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A RocketLevel reference, backed by decades of experience in the trade. Tap a letter to jump there. If a term you keep hearing is missing, tell us and we will add it.
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Abatement. The regulated removal of hazardous materials (asbestos, lead) by licensed specialists. Distinct from restoration and usually subbed out.
ABRA (American Bio Recovery Association). A trade association for trauma, crime scene, and biohazard cleanup companies. It sets member standards and training for the work S540 covers.
ACAC (American Council for Accredited Certification). A certification body for indoor environmental professionals, including the CIE and CMC credentials. Its programs are accredited by CESB, which is why hygienists and owners' consultants often list ACAC credentials. See CIE and CMC.
ACH (air changes per hour). How many times per hour the full volume of air in a space is replaced: airflow in cubic feet per minute (CFM) times 60, divided by the room volume in cubic feet. Healthcare containment plans and negative-air setups are often written to an ACH target. Not to be confused with ACH payments, the automated clearing house bank transfers many commercial clients use to pay invoices.
ACORD (Association for Cooperative Operations Research and Development). The nonprofit insurance-industry standards body that publishes the standard insurance forms. The ACORD 25 is the certificate of liability insurance your clients ask for. See Certificate of Insurance (COI).
ACR (NADCA's Assessment, Cleaning and Restoration of HVAC Systems standard). The National Air Duct Cleaners Association standard for inspecting, cleaning, and verifying the cleanliness of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. Duct cleaning after a fire, smoke, or mold loss is often specified to ACR. See NADCA.
Actual Cash Value (ACV). Replacement cost minus physical depreciation. Typically what the carrier pays up front, with recoverable depreciation released after the work is done.
ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). The federal civil rights law that includes accessibility design standards for public accommodations and commercial facilities, plus employment protections. On a rebuild it drives path-of-travel and accessibility work the permit may trigger, which is why Ordinance or Law coverage matters. See Code upgrade.
Add-backs. Expenses a buyer agrees to add back to reported profit because they will not continue under new ownership: the owner's above-market salary, family members on payroll, personal vehicles and travel, one-time legal costs, a bad-debt write-off from a single catastrophe (CAT) deployment. Each add-back raises adjusted EBITDA, and the multiple is applied to that adjusted number, so every defensible dollar is worth several at closing. The test is documentation: a buyer's quality of earnings team will strike anything you cannot prove. See EBITDA and Quality of earnings (QoE).
Additional insured. A status added by endorsement to your liability policy that extends coverage to another party, such as the owner or general contractor. A frequent contractual requirement on commercial work. The form number matters: CG 20 10 covers ongoing operations, CG 20 37 covers completed operations. A contract that requires both and gets only one leaves a gap that surfaces years later on a defect claim.
Additional Living Expenses (ALE) / loss of use. Coverage that pays a displaced occupant's reasonable extra costs of living elsewhere (lodging, meals, storage) while a property is uninhabitable. On a residential claim it can fund temporary housing during your repair, and on a multifamily loss it adds up fast, so flag it early.
ADEA (Age Discrimination in Employment Act). The federal law that protects job applicants and employees age 40 and older from age discrimination. It applies to employers with 20 or more employees, and it is enforced by the EEOC.
Adjuster-determined drying charges. An NFIP adjuster's write-down of drying and equipment charges to what the file actually supports when a contractor cannot produce a complete daily drying log. We have found no published NFIP cap on equipment days, so treat any number an adjuster quotes as that adjuster's judgment rather than a rule. Your logs are the defense.
AED (automated external defibrillator). A portable device that checks heart rhythm and delivers a shock during sudden cardiac arrest. Some facility and healthcare vendor programs expect crews to know where the building's AEDs are and to hold Basic Life Support (BLS) or CPR training.