materials.
LGR Dehumidifier: Low-Grain Refrigerant dehumidifier. Commercial-grade machine that pulls water out of the air and the materials around it. Household dehumidifiers are not LGR-rated.
Xactimate: The estimating software every major insurance carrier’s adjuster uses. We write our scope and supplements in Xactimate line-item format so the adjuster can process it without rekeying.
Moisture Mapping: Testing every affected material and the materials adjacent to them with a penetrating moisture meter and a thermal camera, then logging the readings with location and date.
Flood Cut: Removing the bottom 24 inches of drywall (and the wet insulation behind it) when drywall can’t be dried in place. Standard practice for Category 2/3 water or deeply saturated Category 1.
Dry-in-Place: Keeping a material (carpet, drywall) and drying it with equipment rather than removing and replacing it. The decision is made per-material on day one, not sitewide.
Antimicrobial: Treatment applied to affected materials and surfaces to inhibit microbial growth after extraction. We use thymol and accelerated hydrogen peroxide per IICRC S500.
HEPA Scrubber: Air scrubber with a High-Efficiency Particulate Air filter. Used in mold and Category 3 containment to filter airborne spores and particles.
Mitigation vs. Restoration: Mitigation is the emergency phase: stop the water, extract it, dry the structure. Restoration (sometimes called reconstruction) is the rebuild phase: drywall, flooring, trim, paint.
IICRC: Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification — the trade’s standard-setting body. Issues the S500 standard for water damage and the S520 standard for mold remediation. Also certifies individual technicians (WRT, ASD, AMRT) and firms.
WRT / ASD / AMRT: IICRC technician certifications. WRT = Water Damage Restoration Technician. ASD = Applied Structural Drying. AMRT = Applied Microbial Remediation Technician (required for mold scopes).
PPE & Containment: Personal Protective Equipment (respirators, suits, gloves) and the physical isolation of the work zone with poly sheeting + negative-air pressure. Required for Category 3 water and mold remediation.

14 terms homeowners should actually understand

Restoration contractors throw around jargon that was never meant for homeowners. If you understand these 14 terms, you can hold your own in any conversation with a contractor, adjuster, or lead tech.

IICRC S500: The water-damage restoration industry’s standard. Published by Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification. Decides what gets done on a water loss.
IICRC S520: The mold-remediation standard. Decides what gets removed vs. cleaned on a mold job.
IICRC S700: The fire + smoke restoration standard.
Category 1 / 2 / 3 water: Clean / grey / black. Decides whether porous materials dry or get discarded.
Class 1 / 2 / 3 / 4: How much wet material there is. Decides equipment sizing.
EMC — Equilibrium Moisture Content: The moisture level dry materials in your home normally hold. The dry-out target.
LGR — Low Grain Refrigerant: Type of dehumidifier that keeps working in dry air. Standard for professional drying.
AHAM pint capacity: Standardized measurement of a dehumidifier’s moisture-removal rate. The number we size against.
Protimeter reading: Moisture content in a specific material, as a percentage. Decides when drying is done.
FNOL — First Notice of Loss: When you tell your insurance company a loss happened. Starts the claim clock.
Xactimate: The pricing system most insurance adjusters use. Mitigation scope written in Xactimate line items.
Supplement: Additional scope filed with the carrier after the original estimate, when work reveals more damage than visible initially.
Mitigation vs. Reconstruction: Mitigation = stop + dry + prevent further damage. Reconstruction = rebuild what’s damaged. Insurance scopes them separately.
Dry standard: The moisture-content number affected materials must reach to be considered dry per S500. Not “looks dry” — a measured threshold.

Why these matter in your conversation

If a contractor says “we’ll just dry it out” without naming the dry standard they’re targeting, that’s a sign. If an adjuster quotes mitigation scope without Xactimate line pricing, you can’t compare apples-to-apples. If someone offers a Cat 3 cleanup “without full containment,” that’s a signal to call a different firm.

Term you don’t see here that came up in your situation?Call (385) 247-9359 — we’ll explain it without jargon.

Adjuster-speak glossary — the words you’ll hear during a claim

Insurance adjusters use specific terminology on calls. Here’s what each term actually means in plain language, in the order you’ll typically hear them during a claim:

FNOL (First Notice of Loss): The initial report you (or we) make to your insurance carrier that a loss happened. Starts the claim. The carrier assigns an adjuster and a claim number after FNOL.
Adjuster: The person from your insurance company who reviews your claim and decides what’s covered. May be a staff adjuster (direct employee) or an independent (IA) hired by your carrier. Both have authority to approve or deny scope.
Scope letter / scope sheet: The written list of what your adjuster has approved for payment. Your mitigation and rebuild work has to match the scope letter — or we submit a supplement.
Supplement: A written request to add scope that wasn’t in the original scope letter. Common when hidden damage is found during demo. We write supplements with photos and documentation; the adjuster approves or denies in writing.
Reservation of Rights (ROR): A letter from the carrier saying they’re paying for mitigation now but reserving the right to deny the claim later while coverage is being investigated. Common on complex losses. We mitigate under ROR with you aware that payment could be pulled back.
Xactimate: The pricing software most insurance adjusters use to price restoration scope. Xactimate line items are what gets paid; our estimate is written in Xactimate format so there’s no translation issue.
O&P (overhead and profit): A 10% overhead + 10% profit markup that applies when three or more trades are involved in a claim. Insurance pays O&P when the scope qualifies; adjusters sometimes initially leave it off and we add it back on a supplement.
ACV vs RCV (actual cash value vs replacement cost value): Two ways carriers settle. ACV pays depreciated value up front. RCV pays depreciated at first, then releases the depreciation after work is completed and documented. Most policies today are RCV.
Depreciation / holdback: The amount held back under an RCV policy until the work is complete. Released on receipt of final invoices and completion documentation.
Deductible: Your out-of-pocket amount before insurance pays anything. We don’t waive it, discount it, or absorb it — waiving a deductible is insurance fraud in Utah.
Mitigation vs. restoration: Mitigation = stop the loss from getting worse (extraction, drying, demo). Restoration = put the property back (drywall, flooring, paint). Carriers treat them as separate scopes, sometimes with different payment timing.
DOL (Date of Loss): The date the loss happened. Important for claim timing — most policies require FNOL within a specific window of DOL.

Materials and measurements: terms you’ll hear during a job

Techs talking shop use specific terms for materials and measurements. Here’s a plain-language reference so you can follow along:

Materials

OSB (Oriented Strand Board): Compressed wood-chip panel used for subfloor and sheathing in newer homes. Absorbs water quickly, swells at seams, usually doesn’t recover once swollen.
Plywood: Layered wood panel; several plies glued crossgrain. More water-resistant than OSB; can often be dried in place if caught early.
Drywall / sheetrock / gypsum board: Gypsum core with paper facing; standard interior wall material. Loses structural strength when wet; often removed from the floor up to a flood-cut line.
MDF (Medium-Density Fiberboard): Compressed wood fiber; often used in baseboards, moulding, cabinet panels. Rarely survives water exposure; typically replaced.
Particleboard: Lower-density pressed wood often used in cabinet bases, cheaper subfloor underlayment, laminate flooring core. Almost always replaced when wet.
SPF (Spruce-Pine-Fir) framing lumber: Standard wall-stud and joist material in Utah homes. Can usually be dried in place to under 16% moisture content if cleaned and treated.
Flex duct: Flexible HVAC duct with mylar inner liner. Can’t be reliably cleaned if contaminated; usually replaced.
LVP (Luxury Vinyl Plank): Click-together waterproof vinyl flooring; the plank itself is waterproof but the subfloor beneath isn’t. Can usually be pulled, dried, and reinstalled.

Measurements and units

MC (Moisture Content): Percentage of weight that is water in a material. Wood framing dry standard is ≤16%; drywall dry standard is ≤1% on a Protimeter.
RH (Relative Humidity): Percentage of water vapor the air is holding vs its maximum capacity at that temperature. Target for drying is below 60% in the drying zone.
GPP (Grains per Pound): Actual water-vapor content of the air by weight — a more useful number than RH for drying math because it doesn’t change with temperature. Measured by the data logger.
CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute): Air-mover output measured in cubic feet of air moved per minute. Standard air mover is 2,000-3,000 CFM.
AHAM pint rating: Industry-standard dehumidifier rating at 80°F / 60% RH. Real-world capacity in a 70°F / 50% RH drying zone is typically 50-60% of the AHAM number.
Flood cut: Horizontal cut in drywall at a specified height (24" or 48" typically) above the water line to remove saturated material and allow the wall cavity to dry.
Dry standard: The moisture content the material must reach to be considered restored to pre-loss condition. Varies by material.
Equilibrium Moisture Content (EMC): The moisture content a material reaches when it’s in balance with the air around it. In Salt Lake Valley winter, EMC for wood is around 8-10%; in summer, 10-12%.

Unit conversions you may encounter during a water-damage job

Restoration uses specific units that cross-reference between what the equipment reports, what the moisture meter reads, and what Xactimate charges. Here’s a reference you can use to check numbers for yourself:

Water-volume units

From	To	Formula / factor
1 cubic foot of water	Gallons	= 7.48 gallons
1 gallon of water	Pounds (weight)	= 8.34 lbs
1 inch of water over 1,000 sq ft	Gallons	= 623 gallons
1 inch of water over 1,000 sq ft	Pounds (weight)	= 5,196 lbs
Average basement flood (1 inch over 500 sq ft)	Approximate weight	˜ 2,600 lbs

Moisture-measurement units

Unit	What it measures	Target in a drying zone
%MC (percent moisture content)	Water as a percentage of material dry weight	Wood ≤16%, drywall ≤1%
%RH (percent relative humidity)	Water-vapor saturation of air at given temperature	Below 60% in drying zone
Grains per Pound (GPP)	Absolute weight of water in air (temperature-independent)	Drying zone 50-70 GPP typical
Dew point (°F)	Temperature at which air RH would reach 100%	Drying zone dew point generally 50-60°F

Equipment capacity units

Unit	What it measures	Typical range
CFM (cubic feet per minute)	Air mover output	Standard air mover: 2,000-3,000 CFM
AHAM pint rating	Dehumidifier capacity at 80°F/60% RH	Commercial LGR: 90-150 AHAM pints/day
Real-world pint rating	Dehumidifier capacity at job-site 70°F/50% RH	Typically 50-60% of AHAM number
BTU/hr	Heat output for supplemental heating	Portable heater: 5,000-15,000 BTU/hr

Time + rate units

Unit	What it measures
Pints/day	Dehumidifier water-removal rate
Days-of-equipment	Billing unit for equipment on-site; e.g. “4 dehu x 5 days = 20 equipment-days”
Hour-meter reading	Cumulative run-time on specific equipment

Useful cross-checks

Dehumidifier producing 60 pints/day = removing about 7.5 gallons of water per day from the air
Air mover running 24 hours at 2,500 CFM moves about 3.6 million cubic feet of air
A standard-size bedroom (12x15x8 = 1,440 cubic feet) has its air exchanged ~2,500 times per day with one standard air mover

What this helps you check

Is the equipment load matched to the room size and loss severity?
Does the water-weight match the apparent damage? (A dehu that pulled 20 gallons of water explains why a wall is still drying slowly)
Does the billing (equipment days + per-day rate) match what you observed on-site?

Different carriers, different terminology (how we translate)

Insurance carriers use slightly different language for the same concepts. If your adjuster uses a term that doesn’t quite match what we’ve been using, this cross-reference may help:

Our standard term	Common carrier variations	Same thing?
Mitigation scope	Emergency services, dry-out, remediation (mold), stabilization	Yes — the water-stopping, drying, demo phase
Restoration scope / rebuild	Repairs, reconstruction, build-back, completion	Yes — replacing what was removed, finishing the job
Scope of loss	Loss scope, damage estimate, scope of work	Yes — the written list of what’s covered
Line item	Pay item, estimate item, Xactimate code	Yes
Supplement	Scope addition, additional damages, re-inspection scope	Yes — adding scope to the original claim
Overhead and profit (O&P)	GC fee, 10&10, contractor margin	Yes — the 10% overhead + 10% profit standard markup
Depreciation holdback	Recoverable depreciation, deferred payment, settlement adjustment	Yes — amount held back pending work completion under RCV policy
Reservation of rights	ROR, right-to-deny letter, coverage reservation	Yes — carrier paying mitigation while investigating coverage
Deductible	Policy deductible, out-of-pocket, claim deductible	Yes — your up-front responsibility
Policy limit	Coverage limit, policy max, dwelling limit	Yes — most your policy will pay for this type of loss
Date of loss (DOL)	Loss date, incident date	Yes
Cause of loss	Peril, loss cause, origin	Yes
Covered loss	Approved claim, within policy, insured peril	Yes
Pre-existing condition	Prior damage, old damage, excluded condition	Yes — damage that existed before the claim event

Why carriers vary in their terminology

Each carrier has internal preferences and shorthand
Adjuster backgrounds vary — some use industry-standard terms, some use their carrier’s internal language
Independent adjusters often use terminology from multiple carriers they work with
Older policies and claim systems may use dated terms (ACV vs RCV language has evolved over decades)

How we help homeowners through this

We write our scope and estimate in Xactimate standard language — which almost every carrier recognizes
When your adjuster uses a term that doesn’t match, we translate on the spot
Written communications match the carrier’s language once we know their preference — reduces miscommunication

Where terminology differences cause real problems

“Mitigation” and “restoration” being treated as one scope by homeowner but two scopes by carrier — different payment timing, different approval processes
“Overhead and profit” sometimes initially left off a carrier scope and added back on supplement — worth catching on day 1
“Depreciation” vs “actual cash value” distinctions — policy terms vary
“Pre-existing” label used broadly — may need to defend specific items

What to ask your adjuster if a term confuses you

“Can you tell me the Xactimate term for that?” — most adjusters can translate
“Is this an industry-standard term or your company’s internal language?”
“Can you put that in writing so I can look it up?”
Ask us — we deal with multiple carriers daily and can usually translate

Help us keep this glossary accurate (feedback loop)

Industry terminology drifts over time. Carriers add new terms, Xactimate updates its codes, IICRC occasionally publishes new standard editions with slightly different definitions. The glossary on this page is useful only as long as it stays current. Here’s how we keep it current — and how you can help:

Our review schedule:

Quarterly: specific-term check against Xactimate pricing-engine updates
Annual: full-glossary review in January; every term confirmed, revised, or retired
Event-driven: IICRC standard revision triggers specific-term review
Reader-feedback: specific-term correction requests reviewed within business week

How to flag a term that may be outdated

Email with the specific term, our current definition, and what you think is now standard
Include your source if possible (specific IICRC standard section, carrier bulletin, Xactimate release note)
We review and respond within business week
If we agree, we update the glossary and credit you (if you want) in the update log

How to suggest a term to add

Email with the term + why it comes up in restoration conversations + how it’s usually defined
We evaluate for consistency with our other glossary content
Common additions: new Xactimate codes, newly-common insurance terms, new equipment technology terms
Not added: industry-insider slang, specific-brand terms, overly technical terms customers don’t typically encounter

What makes a term worth including

Customer-facing — something a customer may hear from an adjuster, insurance broker, or industry professional
Specific definable meaning — not vague or marketing-speak
Comes up often enough that a definition is useful
Standard reference available (not just “industry consensus”)

What’s not in the glossary (and why)

Health or medical terms (we’re not physicians)
Legal terms specific to Utah property law (we’re not attorneys)
Specific carrier terms that aren’t industry-wide (unless they come up often locally)
Terms readers wouldn’t encounter in a restoration conversation

The glossary we have today vs will have in a year

Current: 24+ terms covering water categories, equipment, insurance, and material science
Expected growth: 2-5 additions per year based on reader feedback and standards updates
Expected revisions: 15-25% of terms get some revision annually
Expected retirements: 1-3 terms per year retired as they stop being relevant

How this glossary differs from industry-general glossaries

Utah-specific where it matters (climate references, DOPL licensing terms)
SJ-local examples where they help (specific neighborhood characteristics)
Insurance interaction terms tied to how carriers in Utah actually work (not just general industry)
Customer-perspective definitions, not industry-insider definitions

What we don’t do

Copy-paste glossaries from other restoration companies
Add terms just to pad the content
Use overly technical language that would alienate non-industry readers
Avoid updating a term because it would require significant revision work

Adjusters: let us know if specific carrier terminology is drifting and we should capture it
Insurance brokers: let us know what customer questions you’re getting that would benefit from glossary coverage
Real-estate agents: let us know what terms come up in home sales with past water damage
Plumbers/HVAC: let us know what customer questions you’re getting that overlap with our glossary

This glossary isn’t comprehensive and probably never will be. Specific additions requested by readers get the fastest consideration.

How this glossary gets audited

A restoration glossary that drifts out of alignment with the current IICRC standards becomes misinformation. Here is the audit cycle we run against this page, documented so you can see the process rather than take the content on faith:

Annual IICRC standard review. IICRC publishes revisions to S500 (water), S520 (mold), and S700 (fire) on cycles that don’t match the calendar year. Each November, we check the current edition of each standard and compare glossary definitions against the latest published language. Any term whose definition has shifted gets flagged for revision.

Scope-of-work document cross-check. Terms we use in internal scope documents are the same terms that appear on this page. If a scope term and a glossary term diverge, one of the two is wrong. Internal scope documents are the current operational standard, so the glossary is corrected to match.

Adjuster-side terminology sync. Insurance adjusters use terms like FNOL, Scope, Mitigation, Supplement, ROR, and Xactimate in their day-to-day communication. We check our definitions against how major carriers currently define these — not against industry-generic definitions that may be a few years old.

Reader-feedback loop. If a homeowner or an adjuster tells us a term here was unclear or wrong, we address it in the next revision cycle (not months later). Reader-reported corrections are the single most useful audit input.

Rename or deprecate. If a term goes out of practice (e.g., superseded by an updated S500 term), we don’t just remove it — we leave the entry with a note that it is now archaic and name the current term. That preserves the glossary’s usefulness for older documents.

If you spot a definition on this page that seems off, email us or mention it on a call. The audit cycle picks it up at the next review.