The sub-section editor
A sub-section is the inspection unit: it is what the inspector fills in for a given building component (Foundations, Load-bearing walls, Water supply system, etc.). Its base configuration — name, canonical category, behavior options — determines how it appears in an inspection and how it behaves. This page covers that configuration.
Access
Click a sub-section in the template editor sidebar, or its card from the parent section’s editor.
Main view
The editor shows at the top the name of the sub-section being edited + a red 🗑 Delete the sub-section button. Below the title, several blocks follow. This page covers the metadata block (the top block). The other blocks (Inspection Status, Inspection Elements, Narrative Configuration) are covered in GR.6 to GR.8.
Name (FR) / Name (EN)
The two bilingual sub-section titles. The name appears in the inspector’s sidebar, in the table of contents, and as section title in the report.
Tip: stay descriptive and concise. Prefer “Load-bearing walls and partitions” to “Vertical building support components”.
Canonical category
Text field that associates the sub-section with a standardized component in the Lumos repository. Examples observed in the BNQ:
structure.foundation— Foundationsstructure.floor_slab— Floor slabsstructure.load_bearing_walls— Load-bearing wallsroofing.structure— Roof structureplumbing.water_supply— Water supply system
What it does
The AI suggests relevant narratives from the Bank during inspection writing based on the canonical category. If you have a sub-section “My Special Foundations” with category structure.foundation, the AI will suggest the same narratives as for a standard Foundations sub-section.
How to choose it
Click in the Canonical category field to open the Choose a category modal. This modal shows:
- A search field.
- A list of category families organized hierarchically with a counter of the number of categories in each family. Families observed: ACCESS, ACCESSIBILITY, APPLIANCES, ATTIC, AUX_HEAT, BASEMENT, COMMERCIAL, COMMON, ELECTRICAL, ENV, EXTERIOR, FIRE_PROTECTION, FIXTURES, GARAGE, HVAC, INSULATION, INTERIOR, PLUMBING, POOL, ROOFING, SAFETY, SEPTIC, SITE, STRUCTURE, UNIT.
Click a family to see its specific categories, then select the matching one.
The AI can suggest a category based on the context of the section and sub-section you are editing. If you name your sub-section “Sump Pump” in the Plumbing section, the AI will propose the right category automatically.
The list of categories is closed and determined by Lumos. You cannot create a new one. If no category fits perfectly, choose the closest one — the AI still works, just with slightly less precise suggestions.
The 4 checkboxes
Below the name and category fields, four options that control the sub-section’s behavior in the inspection.
Optional
Determines whether the inspector sees a toggle to enable/disable the sub-section in the inspection.
- ✓ Checked — a toggle appears in the inspection. The inspector can enable or disable the sub-section based on the property.
- ✗ Unchecked — the sub-section is always present, no toggle.
Enabled by default
Determines the initial state when the inspector starts an inspection.
- ✓ Checked — the sub-section is ON by default.
- ✗ Unchecked — the sub-section is OFF by default.
Optional × Enabled by default combination
The two options combine into four behaviors:
| Optional | Enabled by default | What the inspector sees |
|---|---|---|
| ✓ | ✓ | Sub-section ON by default, toggle visible — can be disabled. |
| ✓ | ✗ | Sub-section OFF by default, toggle visible — can be enabled. |
| ✗ | ✓ | Sub-section always ON, no toggle — mandatory. |
| ✗ | ✗ | Sub-section always OFF, no toggle — effectively hidden in the template. |
The two combinations actually used in practice:
- Optional + Enabled by default — sub-sections almost always relevant but not systematically (Garage, Basement, Heating system). Inspector flips off if absent.
- Optional + Not enabled by default — rare or specialized sub-sections (Pool, Septic, Solar). Inspector flips on only when the property has it.
Cloneable
- ✓ Checked — the inspector can duplicate the sub-section within an inspection.
- ✗ Unchecked — the sub-section is unique in the inspection.
Useful for sub-sections that may repeat on the same property: e.g. Bathroom (a house may have 2 or 3), Fireplace (multiple in a country home), Unit in a duplex.
Visible in the report
- ✓ Checked (default) — the sub-section appears in the generated report.
- ✗ Unchecked — the sub-section stays in the inspection (the inspector fills it) but does not appear in the final report.
Rare use case: sub-section used for internal notes or checklist items you don’t want to expose to the client.
Enable ‘No deficiency observed’
- ✓ Checked (default) — a “No deficiency observed” message appears in the report when the inspector hasn’t entered any narrative on this sub-section.
- ✗ Unchecked — no automatic message. A sub-section with no narrative just has nothing in the report.
Checking this option is reassuring for the client: they explicitly see that you inspected and found nothing rather than wondering whether you just forgot.
Saving
Changes to the metadata are recorded at the next click on Save in the header.