A few words commonly used when building a home.
Backfill
Refilling an excavated hole with material pulled out of it. In the case of your home, it would mean pushing the dirt that was dug away back against the poured foundation.
Certificate of Occupancy (CO)
A certificate of occupancy is a document issued by a local government agency or building department certifying a building’s compliance with applicable building codes and other laws and indicating it to be in a condition suitable for occupancy.
Change Orders
A change order is work that is added to or deleted from the original scope of work of a contract, which alters the original contract amount and/or completion date.
Closing
This is when you finalize the real estate transaction of your home. On the closing date, the ownership of the property is transferred to the buyer.
Egress
Egress is another word for “exit” and is used in building code to refer to the means by which somebody can exit a building. For example, a fire escape is defined as a “means of egress” because that’s how somebody can get out of a building if there was an emergency.
Escutcheon
A metal plate that is used to cover where plumbing fixtures protrude from a wall. Commonly seen around shower head piping and where toilet water supply shut-off enters the room. Sometimes referred to as a cover plate.
Limit Disturbance
The boundary within which all construction, material storage, grading, landscaping and related activities shall occur.
Punch List
A list of tasks and items that need to be fixed or completed before a construction project can be considered finished.
Selections
The choices you make of the items that will be used to make your house a home. It’s everything from lighting fixtures and bathtubs to tile and cabinets.
Trades
From carpenters and electricians to welders and laborers, these are the different team members involved in building your home. Also commonly referred to as the construction crew and sub-contractors.
Tyvek
A protective house wrap that goes between the plywood/insulation and siding layer of the home. It is meant to be an air and water barrier to help protect the home from mold and wood rot.
Water Closet
A room containing a flush toilet within a bathroom – the room may or may not have a door.
Wattles
These are round straw bales that are installed for erosion control.