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Building Terms

Building term definitions, organised by category:

Above ground level: Higher than ground level. Pertaining to work carried out after a building is out of the ground.; Top
Abutment: Where a roof slope and a wall that rises above it meet.; Top
Accreditation: An approval granted by a recognised authority, e.g. FMB.; Top
Active fire protection: Devices to warn/extinguish fires, such as sprinklers, alarms, fire detectors, heat detectors and smoke detectors. They require regular inspection and maintenance, and often need standby power.; Top
Act of God Force majeure.: A term used to describe the occurrence of something generally unforeseeable and beyond the control of interested parties. Typically used in contracts, insurance documents etc.; Top
Bills of quantities: A set of description of the materials and labour needed for construction work. Bills of quantities are prepared by a quantity surveyor for tendering purposes. They provide a common basis for contractors when estimating prices, as well as in the settlement of the final account.; Top
BWIC: Builder's work in connection. Work that needs to be done to order to allow for work to be done by other trades, e.g. making penetrations to allow for pipes etc. Builder's work in connection is usually done by the main contractor.; Top
Building control: The process through consultation and inspection to ensure building regulations are complied with. It is carried out by the local authority and there is usually a charge applied.; Top
Building regulations: Laws in Britain made under the Building Act 1984. They control the layout and materials used in buildings to ensure the strength and durability of the fabric as well as the health and safety of the occupants, particularly in a fire.; Top
Cavity wall: A wall of consisting of two leaves (a wall usually a half brick thick) with a 50 mm wide cavity between two leaves. The cavity prevents rainwater from reaching the inner leaf and is filled with insulating material. The two brick or block leaves are held together by wall ties. Any rainwater that penetrates the outer leaf escapes through weepholes.; Top
Conditions of contract: A contract document which describes contract matters in detail. It can have many clauses, covering rights and obligations of interested parties, usually taken from a standard form of contract.; Top
Contingency sum: A provisional amount in bills of quantities for unforeseeable work.; Top
Damp proof course: A strip of impervious material the same width as a brickwork or blockwork wall. It is necessary in order to exclude rising damp, and also to divert rain through weepholes out of a cavity wall.; Top
Direct labour: Tradesmen and labourers employed immediately by the client or his agent, without the involvement of a contractor.; Top
Direct supply: Water taken directly from the mains and used for drinking water, unvented hot-water systems, etc. It is not diverted via a cistern.; Top
Domestic sub-contractor: A sub-contractor selected by the contractor; Top
Dry lining: A lining to the inside of a building made of any panel product or plasterboard or wallboard.; Top
Engineering brick: A clay brick of high compressive strength and low water absorption.; Top
Estimate: The probable cost of project, usually arrived at using bills of quantities and applying a margin.; Top
Feed: The supply of water to a boiler, etc.; Top
Fixer: A tradesman who installs objects in place on site, kitchens, stairs etc.; Top
Fix only: To install objects supplied and delivered to site by the client.; Top
Fixture: Anything built in and permanently attached to the fabric of a building. Its removal is usually prevented by law, although what are fixtures and what are fittings may need to be agreed between landlord and tenant.; Top
Foundation: The part of a building which sits on the ground to support the structure above it.; Top
Hot work: Work using a naked flame or heat-producing equipment. Soldering, welding etc.; Top
HSE: The Health and Safety Executive.; Top
Insulation: Material that controls the transfer of energy, to reduce heat loss/gain in winter/summer. Also material that provides fire protection.; Top
Job specification: The detailed description of work and materials for a particular project.; Top
Joiner: A craftsman who makes joinery working mainly in the good conditions of a joinery shop. The work is finer than that of a carpenter.; Top
Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT): The body which publishes several different standard forms of contract for building works.; Top
K value: A reference to the amount of heat that passes through unit area (m2) of a material of unit thickness (m) for unit temperature difference (°C).; Top
Lagging: Insulation on the outside of pipes or tanks to reduce heat loss from warm surfaces, or on cold surfaces to reduce heat gain and condensation.; Top
Levelling compound: A screed applied to smooth out and level a surface before laying of a floor finish, typically tiles or linoleum.; Top
Loadbearing wall: Any wall that supports the structure above it. The removal of any wall is subject to calculations provided by a structural engineer and approval from the local authority building control.; Top
London stock brick: A yellowish clay brick hand-made of London clay mixed with ground chalk.; Top
Main contractor.: The contractor who has the main contract with the client and is thus responsible for all work on site, including that of sub-contractors. This is typically facilitated through a site foreman.; Top
Nominated sub-contractor: A company nominated by the client, not the main contractor. They are directly responsible to the client, not to the main contractor.; Top
Nominated supplier: A supplier selected by the client.; Top
Non-return valve: A plumbing fitting inserted into a water supply pipe to prevent backflow and possible contamination.; Top
Overheads: The costs of utilities, accounting, director's fees, etc., which cannot fairly be charged to one job and must therefore be distributed as a percentage over the flat cost of all items in a contract.; Top
Paint system: A succession of coats built up to protect a surface and give a decorative finish. Paint systems include the primer, undercoats, and final coats, which must be compatible.; Top
Partition: A non-loadbearing wall separating two rooms.; Top
Party wall: A separating wall.; Top
Planning: details of internal and external layout compiled generally by an architect. Planning approval must be sought from the local authority before certain types of work can be commenced.; Top
Practical completion: The stage at which a project is ready for handover. It must be reasonably fit for occupation, and minor defects may still be put right provided they cause no inconvenience to the owner. The issue of the certificate of practical completion starts the defects liability period, although it is not uncommon for the commissioning of services to continue for some time afterwards.; Top
Pre-contract stage: The time before work begins on site. Tendering, sub-contracting, pre-ordering etc.; Top
Preliminaries: The project administration and site equipment required for work to go ahead or to be properly completed, but not part of the work. The cost of preliminaries is often partly reimbursed by an advance. This typically includes office overheads, giving notices, paying fees, taking out insurance, removing rubbish etc.; Top
PC: Prime cost. An item in bills of quantities for which a price is already stated, usually for materials to be obtained from a nominated supplier for fix only. The contractor is reimbursed the amount to be paid, plus an allowance for profit, and keeps any 2.5% discount allowed for prompt settlement of accounts.; Top
Provisional sum: An amount of money in bills of quantities to provide for items or work for which an exact price cannot be obtained or which will be subject to re-appraisal.; Top
Rendering: Plastering with render. Externally it is used to provide resistance to rainwater and a decorative finish which may be painted. Internally it is used to provide an undercoat for finish plaster or to receive tiles.; Top
Rising damp: The movement by capillary action of water up a wall from the ground. A damp proof course is employed to prevent this.; Top
Skim coat: A final coat of plaster or render, prior to decoration.; Top
Snagging: Completing or making good any defects.; Top
Snagging list: A schedule of defects.; Top
Special attendance: Use of the main contractor's plant or equipment by a sub-contractor normally charged per hour.; Top
Stopcock: A valve that turns off a water or gas supply. Stopcocks for water are non-return valves.; Top
Structural: Concerned with strength. The components of a building which are loadbearing.; Top
Sub-contractor: A company or an individual employed by the main contractor to perform a sub-contract. The client can also select nominated sub-contractors; Top
Supply and fix: A process whereby the same firm supplies and installs materials.; Top
Tanking: A complete system of waterproofing a basement from floor to ceiling.; Top
Underpinning: Extra concrete cast underneath old foundations. Often to shore up existing foundations in preparation for increased loadings due to structural alterations.; Top
Universal beam section: A universal section used to carry load as a beam, also as a column with off-centre loads.; Top
Universal column section: A universal section of 'square' proportions used as an axially loaded column, short beam, etc.; Top
Vapour barrier: A polyethylene sheet used to prevent condensation.; Top
Variation: A change in the quantity or quality of, or time allowed for, the work agreed to in a contract.; Top

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