Glossary
Glossary
Words you will hear around a home project, in one plain sentence each.
A
- Addendum
- A written change or addition to an agreement, signed by both sides.
- Air sealing
- Closing gaps where air leaks in or out of a home.
- Allowance
- A set amount in an estimate for items not yet chosen, such as tile or lighting.
B
- Building department
- The local office that reviews plans, issues permits and inspects work.
C
- Change order
- A written record of a change to the scope, with its price and schedule effect.
- Code
- The set of local rules for how buildings must be built and altered.
- Contingency
- Money set aside, apart from the main budget, for surprises found during work.
D
- Deposit
- An up-front payment. Limits and customs vary by state.
E
- Easement
- A legal right for someone else to use part of your property, such as a utility line.
- Estimate
- A written, approximate price for described work. May or may not be fixed.
- Exclusion
- Something the price does not include.
F
- Flashing
- Thin material, usually metal, that keeps water out at joints on a roof or around windows.
- Footing
- The base that spreads the weight of a deck or wall into the ground.
I
- Inspection
- A check by the local authority that work meets code at a set stage.
L
- License
- Official permission to work in a trade, where a state or locality requires it.
- Lien
- A legal claim against property for unpaid work or materials. Rules vary by state.
P
- Permit
- Official approval from the local authority to carry out certain work.
- Punch list
- A written list of small items left to finish or fix at the end of a project.
R
- R-value
- A measure of how well insulation resists heat flow. Higher means more resistance.
S
- Scope of work
- The written description of the tasks included in a project.
- SHGC
- Solar heat gain coefficient: how much of the sun's heat a window lets in.
- Soft costs
- Project costs other than materials and labor, such as permits and design.
- Subcontractor
- A tradesperson hired by the main contractor for part of the work.
T
- Thermal break
- A barrier in a metal frame that slows heat moving through it.
U
- U-factor
- A measure of how well a window keeps heat in or out. Lower is better.
W
- Warranty
- A written promise about the work or product, with its length and limits.
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