Construction Terms Explained in Plain English

Every job has a moment when the owner nods along to a word and quietly wonders what it meant. We would rather you ask. These are the terms you will hear from us on a walk or on a monthly bill, defined the way we use them.

Words about the finish line

Substantial completion: the day the space can be used for what it was built for, even if a few small items remain. Rent, warranties and the countdown to opening usually key off this date, so we plan the whole job backward from it.

Certificate of occupancy: the city's written permission to occupy the building. A temporary version, the TCO, lets you move in or open while minor items are finished. No CO, no opening, so it sits at the top of our closeout list.

Punch walk: the walk we take with you near the end, marking every scuff, gap and unfinished item on a list and then clearing it. On our jobs a principal of the company walks it beside you.

Closeout documents: the folder you get at turnover: warranties, as-built drawings, operating manuals, final lien waivers and inspection records. Ask for it before the last check.

Retainage: a percentage held back from each payment until the work is finished and the punch list is cleared. It is the owner's protection that the last items get done.

Words about the schedule

Long-lead item: anything that takes weeks or months to arrive after it is ordered: switchgear, custom millwork, storefront glass, hotel casegoods. We order these first because a late long-lead item can hold an opening hostage.

Mobilization: the days when fencing, temporary power, a dumpster and the first crew arrive. The schedule clock starts here.

Rough-in: pipes, wires and ducts installed inside walls and ceilings before they are closed. Inspectors look at rough-in before drywall goes up, and so do we.

Words about the paperwork

Submittal: the product data, samples or shop drawings we send the architect to confirm that what we intend to install matches the design. Tile, paint colors, door hardware and casegoods all pass through this step.

RFI (request for information): a written question to the design team when the drawings are unclear or conflict. A fast RFI turnaround keeps crews working.

Schedule of values: the contract price broken into line items by trade or area. Each monthly bill measures progress against it.

Pay application: our monthly invoice, showing work in place, stored materials and retainage held.

General conditions: the cost of running the job itself: supervision, temporary utilities, cleanup, safety, the site office. It is a real line, not overhead hidden in the trades.

Words about hotels, stores and interiors

PIP (property improvement plan): the list of upgrades a hotel brand requires before it will keep or grant a flag. We treat the PIP deadline as the opening date and build the schedule to it.

FF&E: furniture, fixtures and equipment. Beds, casegoods, lighting, artwork, shelving, kitchen equipment. Receiving, staging, installing and punching FF&E is its own trade, and our own crews do it.

Means and methods: how we choose to build what the drawings show. The architect owns the design. We own how it gets built.

If a word on our proposal is not on this list, call the owner on the job and ask. Send your plans over and we will walk you through the rest in plain English.