Construction Glossary


Construction & Home Renovation Glossary

Building Dictionary of Terms

Listed below, is a summary of some of the more commonly used terms, endearments, lingo or slang expressions, that are used within the construction industry. Each area of the country has a different glossary of terms, and as with the description of a sandwich as a sub, a hoagie or a grinder, misleading terms can lead to some interesting and confusing encounters. If you are either using a contractor from another part of the country, or are building in an area that you are not familiar with, be aware, that construction terms can be used in different manners throughout the nation. A particular term used very commonly in the northeast, may not even enter the glossary of established terms in the south. Also, the same term, in different areas of the country, can have a totally different meaning, so be very careful!

Let me caution all residential owners that are involved with the construction industry, contractors, tend to be overly dramatic and inconsistent in their communication. There are contractors that will not get excited if the house is on fire, there are others, that will cause a major confrontation, if the grass is too long in the front yard. Contractors are neither consistent nor controlled, therefore there are several phrases, slang expressions, etc that could be bantered about, dependent upon the location of the work, the temperature, the humidity, or any other excuse for presenting and basking in confusing communication.

Listed below, is my best presentation, of commonly used terms, hopefully this will clarify some of the confusion.

Frequently used terms: