Term of the Week: Hold Point
What It Means
A hold point (sometimes called an inspection hold or scope gate) is a written instruction in a repair estimate or scope of work that requires work to pause at a specified stage so that a designated party — the adjuster, an engineer, a third-party consultant — can inspect conditions before the next phase of work begins.
Common examples in property claims:
- After debris removal, before floor or wall repair begins — to confirm substrate condition
- After demo of water-damaged drywall, before cavity drying is closed — to confirm moisture readings are acceptable
- After roof sheathing removal, before re-sheathing — to confirm rafter and ridge condition
- After rack or equipment removal, before wall work — to inspect anchor points and hidden moisture
Why It Matters
Most supplements exist because something was covered up before anyone looked at it. A hold point converts that risk into a scheduled inspection — a small delay with a defined outcome, instead of a reopened file with an undefined one.
Hold points are standard practice in construction and engineering project management. In property claims, they are underused. The common objection is cycle time: stopping work adds days. That is true. Reopening a closed file adds weeks or months, plus the overhead of a second adjustment, potential litigation exposure, and insured dissatisfaction.
How to Use It
Write hold points explicitly into your estimate notes or scope narrative: "Work to pause after debris removal from storage room floor. Adjuster to inspect substrate condition and confirm scope before floor repair authorized." Communicate the hold point to the contractor before work begins — not after. A contractor who covers a floor before the hold point inspection has not necessarily done anything wrong; they followed the sequence they were given.
The Claim Application
On any loss where a key surface is inaccessible at the time of initial scope — buried under debris, behind equipment, above a suspended ceiling — a hold point is not optional caution. It is the correct scope methodology. Estimating what you cannot see is a guess. Scheduling a look is a process.