- Bearing capacity
- The pressure the soil can safely carry, in kPa, which sizes the foundations.
- Blinding
- A thin layer of weak concrete under foundations to give a clean, level base.
- BOQ (Bill of Quantities)
- A priced list of every item of work in a project, grouped in sections, used to tender and control cost.
- C of O (Certificate of Occupancy)
- A Nigerian land title document granting the right to occupy land for a term of years.
- Concrete grade
- The specified strength of concrete, for example C25 = 25 N/mm² at 28 days.
- Contingency
- A sum set aside for unforeseen work, usually a percentage of the construction cost.
- Critical path
- The longest chain of dependent tasks; any delay on it delays completion.
- Dead load
- The permanent weight of the structure itself and fixed finishes.
- DPC (Damp-proof course)
- A barrier laid in walls near ground level to stop rising damp.
- Earned value
- The budgeted cost of the work actually completed, used to track progress against cost.
- Finish-to-start (FS)
- A dependency where the next task can only begin when the previous one finishes.
- Float
- How long a task can slip without delaying the project end date.
- Formwork
- Temporary moulds that hold wet concrete until it sets.
- Hardcore
- Compacted broken stone or rubble laid under a ground floor slab.
- Imposed (live) load
- Load from people, furniture and use, which can change over time.
- Lead time
- The time between placing an order and delivery to site.
- Lintel
- A beam over a door or window opening that carries the wall above.
- Preliminaries
- Site-wide costs not tied to one item: site setup, supervision, insurance, temporary works.
- Prime cost (PC) sum
- An allowance for items to be bought from a named supplier, such as sanitary fittings.
- Provisional sum
- An allowance for work that cannot yet be fully described or priced.
- Rate build-up
- The breakdown of a unit rate into material, labour and plant costs plus allowances.
- Retention
- A percentage of each payment held back until defects are fixed.
- RFQ (Request for quotation)
- An invitation to suppliers to price specific items.
- Snag
- A minor defect noted near completion that must be put right.
- Takeoff
- Measuring quantities from drawings or a building model.
- Valuation
- A periodic measurement of work done, used to certify interim payments.
- Variation
- A change to the agreed scope of work, priced and approved separately.
- Waste factor
- Extra percentage added to quantities to cover cutting, breakage and loss on site.