What amount of chipping, chalking, and peeling paint on the exterior of a target home is above de minimus?

• A. 10 square feet
• B. 20 square feet
• C. 40 square feet
• D. 5 square feet

Answer: (B)

In NSPIRE, de minimis refers to a small amount of defect that’s considered negligible, so it doesn’t require remediation documentation. For exterior paint issues, the standard sets a threshold: when the area of chipping, chalking, or peeling reaches 20 square feet or more, it’s considered above de minimis and must be noted as a deficiency and addressed. That’s why 20 square feet is the correct choice—the point at which the defect moves from negligible to significant under the inspection criteria. Smaller areas (5 or 10 square feet) would be below this threshold, and while a much larger area like 40 square feet is also above the threshold, the question is identifying the threshold value itself.