Have you heard the word jargon? It means words or expressions that are used by a particular profession and are difficult for others to understand. Well, there’s plenty of construction jargon thrown around in our industry that can leave you feeling confused, even if you ARE a contractor. Don’t worry, STACK has provided a comprehensive list of construction terminology, from takeoff and estimating terms to general construction definitions, to act as your go-to resource!
Addendum – formal notification of a change in a construction project, part of the signed contract, and is a legal representation of the status of the project
Architect – a person who designs buildings and advises in their construction
CAD – Computer-Aided Design , a way to digitally create 2D drawings and 3D models of real-world products before they are manufactured
Contractor – a person who works under a contractual agreement to provide services, labor or materials to complete a construction project
Blueprints – a design plan, architectural drawings
BIM – Building Information Modeling, plan and visualize construction projects during preconstruction using space-use simulations and 3D visualizations
Bid – A hard number for job completion proposed during the competitive bidding process
CSI MasterFormat – master list of numbers and titles classified by work results, primarily used to organize project manuals and detailed cost information
Digital Plans – digital version of a blueprint
Dimension – a measure in one direction, one of three coordinates determining a position in space or four coordinates determining a position in space and time
Estimator – determines total cost of a construction project; responsible for takeoffs, markups, and overhead costs
Floorplan – a scale diagram of a room or suite of rooms viewed from above
General Contractor – GC, construction manager responsible for daily management of the job site, all vendors, and subcontractors, and the primary communicator to everyone involved during a building project
Owner – owns the construction job site; responsible for liability, contracts, and approvals
Subcontractor – businesses or individuals that carry out work for a contractor as part of the larger contracted project
Trade Contractor – a type of subcontractor that specializes in a specific type of skilled construction (I.e., concrete, painting, electrical)
Zoning – process of partitioning a city, town, or borough into zones reserved for different purposes
Area – surface included within a set of lines (ex: a floor)
Linear – a straight line, single dimension (ex: baseboards)
Count – the number of units (ex: outlets)
OC (On Center) – the distance between the center of one framing member to the center of the next member
Pitched Area – degree of slope in an area (ex: a sloped roof)
Pitched Linear – d egree of slope in a pitched line (ex: a hip on a sloped roof)
Surface Area – the amount of space covering the outside of a three-dimensional shape (ex: drywall)
Takeoff – the process where contractors determine how much of each material they will need to complete a project
Volume 2D – the amount of space occupied by the object or shape, which is in two-dimensional space (ex: a parking lot)
Volume 3D – the amount of space occupied by the object or shape, which is in three-dimensional space (ex: a concrete footer)
Assemblies – a prebuilt group of items for a takeoff (STACK Help Center: What is an Assembly ?)
Bid Leveling – the process of taking each bid and organizing information for the client to view and easily understand
Invitation to Bid (ITB) – a solicitation for contractors to submit a proposal for a specific service to complete a project
Items – a specific material, equipment, labor, or subcontracting cost (STACK Help Center: What is an item ?)
Net Profit – Selling price, less extended cost and overhead markup
Non-Measured Costs – the cost of items not requiring measurement (ex: equipment rental and labor)
Markup – The percentage difference between cost and the sale price for material and labor required for construction
Overhead – The ongoing cost of running your business that can’t be easily traced back to a project, for example office space rent or payroll services
Profit – The income generated for the business owner over and above the project cost, expressed as a percentage of the total project cost after adding overhead and markup
Proposal – a written offer from a bidder to the owner to perform the work and to furnish all labor, materials, equipment and/or services for the prices and terms quoted
RSMeans – a database of construction-related costs
Tax – Mandatory charges imposed by the government
Waste – a predicted percentage of materials added to a takeoff to cover unexpected issues
As Builts – documents that allow a compare and contrast between the designed versus final specifications
Budget – the amount of money designated for a specific building or remodeling project
Building Code – a collection of regulations adopted by a city to govern the construction of buildings
Building Permit – an official approval issued by the local government agency that allows you or your contractor to proceed with a construction project
Building Inspector – a government employee who reviews plans and visits construction sites to ensure all local and national building codes and regulations are being met
Change Order – an amendment to a construction contract that changes the contractor’s scope of work
Certificate of Occupancy – a document that’s issued by a local zoning or building department stating that a home or property is suitable for occupancy
Concrete Contractor– specially trained and experienced people who can h andle concrete in its different stages starting from the unmixed combination to the hard-finished foundation
Construction Management Software – a project management platform that helps companies with processes like budget management, communication, decision-making, and job scheduling
Cost Code – a group of individual costs based on their nature or function
Daily Construction Report – a record of field notes, including work completed, weather conditions, and materials delivered or used onsite
Design-Bid-Build – Project delivery method where the project owner contracts two separate companies to design and build the project
Design-Build – Project delivery method where the project owner hires one company to both design and build the project
Document Control – controlled process for the creation, review, modification, issuance, distribution, and accessibility of construction documents
Egress – an unobstructed path to leave buildings, structures, and spaces
Elevation – the height of something
Engineer – professionals who invent , design , analyze, build and test machines , complex systems , structures , gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the limitations imposed by practicality, regulation, safety and cost
Fabrication – item that is manufactured by a fabricator for installation on a building site as part of an ongoing construction project
Footprint – the perimeter of a building at the outer edge of the outside walls of the building, including cantilevered portions of a building
General Conditions – the costs incurred during a project that generally don’t involve swinging a hammer or installing something permanently in your home
HVAC – HVAC stands for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning; HVAC refers to the different systems used for moving air between indoor and outdoor areas, along with heating and cooling both residential and commercial buildings
Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) – a type of project delivery method where there is a contract between the project stakeholders that outlines project risks and responsibilities of each part
Interior Finish – the final part of an interior construction process, forming the final surface of an interior wall, ceiling, or floor
Job Costing – an accounting method designed to track individual projects
Lean Construction – a method of production aimed at reducing costs, materials, time, and effort
Low Bid – a contract awarded to the lowest-priced, most responsive bid
Lump Sum Contract – the project owner provides specific specifications for the work and the contractor provides a fixed price for the project
Masonry – the building of structures from individual units, which are often laid in and bound together by mortar
Meeting Notes – current status and track of entire project including important discussions, resolved issues and the people who attended the meeting can give a better view of your project
MEP (M echanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) – MEP engineering is the science and art of planning, designing and managing the MEP systems of a building
OSHA – Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to ensure safe and healthful working conditions for workers by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance
Plumbing – the system of pipes, tanks, fittings, and other apparatus required for the water supply, heating, and sanitation in a building
Potential Change Order – an informal change order to track a work condition that has potential to be over the contract
Private-Public Partnership (P3) – collaboration between a government agency and a private-sector company that can be used to finance, build, and operate projects
Project Management – directing and organizing each part of a construction project life cycle
Punch List – a document showing work still needed to be complete on a construction project
RFI (Request for Information) – a formal written process in which parties clarify information gaps in construction documents
Roofer – a person who constructs or repairs roofs
Sitework – the process in which a construction site is prepared for the construction job
Submittals – refers to a document provided by a contractor to the architect for an approval of use
Transmittal – a document or proof of what was sent, when it was sent, and who it was sent to, documenting the flow of information in a project
Workers’ Compensation – a form of insurance providing wage replacement and medical benefits to employees injured in the course of employment; expressed as a percentage of labor cost
Now that you’re an expert in construction terminology, put it to use in the office and the field! Create your free STACK account today!