EIFS
Exterior Insulation Finishing Systems - multi-layered exterior wall system (which resembles stucco in appearance) that is used on both commercial buildings and residential homes.

General Contractor
A contractor who subcontracts work to others in excess of 50% of total receipts, exercises primary control of the job site and is named in the construction of documents as the general contractor of record.

Residential Contractor
Contractor involved in the construction of single or mulit-unit family housing, including apartments, condominiums, townhouses, planned unit developments and tract housing or similar planned communities.

Subsidence
Any movement of the land or earth including landslides, mudflow, earth sinking, rising and shiftin, collapse or movement of fill, earth settling, slipping, falling away, caving in, eroding or tilting and earthquake.

Torch Applied Roofing (Modified Bitumen)
This process, which is also called torch welding, involves a modified bitumen installed on a roofing deck by means of a torch. A membrane is laid on the roof, heated by a torch and allowed to cool so that the material solidifies in place. The asphalt component in the membrane serves as an adhesive between the surface material and roof substrate.

Hot Air Welding
A system utilizing a heating source (either electric or propane flame) attached to a hose that blows hot air onto the membrane.

Tract Housing
Housing developments where the houses are similar in price, physical characteristics, square footage and lot size that involves numerous houses of similar or complementary design constructed on a given expanse of land by a single builder.