This article provides a glossary of the main parts of a house and house structure and we give definitions of common home inspection terms used during home inspections or in home inspection reports. Terms defined here may also appear in home inspection standards and home inspection licensing laws.

This is a public, consumer information document containing a glossary defining some key terms regarding home inspectors in the United States and Canada.

Phelan's 1931 drawing is shown here.

Note: for brevity this list of house parts, keyed to the illustration shown here, is condensed to keywords and phrases. For more complete, more-eloquent detail about each house part or system, click the links given by various house parts in this list.

1. Chimney - used to vent flue gases from fireplaces or heating equipment.

2. Chimney flue top or chimney rain cap (if present), required for safe, proper draft and to avoid water damage to flues.

3. Chimney crown or chimney top seal, seals against leaks around the flue.

4. Chimney Flashing seals the roof penetration to avoid leaks into the structure.

5. Masonry fireplace,

6. Fireplace ash pit door or opening is found in the floor of the fireplace, usually near the back (if present at all). This permits sweeping ashes from the fireplace into an ash pit for later cleanout; improper construction risks a house fire.

7. Fireplace ash pit cleanout door. Access to the ash pit at the base of chimneys serving fireplaces as well as heating appliances.

8. Fireplace mantel - horizontal trim attached to wall above fireplace opening.

9. Hearth - flat surface in front of the fireplace, protects flooring from fire.

10. Ridge cap or ridge vent (if present) provides exit venting for under-roof ventilation systems.

11. Ridge board (usually present on rafter-framed roofs after 1930), eases roof framing by providing a nail plate for rafters that meet at the roof ridge.
In some construction such as cathedral ceilings the ridge board becomes a supporting ridge beam.

12. Cripple rafters or Jack rafters (between chimney and house eaves - rafters that do not extend the full distance between house eaves and the roof ridge board)

13. Rafter blocking or cross bridging, also found on floor joists and in some wall framing.

14. Soffit or lookout or house eaves. The soffit is the enclosed portion of the roof that overhangs the house walls at the roof lower edges. The construction of a typical roof overhang, eave or soffit is shown in our sketch.

15. Roof sheathing or roof decking.