Work Order Desk Glossary

How to use this glossary

Terms are grouped by topic. Use your browser's search to find a word fast. Some short forms mean different things to different clients. When a client uses a term differently, the client's meaning wins: add it to your campaign cheat sheet.

1. The industry and its players

Term	Meaning
Property preservation	Securing, maintaining and protecting empty homes tied to defaulted or lender-owned loans
Field services	The wider name for preservation, inspections and related work done at properties
Investor	The owner of the loan or its risk. Writes the rules, price limits and deadlines
Insurer	A government program or company that insures the loan and sets its own preservation rules
GSE	Government-sponsored enterprise. A large investor that buys and guarantees home loans and publishes preservation guidelines
FHA	Federal Housing Administration. A US government program that insures home loans. FHA loans follow their own preservation and conveyance rules
HUD	The US Department of Housing and Urban Development, which runs FHA. FHA properties are often conveyed (handed over) to HUD after foreclosure
VA and USDA	Other US government loan programs with their own rules
Private investor or trust	A non-government owner of loans with its own guideline
Servicer	The company that manages the loan for the investor and must protect empty properties
National preservation company	A large company that receives orders from servicers and sends them to local vendors across many states
Regional company	A smaller preservation company covering a few states, sometimes working under a national company
Vendor	A local contractor company that does preservation work
Field crew	The people who visit properties and do the work
Coordinator	The client's staff member who manages orders in an area and answers vendor questions
Back office	The team that processes orders, photos, bids and invoices. The Narqix Work Order Desk is a back office

2. Property and loan status

Term	Meaning
Default	The borrower stopped paying the loan as agreed
Foreclosure	The legal process where the lender takes the property back
Deed in lieu	The borrower gives the property to the lender to avoid foreclosure
REO	Real estate owned. A property now owned by the lender or investor after foreclosure
Pre-sale or pre-foreclosure	A property still owned by the borrower but in default; access may be limited
FTV	First time vacant. The date a property is first confirmed empty. Often starts investor deadlines
Occupied	Someone lives in the property. Crews must not enter without instructions
Vacant	Nobody lives there, confirmed by evidence
Abandoned	Vacant and left in poor condition, often with personal property inside
Conveyance	Handing over a property to the insurer (for FHA loans, to HUD) in exchange for the insurance claim
Conveyance condition	The required state of a property before handover: secured, winterized if needed, clean, lawn maintained, no unrepaired damage
Reconveyance	The insurer sends a property back because it did not meet conveyance condition
Mortgagee neglect	Damage caused by failure to preserve the property. Usually not reimbursed
Code violation	A local government notice that the property breaks a local rule (tall grass, trash, unsafe structure)

3. Orders and workflow

Term	Meaning
Work order (WO)	The instruction for one property: tasks, due date, special notes
Order number	The client's unique number for a work order
Client's portal	The client's website or app where orders arrive and updates are submitted
Work order platform	The vendor's own system that gathers orders from several clients in one place
Assignment	The client sends an order to a vendor
Acceptance	The vendor agrees to do the order
Commit date	The vendor's promised completion date
Due date	The date by which the update must be submitted
Dispatch	Sending an order to a specific field crew
Crew packet	The instructions, access codes and photo checklist sent to a crew
Update	The completed report: answers, photos, comments and bids
Completion	The order is fully done and submitted
Not completed	A task could not be done; must be reported with a reason and proof
Extension	A new, later due date granted by the client before the original date passes
Recurring order	A service repeated on a cycle (re-cuts, monthly inspections)
Grass cut list	A list of properties due for recurring cuts, kept by the vendor
Trip charge	A fee for a visit where the work could not be done (no access, occupied)
Special instructions	Notes on the order that override the standard checklist

4. Securing

Term	Meaning
Initial secure (initial services)	The first full visit after vacancy: locks, lockbox, photos, securing, winterization, grass, damage and debris check
Lock change	Replacing a lock with a new one
Rekey	Changing the pins inside an existing lock so a new key works
Key code	The client's standard key pattern so agents and contractors can enter
Lockbox	A combination box holding the property key
Padlock	A separate lock used on gates, sheds or hasps
Hasp	A metal plate and loop used with a padlock to secure a door or gate
Board-up	Covering a broken opening with plywood
Clear-board	Covering a broken opening with a clear polycarbonate panel
Opening	Any window, door or gap that could allow entry
Pool securing	Covering, treating and fencing a pool to prevent accidents
Sump pump	A basement pump that removes groundwater

5. Winter work

Term	Meaning
Winterization	Draining and protecting plumbing so it does not freeze
Dry winterization	Winterization of a normal water system with no boiler heating
Wet or steam winterization	Winterization that includes a boiler and hot water or steam heating
Radiant winterization	Winterization of radiant or in-floor heating, using glycol in the heating loop
Re-winterization	Repeating a winterization that was broken
Dewinterization	Reversing a winterization so the plumbing works again
Pressure test	An air test with a gauge to check pipes for leaks; gauge photos before and after
Antifreeze	Non-toxic plumbing antifreeze poured into every trap, visible by its colour in photos
Trap	The curved pipe under a drain that holds water; must get antifreeze
Winterization tag	A sticker on fixtures and panels warning not to turn on water
Freeze damage	Burst pipes or fixtures caused by freezing

6. Yard and cleaning

Term	Meaning
Initial cut	The first grass cut at a property, often of long grass
Re-cut	A repeat grass cut on the client's cycle
Yardstick photo	A photo with a measuring stick in the grass or snow to prove height or depth
Edging	Trimming grass along walks, driveways and borders
Shrub trim	Cutting bushes back from the house, windows and walks
Snow removal	Clearing snow and ice from walks, steps and driveways
Maid service	Cleaning a property, often to "broom swept" standard
Sales clean	A deeper clean to "marketable condition" for listing
Broom swept	Floors swept and loose debris removed

7. Debris and personal property

Term	Meaning
Debris	Trash and items with no value
Personal property	Items that may have value to the former occupant. Handled by client rules and state law
Trash-out (clean-out)	Removing debris (and personal property when instructed) from a property
Hazardous materials	Paint, chemicals, fuel, batteries, tyres and similar items needing special disposal
Disposal receipt (dump receipt)	Proof of where and how much debris was disposed
Load	One trip of a trailer or truck to the disposal site, numbered in photos
Inventory	A list and photos of personal property found

8. Measurements

Term	Meaning
CYD (cubic yard)	Volume unit for debris: 27 cubic feet (3 ft x 3 ft x 3 ft)
UI (united inches)	Width plus height of an opening in inches, used for boarding
Square feet (sq ft)	Area: length times width
Square (roofing)	100 square feet of roof
Linear feet (LF)	Length only, used for fences, gutters, rails
Lot size	The area of the land, in square feet or acres
Acre	43,560 square feet

9. Bids and money

Term	Meaning
Bid	A priced request for work not on the order or above the price limit
Allowable	The maximum amount the investor will reimburse for a task
Over-allowable	An amount above the allowable that needs approval
Price list (price matrix)	The client's list of prices it pays the vendor per task
Line item	One task on a bid or invoice
Second bid	An independent bid from another contractor, required for some items
Complete and bid after	Client rule allowing small overages to be done first and bid with proof after
Bid first	Client rule requiring approval before larger or riskier work
Approval	The client agrees to a bid, in full or part
Denial	The client refuses a bid
Counter-offer	The client approves a bid at a lower price or quantity
Invoice	The bill for approved, completed work
Remittance	The payment details showing which invoices were paid
Short pay	A payment smaller than the invoice
Deduction	An amount taken off a payment, for example for lateness
Chargeback	An amount taken back after payment, often weeks or months later
Dispute	A formal request to reverse a deduction, with proof
Aging report	A list of unpaid invoices grouped by how long they have been unpaid
Accounts receivable (AR)	Money owed to the vendor that has not yet been paid

10. Quality and review

Term	Meaning
QC	Quality control. Checking work against the standard before or after submission
Before, during, after	The three photo stages that prove each task
Same angle	Before and after photos taken from the same spot and direction
Address verification	Photos of the house front, house number and street sign
Elevation	One side of the house (front, left, right, rear)
Media slot (photo slot)	The place in the portal where a specific photo must be placed
Date stamp	The date and time printed on or stored in a photo
Geotag	Location data stored in a photo
Rejection (kickback)	The client returns an update for correction
Reopen	The client reopens an approved order because a problem was found later
Pending vendor	The order is waiting for the vendor to supply something
First-pass approval	An update approved the first time, with no rejection
Scorecard	The client's grade of a vendor's quality and timeliness. Higher grades usually mean more orders
Discoloration	Industry word for suspected mould, used because mould is not confirmed without testing
Property condition report (PCR)	A structured form describing the condition of a property

11. Vendor compliance

Term	Meaning
Onboarding	Collecting and checking documents before a vendor can receive orders
COI (certificate of insurance)	A document from the insurer showing the vendor's coverage, limits and dates
General liability	Insurance for damage or injury caused by the vendor's work
Workers' compensation	Insurance for injuries to the vendor's workers
Errors and omissions (E and O)	Insurance for professional mistakes, such as reporting errors
Additional insured	The client named on the vendor's policy so it is also protected
Named insured	The company the policy covers; must match the vendor's legal name
Background screening	A check on the vendor's people before they enter properties
Coverage area	The counties and ZIP codes a vendor serves
Hold	A status that stops new orders to a vendor until an issue is fixed
Recertification	Periodic renewal of a vendor's approval and documents

12. Other short forms you may see

Short form	Meaning
BPO	Broker price opinion: a property value estimate by a real estate agent. Not "business process outsourcing" in this industry
ETA	Estimated time of arrival
N/A	Not applicable
W/D	Window or door, depending on the client; confirm
B/A	Before and after
B/D/A	Before, during and after
ICC	Used differently by clients (for example conveyance-related repairs, or "initial cut and clean"). Always confirm the client's meaning

Check yourself

1. What is the difference between debris and personal property?

Debris is trash with no value. Personal property may have value to the former occupant and must be handled by the client's rules and state law.

2. What does "over-allowable" mean?

An amount above the maximum the investor will reimburse for a task. It needs approval.

3. A client note says "BPO needed". Does this mean outsourcing?

No. In this industry BPO usually means broker price opinion, a value estimate by a real estate agent.

4. What is a short pay, and how is it different from a chargeback?

A short pay is a payment smaller than the invoice. A chargeback is money taken back after a payment was already made.

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