31 Construction Terms Everyone Should Understand

Whether you are a renovation professional or a homeowner seeking to upgrade your home, knowing common construction terms is important. You will have to deal with all kinds of construction professionals, contractors and tradespeople, and knowing how to communicate with them effectively is key. Here are some terms you should know:

1. ABS Trimming is a way of concealing the seams/joint lines between the edges of two surfaces, very often seen on the edges of carpentry door panels.

2. Beam is a structural element of a building, and must not be tampered with unless certified by a Professional Engineer.

3. Bill of Quantities (BOQ) is a document that is used to calculate a the cost and material quantities for a project.

4. Building code is a list of government regulations that must be met. Condominiums will often have an additional set of requirements that you must meet on top of government regulations.

5. Casement describes a door or window that swings using vertically-mounted hinges (unlike ones that slide or fold). 

6. Computer Aided Drawings (CAD) are technical drawings that are generated on CAD software like AutoCAD. 

7. Cornices decorative moldings that are placed along walls, positioned slightly beneath the ceiling, and they assist in producing a smoother and more sophisticated transition between the two surfaces. Cornices can also serve the purpose of hiding the sliding mechanisms of windows and doors to achieve a more streamlined appearance.

8. Cement is a grey, powdery substance that is an ingredient in concrete, mortar, and other construction mixtures. 

9. Concrete is a mixture of cement, sand, and stone in various proportions, with carefully measured amounts of water. 

10. Cure (concrete) is the chemical process during which concrete hardens or sets.

11. Design & Build is a type of construction where the design and construction of the project is handled by one team, versus having a designer/architect/project manager who manages a separately hired construction team.

12. Defects Liability Period (DLP) refers to the duration during which your recently renovated home is protected by warranty. Within this timeframe, any identified flaws, as well as the associated repair expenses, are the responsibility of your interior designer/contractor.

13. Elevation is a term that refers to the side view of something.

14. Formwork are temporary structures in which concrete is poured into on site. Once the concrete cures, the formwork is removed. 

15. Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) describes anything to do with ventilation and air conditioning.

16. Lump sum is a price quoted where there is one price for all the specified work (vs a unit rate).

17. Load-bearing wall is a structural wall essential to the building that cannot be removed or tampered with unless certified by a Professional Engineer.

18. Masonry refers to any brick, stone, cement or tiling work. 

19. Milestone is a major point in the construction process (eg, once tiling work is complete). 

20. Non-bearing wall is usually an interior wall that is not structural and can be removed.

21. Optional Component Scheme (OCS) is an opt-in initiative by HDB that lets you outfit your home with a number of basic finishes and fittings and includes things like doors, floor finishes and bathroom fittings.

22. Project manager is a professional whose role is to ensure that work is completed correctly and on time. 

23. Progress report is a record of how much work was completed during a particular time frame (usually day or week).

24. Single/Double-Leaf is a term that is used to describe the number of panels that a door or window has.

25. Scope of work (SOW) is the document that gives details on what kinds of work are to be done and in what time frame. 

26. Section drawing is a drawing that cuts through an object or building to show what it would look like inside. 

27. Skirtings are usually pieces of wood or tile that run along the base of a wall. They are usually some sort of wood or tile that hide the joint lines between the floor and wall and also protect the wall from accidental knocks or scratches.

28. Specifications are a document to describe how each part of the construction project will be completed and with which materials. 

29. Sub-contractors are tradespeople / companies that are in charge of handling specific renovation works on the ground (e.g. plumbing, masonry, air-conditioning).

30. Variation Order / Change Order is a formal change to the works and can include both additions as well as omissions to the scope/cost of the project.

31. Voids refer to gaps or spaces.

Hopefully, these definitions will help you to make a little more sense of construction terminology. If you would like to streamline your quotation process, we would love to get in touch to show you how Offset can make running your renovation business so much easier.