Glossary
Plain-English construction glossary for homeowners
Construction has its own language, and most of the confusion homeowners feel is really vocabulary. These are the terms you are most likely to meet, explained the way you would want them explained on site.
- Variation
- An agreed change to the works set out in your original quote or contract. It can add cost or reduce it, and it should be recorded in writing before the work happens.Understanding variations
- Provisional sum
- An allowance in a quote for work that could not be priced accurately at the time. It is replaced by the real cost once the scope is known, so the figure will change.When costs increase
- Prime cost item
- An allowance for a product you had not yet chosen, such as tiles, sanitaryware or a kitchen. Choosing something dearer or cheaper adjusts the contract sum.
- Payment schedule
- The agreed plan of when money is paid and what each payment covers. The clearest schedules describe stages both sides can look at and agree have been reached.Before you pay
- Staged payment
- A payment tied to a defined point of progress rather than to a date. 'Foundations complete and inspected' is a stage; 'week four' is not.What to check before paying
- Retention
- A small proportion of the contract sum held back for a period after completion, released once agreed defects and snagging items have been put right.Snagging and final payment
- Snagging
- Identifying and listing minor defects and unfinished items near the end of a project so they can be corrected before completion is agreed.Snagging checklist
- Practical completion
- The point at which the works are finished enough for you to occupy and use them, apart from minor snagging items. It usually triggers the final payment and starts any defects period.
- Building control
- The statutory check that work complies with the Building Regulations — structure, drainage, insulation, ventilation, fire and safety. It does not assess the standard of decorative finishes.Raising quality concerns
- Party wall
- A shared wall or boundary structure. Certain works to or near one require notice to your neighbour under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, and sometimes a formal award.
- Scope of works
- The written description of exactly what the builder is going to do. Disputes about extra cost are usually really disputes about what the scope said.What should be in a quote
- Exclusions
- The list of things a quote deliberately does not cover. Reading the exclusions is often more informative than reading the price.
- Contingency
- A sum you set aside for the unforeseen. It belongs to you, not to the builder, and it is spent only on decisions you agree.
- Final account
- The closing arithmetic of the job: the original contract sum, plus agreed variations, less omissions and credits, less what you have already paid.Settling the final account
- Handover pack
- The bundle of certificates, warranties, guarantees and manuals you should receive at completion. Ask for it before the last payment, not after.
- Defect
- Work that does not meet the agreed specification, the regulations or reasonable workmanship standards. Different from a matter of taste or an item simply not yet finished.Quality concerns
- Warranty
- A promise to put certain things right for a defined period. Check who gives it, what it covers, how long it lasts and how a claim is made.
- Programme
- The plan of when each stage happens. A useful programme names the remaining stages with dates, not just a single completion date.When a project is delayed
- Quote
- A fixed price for a defined scope of work. Different from an estimate, which is an informed guess that can change without a variation.Comparing quotes
- Specification
- The detail of what is being used and to what standard: materials, products, finishes and workmanship. It is what a quality concern is ultimately measured against.