Glossary of Terms

Allowance(s) - A sum of money which is set aside in the construction contract for items which have not yet been selected or specified in the construction contract. For example, selection of certain flooring may require an allowance for an underlayment material, or an electrical allowance which sets aside an amount of money to be spent on electrical fixtures.

CO- An abbreviation for "Certificate of Occupancy". This certificate is issued by the local municipality and is required before anyone can occupy and live within the home. It is issued only after the local municipality has made all inspections and all monies and fees have been paid.

Contractor- A company licensed to perform certain types of construction activities. Some of the specialty contractor licenses involve extensive training, testing and/or insurance requirements. There are various types of contractors:   

• General contractor - responsible for the execution, supervision and overall coordination of a project and may also perform some of the individual construction tasks. Most general contractors are not licensed to perform all specialty trades and must hire specialty contractors for such tasks, e.g. electrical, plumbing.  
• Remodeling contractor - a general contractor who specializes in remodeling work.  
• Specialty contractor - licensed to perform a specialty task e.g. electrical, side sewer, asbestos abatement.  
• Sub contractor - a general or specialty contractor who works for another general contractor.

Drywall, Sheet rock or Plasterboard- A manufactured panel made out of gypsum plaster and encased in a thin cardboard. Usually 1/2" thick and 4' x 8' or 4' x 12' in size. The panels are nailed or screwed onto the framing and the joints are taped and covered with a 'joint compound'. 'Green board' type drywall has a greater resistance to moisture than regular (white) plasterboard and is used in bathrooms and other "wet areas".

Easement- A formal contract which allows a party to use another party's property for a specific purpose. e.g. A sewer easement might allow one party to run a sewer line through a neighbors property.

Electrical Rough- Work performed by the Electrical Contractor after the plumber and heating contractor are complete their phase of work. Normally all electrical wires, and outlets, switches, and fixture boxes are installed before insulation.

Electrical Trim- Work performed by the electrical contractor when the house is nearing completion. The electrician installs all plugs, switches, light fixtures, smoke detectors, appliances, bath ventilation fans, wires the furnace, and wires the electric house panel. The electrician does all work necessary to get the home ready for and to pass the municipal electrical final inspection

Forced Air Heating - A common form of heating with natural gas, propane, oil or electricity as a fuel. Air is heated in the furnace and distributed through a set of metal ducts to various areas of the house.

Framer-The Carpenter Contractor that installs the lumber and erects the frame, flooring system, interior walls, backing, trusses, rafters, decking, installs all beams, stairs, and all work related to the wood structure of the home. The framer builds the home according to the blueprints and must comply with local building codes and regulations.

Heat Rough- Work performed by the Heating Contractor after the stairs and interior walls are built. This includes installing all duct work and flue pipes. Sometimes, the furnace and fireplaces are installed at this stage of construction.

Heat Trim- Work done by the Heating Contractor to get the home ready for the municipal Final Heat Inspection. This includes venting the hot water heater, installing all vent grills, registers, air conditioning services, turning on the furnace, installing thermostats, venting ranges and hoods, and all other heat related work.

I-beam- A steel beam with a cross section resembling the letter I. It is used for long spans as basement beams or over wide wall openings, such as a double garage door, when wall and roof loads bear down on the opening.

I-joist- Manufactured structural building component resembling the letter "I". Used as floor joists and rafters. I-joists include two key parts: flanges and webs. The flange of the I joist may be made of laminated veneer lumber or dimensional lumber, usually formed into a 1 ½" width. The web or center of the I-joist is commonly made of plywood or oriented strand board (OSB). Large holes can be cut in the web to accommodate duct work and plumbing waste lines. I-joists are available in lengths up to 60 feet long

Load bearing wall- Includes all exterior walls and any interior wall that is aligned above a support beam or girder.

Millwork- Generally all building materials made of finished wood and manufactured in millwork plants. Includes doors, window and door frames, blinds, mantels, panelwork, stairway components (ballusters, rail, etc.), moldings, and interior trim. Does not include flooring, ceiling, or siding.

Penalty clause - A provision in a contract that provides for a reduction in the amount otherwise payable under a contract to a contractor as a penalty for failure to meet deadlines or for failure of the project to meet contract specifications.

Plumbing rough- Work performed by the plumbing contractor after the Rough Heat is installed. This work includes installing all plastic ABS drain and waste lines, copper water lines, bath tubs, shower pans, and gas piping to furnaces and fireplaces

Recording fee - A charge for recording the transfer of a property, paid to a city, county, or other appropriate branch of government.

Scratch coat- The first coat of plaster or stucco, which is scratched to form a bond for a second coat.

Steel inspection- A municipal and/or engineers inspection of the concrete foundation wall, conducted before concrete is poured into the foundation panels. This is done to insure that the rebar (reinforcing bar), rebar nets, void material, beam pocket plates, and basement window bucks are installed and wrapped with rebar and complies with the foundation plan.

Stud- A vertical wood framing member, also referred to as a wall stud, attached to the horizontal sole plate below and the top plate above. One of a series of wood or metal vertical structural members placed as supporting elements in walls and partitions.

Tempered- Tempered glass will not shatter nor create shards, but will "pelletize" like an automobile window. This type of glass is required in tub and shower enclosures, entry door glass and sidelight glass, and in a windows when the window sill is less than 16" to the floor.

Trim-

Interior- The finish materials in a building, such as moldings applied around openings or at the floor and ceiling of rooms. Also, the physical work of installing interior doors and interior woodwork, to include all handrails, guardrails, stair way balustrades, mantles, light boxes, base, door casings, cabinets, countertops, shelves, window sills and aprons, etc.

Exterior- The finish materials on the exterior a building, such as moldings applied around openings (window trim, door trim), siding, windows, exterior doors, attic vents, crawl space vents, shutters, etc. Also, the physical work of installing these materials

Utility easement- The area near the home structure that houses the electric, gas, or telephone lines. These areas may be owned by the homeowner, but the utility company has the legal right to enter the area as necessary to repair or service the lines.

Valley- The "V" shaped area of a roof where two sloping roofs meet. Water drains off the roof at the valleys.

Walk-Through- A final inspection of a home before "Closing" to look for and document problems that need to be corrected.

Water table- The location of the underground water, and the vertical distance from the surface of the earth to this underground water.