The words on the bid,
defined at the counter.

A

Air sealing
Envelope & Weather

Closing the gaps where outside air gets into the house: around windows, at the sill, at top plates, around pipes and wires. Insulation slows heat; air sealing stops the draft that carries it. The energy code tests for it with a blower door, and it is the cheapest energy work on the whole job. Read: Insulation: Read the spec sheet · Windows: Read the label · Codes & permits

Allowance
Bids, Money & Warranty Terms

A dollar amount set aside in a bid for an item that has not been picked yet, like lighting or tile. If your selection costs more than the allowance, the difference is yours. Low allowances make a bid look cheap; ask what each one actually buys at the counter. Read: The whole house: Read the bid the way the money should · The whole house: The cost of the house

APA stamp
Labels, Ratings & Warranties

The stamp on structural plywood and OSB showing the panel grade, span rating (like 32/16, roof span over floor span in inches), exposure rating and thickness. The inspector reads it at framing to confirm the sheathing matches the plans. No stamp, no inspection pass. Read: Lumber: Read the stamp

Architectural shingle
Roofing

A laminated asphalt shingle with two layers bonded together, thicker and heavier than a three-tab with a dimensional look. It carries better wind and impact ratings and a longer warranty. It is the standard on new houses here now. Read: Roofing: What you are paying for · Roofing: Read the spec sheet

Argon
Windows & Doors

A harmless gas sealed between the panes in place of air because it slows heat transfer. It only helps while the seal holds; a failed seal lets it out. It is a small part of the number on the label, less than the coating. Read: Windows: Read the label

ARV (after-repair value)
Bids, Money & Warranty Terms

What the finished house should sell for, based on comparable sales. Investors work backward from it: ARV minus profit minus repair cost is the most they can pay for the lot or the fixer. Get it from real comps, not from a hope. Read: The whole house: The cost of the house

ASTM C1186
Labels, Ratings & Warranties

The standard specification for fiber cement siding and flat sheets, covering strength, freeze-thaw and moisture behavior. Grade II is the usual siding grade. If a fiber cement product does not reference it, ask why. Read: Siding: Read the spec sheet

ASTM D3161 and D7158 (wind)
Labels, Ratings & Warranties

The two wind tests for asphalt shingles. D3161 Class F means the shingle held at 110 mph in a fan test; D7158 Class H means it passed an uplift calculation for 150 mph. The rating counts only with the nailing pattern and starter strip the maker specifies. Read: Roofing: Read the spec sheet

AWPA use category (UC3B, UC4A)
Decking & Outdoor

The tag on treated lumber that says what exposure it was treated for. UC3B is above ground and exposed to weather, like deck boards and railing. UC4A is ground contact, for posts, and it is also required for joists and beams that are close to the ground, hard to maintain, or in wet spots. Buy the category for where the piece will live, not the cheapest one on the rack. Read: Decking: Read the spec sheet · Lumber: Read the stamp · Farm: Read the tag

B

Batt
Insulation & Drywall

Insulation cut in blanket form to fit between studs or joists, in fiberglass or mineral wool, faced or unfaced. It gets its rated R-value only when it fills the cavity without being compressed or leaving gaps. The insulation inspection is mostly about how well it is fitted. Read: Insulation: Read the spec sheet · Insulation: What you are paying for

Blower door test
Codes, Permits & Inspections

A fan sealed into an exterior door that depressurizes the house and measures how leaky it is, in air changes per hour at 50 pascals. The 2021 IECC sets 3 ACH50 as the limit in climate zone 4. Tennessee's amended residential energy code does not require the test (a visual inspection option stands in for it), so most local offices here do not ask for one. It is won or lost during framing and air sealing either way. Read: Codes & permits · Insulation: Read the spec sheet

Blown-in
Insulation & Drywall

Loose insulation blown into an attic or a wall cavity with a machine. In an attic it is measured by depth and by bags per square foot to hit the R-value, and the attic card the installer staples up records both. Cellulose and fiberglass are the common kinds. Read: Insulation: Read the spec sheet

Builder grade
Bids, Money & Warranty Terms

The lowest-cost product in a category that still meets code, chosen to hit a price rather than to last. Nothing wrong with it in the right place, and everything wrong with it where it will be replaced in five years. The trick is knowing which items are which. Read: The whole house: Read the bid the way the money should · The whole house: The cost of the house

C

Callback
Bids, Money & Warranty Terms

A return trip by a trade to fix something after the job is done: a sticking door, a squeaky floor or a nail pop. Every builder has some; the number and the speed of response are what separate good subs from cheap ones. Ask what a sub's callback policy is before you hire, not after. Read: The whole house: Read the bid the way the money should · The whole house: The cost of the house

Cap rate
Bids, Money & Warranty Terms

For a rental, the yearly net operating income divided by the purchase price, as a percent. A quick way to compare one property against another. Read: The whole house: The cost of the house

Carrying cost
Bids, Money & Warranty Terms

What it costs to own the project each month while it is not finished or not sold: loan interest, taxes, insurance, utilities. Every week of delay adds to it. It is why lead times and inspection scheduling are money, not just calendar. Read: The whole house: The cost of the house · The whole house: Read the bid the way the money should

Certificate of occupancy (CO)
Codes, Permits & Inspections

The document the building department issues after final inspection saying the house is legal to live in. Lenders, insurers and buyers ask for it. No CO means the house cannot close, and the construction loan cannot convert. Read: Codes & permits · The whole house: The cost of the house

Change order
Bids, Money & Warranty Terms

A written, signed amendment to the contract that changes the scope, the price or the schedule. No change order, no change; verbal changes are how budgets and relationships blow up. A good one states what is added or removed, what it costs and how many days it adds. Read: The whole house: Read the bid the way the money should · The whole house: The cost of the house

Class A fire rating
Labels, Ratings & Warranties

The highest roof-covering fire rating under the standard test, meaning the roof resists severe exposure from outside fire. Nearly all asphalt shingles and metal roofs are Class A as an assembly. It is a label to confirm, not a feature to pay extra for. Read: Roofing: Read the spec sheet

Climate zone 4A
Codes, Permits & Inspections

The energy code's label for Middle Tennessee, including Cheatham County: zone 4 (moderate), A (moist). It sets the insulation R-values, window U-factor and SHGC, and the vapor retarder rules you build to. Zone 4A is the same across most of the state. Read: Codes & permits · Windows: Read the label · Insulation: Read the spec sheet

Code official (AHJ)
Codes, Permits & Inspections

The building official or inspector with legal authority over your project, the authority having jurisdiction. Their reading of the code is the one that counts on your site. When a product or detail is unusual, the ESR report or an engineer's letter is what you hand them. Read: Codes & permits

Composite capped board
Decking & Outdoor

A composite deck board (wood fiber and plastic) with a harder plastic shell bonded over the core to resist stains, fading and mold. Uncapped composite was the first generation and is mostly gone. The cap is what the stain-and-fade warranty covers. Read: Decking: What you are paying for · Decking: Read the spec sheet · Decking: The second deck is the expensive one

Contingency
Bids, Money & Warranty Terms

Money set aside in the budget for what you did not plan for: bad soil, a rotten sill, a price jump. Ten percent is a common starting point on a new build and more on a remodel. A budget with no contingency is a budget that is already wrong. Read: The whole house: The cost of the house · The whole house: Read the bid the way the money should

Continuous insulation (ci)
Insulation & Drywall

A layer of rigid foam or mineral wool board on the outside of the framing, covering the studs so heat does not shortcut through the wood. The energy code lets you trade cavity R-value for ci, which is what the R-20+5ci option means. It changes how windows and siding are attached, so plan it early. Read: Insulation: Read the spec sheet · Siding: Read the spec sheet · Codes & permits

Contractor license threshold
Codes, Permits & Inspections

Tennessee requires a state contractor license for any project where the total cost, labor and materials, is $25,000 or more. A general contractor also has to be licensed to pull permits and to bid work above that line. Ask for the license number and check it on the state board site; it is public. Read: Codes & permits · The whole house: Read the bid the way the money should

Cost per year of service
Bids, Money & Warranty Terms

The installed cost of a product divided by the years you expect it to last. A cheaper product that gets replaced twice costs more per year than a better one that goes the distance. It is the cleanest way to compare two bids for the same job. Read: The whole house: The cost of the house · Roofing: The second roof is the expensive one · Windows: The second window is the expensive one · Decking: The second deck is the expensive one

Crawl space
Framing & Structure

The short space between the ground and the floor framing on a house without a slab or basement. It needs a vapor barrier on the dirt, a way to handle moisture, and access for inspection. A wet crawl space is the root of most floor and mold problems in this area. Read: Insulation: Read the spec sheet · Codes & permits

D

DP (design pressure)
Windows & Doors

The wind pressure a window or door is rated to hold without leaking or failing, in pounds per square foot. Higher is stronger. Your plan or the code official tells you what DP the opening needs based on wind speed and exposure; the label on the unit tells you what it delivers. Read: Windows: Read the label · Doors: Read the spec sheet

DP rating
Labels, Ratings & Warranties

The design pressure a window or door passed, shown on its label or in the maker's data, in pounds per square foot. A DP-30 unit has been tested at 45 psf without failure. Match it to the rating your plans or code official require for wind exposure. Read: Windows: Read the label · Doors: Read the spec sheet

Draw schedule
Bids, Money & Warranty Terms

The plan for when the construction lender releases money, tied to stages of the job like foundation, dry-in and drywall, each after an inspection. Your material orders and sub payments have to line up with it. A draw that comes late means you are carrying the job on your own cash. Read: The whole house: The cost of the house · The whole house: Read the bid the way the money should

Drip edge
Envelope & Weather

The metal strip along roof edges that carries water off the edge of the deck and into the gutter, and keeps it from wicking back under the shingles. Code requires it on asphalt shingle roofs. It goes under the underlayment at the eave and over it at the rake. Read: Roofing: Read the spec sheet

Drywall finish level
Insulation & Drywall

A 0-to-5 scale for how smooth the taped and mudded drywall is. Level 4 is normal for painted walls; level 5 adds a skim coat and is what you need under gloss paint or in a room with strong side light. Ask for the level in the bid, or you will get whatever the crew usually does. Read: Insulation: Read the spec sheet · Paint: Read the data sheet · The whole house: Read the bid the way the money should

E

Egress window
Windows & Doors

A bedroom window big enough to climb out of in a fire and for a firefighter to climb in. The IRC sets a minimum clear opening of 5.7 square feet (5.0 at grade floor), at least 20 inches wide and 24 inches tall, with the sill no higher than 44 inches off the floor. A window that misses it fails final inspection. Read: Windows: Read the label · Codes & permits

Engineered wood
Framing & Structure

Any structural product built from wood pieces and glue rather than cut straight from a log: LVL, I-joists, glulam, OSB, rim board. It is more consistent than sawn lumber because the defects are spread out or removed. Each product carries its own span and load charts from the maker. Read: Lumber: Read the stamp · Lumber: What you are paying for

ESR (ICC-ES evaluation report)
Labels, Ratings & Warranties

A report from the ICC Evaluation Service saying a specific product meets the intent of the code, for things the code does not name directly: a screw system, a foam or a connector. Inspectors ask for it when they see something unfamiliar. The number is on the product data sheet; keep a copy on site. Read: Codes & permits · Lumber: Read the stamp · Hardware: Read the box

Exclusions
Bids, Money & Warranty Terms

The list in a bid or a warranty of what is not covered. On a bid it is where the permit fees, the dumpster or the paint went missing. On a warranty it is where hail, improper install and normal fade live. It is the most important paragraph in either document. Read: The whole house: Read the bid the way the money should · Roofing: The second roof is the expensive one · Decking: The second deck is the expensive one

F

Fade warranty
Decking & Outdoor

The part of a composite decking warranty that promises the color will not change more than a set amount over a set number of years. Read how fade is measured and what is excluded, and whether it is prorated. Every board fades some; the warranty covers the amount, not the fact. Read: Decking: Read the spec sheet · Decking: The second deck is the expensive one

Fascia
Siding & Exterior

The vertical board along the edge of the roof that the gutter hangs on. It takes the most water of any trim on the house, which is why composite or aluminum-wrapped fascia is common. Rotten fascia is usually a gutter or drip edge problem, not a fascia problem. Read: Trim: Read the profile sheet · Siding: Read the spec sheet

Fiber cement
Siding & Exterior

Siding and trim made of cement, sand and cellulose fiber, formed into boards and panels. It does not burn, rot or feed termites and it holds paint for a long time, but it is heavy and needs the right blade and dust control to cut. Meets ASTM C1186 when it is the real thing. Read: Siding: What you are paying for · Siding: Read the spec sheet

Final inspection
Codes, Permits & Inspections

The last inspection, after everything is finished, that checks safety items like smoke detectors, handrails, guards, egress, GFCI protection and grading. Passing it is what gets the certificate of occupancy issued. Keep a punch list going so nothing on it is a surprise. Read: Codes & permits

Finger-joint trim
Interior & Finish

Trim made from short pieces of clear wood glued end to end with zigzag joints, then primed. Cheaper and straighter than long clear boards and fine under paint. It will not take stain, since the joints show. Read: Trim: Read the profile sheet · Trim: What you are paying for

Footing
Framing & Structure

The widened concrete base under a foundation wall, pier or post that spreads the building's weight onto the soil. It has to sit on undisturbed soil below the local frost line and gets inspected before it is poured. Everything above it depends on it being right. Read: Codes & permits

Framing inspection
Codes, Permits & Inspections

The inspector checks the structure after framing, sheathing, roofing and rough mechanicals are in but before insulation covers anything. Headers, bearing, nailing, fire blocking, connectors and egress all get looked at. Fix-it items here are cheap; after drywall they are not. Read: Codes & permits · Lumber: Read the stamp

G

Grade stamp
Labels, Ratings & Warranties

The ink stamp on each piece of framing lumber showing species, grade (No. 1, No. 2, Stud), moisture content at surfacing and the mill and grading agency. The span table is organized by species and grade, so the stamp is how the inspector checks the joists against the plans. Do not build with unstamped lumber. Read: Lumber: Read the stamp · Lumber: What you are paying for

Ground clearance
Siding & Exterior

The gap the siding maker requires between the bottom of the siding and grade, roofs or decks, usually 6 inches to soil and 1 to 2 inches to a hard surface. It keeps the siding edge out of splash and standing water. Cutting it short voids most siding warranties. Read: Siding: Read the spec sheet

Ground contact
Decking & Outdoor

Treated lumber rated for touching soil or sitting where it stays wet (AWPA UC4A or higher). Posts, and any framing within 6 inches of grade, need it. The tag says ground contact in plain words; if it does not, the piece is above-ground only. Read: Decking: Read the spec sheet · Farm: Read the tag · Lumber: Read the stamp

H

Header
Framing & Structure

The beam over a window or door opening that carries the load from above around the hole in the wall. Size it from the span table for the opening width and what sits on top of it. An undersized header shows up later as a door that sticks or a crack over the corner. Read: Lumber: Read the stamp

Hidden fastener
Decking & Outdoor

A clip or plug system that holds composite deck boards down from the edge or from below so no screw heads show. Most composite makers sell their own and require it for the warranty on grooved boards. Face-screwing with colored screws is the other path. Read: Decking: Read the spec sheet · Decking: What you are paying for

Hold period
Bids, Money & Warranty Terms

How long an investor plans to own the property before selling. A flip with a short hold cares about first cost and curb appeal; a rental with a long hold cares about service life and callbacks. Decide the hold before you spec the house, because it changes what is worth paying for. Read: The whole house: The cost of the house

Hollow-core vs solid-core door
Windows & Doors

An interior hollow-core door has a cardboard grid inside a thin skin; a solid-core door is filled with wood fiber or particleboard. Solid core is heavier, quieter and feels better in the hand. It also needs three hinges and a solid jamb. Read: Doors: What you are paying for · Doors: Read the spec sheet

House wrap (WRB)
Envelope & Weather

The water-resistive barrier that goes over the sheathing and under the siding to shed water that gets past the cladding. Code requires one; what matters is that it is lapped like shingles and taped, and that every window and door is flashed into it. It is not the air barrier unless it is detailed as one. Read: Siding: Read the spec sheet · Siding: What you are paying for

I

I-joist
Framing & Structure

An engineered floor joist shaped like a capital I: a plywood or OSB web between two flanges. Lighter and straighter than sawn lumber and runs longer spans. Never notch or cut the flanges, and only cut holes in the web where the maker's chart says you can. Read: Lumber: Read the stamp

Ice and water shield
Envelope & Weather

A self-adhering rubberized underlayment that seals around nails and stops water that backs up under shingles. Middle Tennessee does not have the ice-dam history that makes code require it at the eaves, but it is cheap insurance in valleys, around chimneys and at low-slope areas. Read: Roofing: Read the spec sheet · Roofing: What you are paying for

IECC (International Energy Conservation Code)
Codes, Permits & Inspections

The model energy code that sets insulation, window, air-leakage and duct requirements by climate zone. Tennessee enforces the 2018 edition for houses with the insulation and window tables replaced by the 2009 ones (R-38 ceiling, R-13 wall, U-0.35 windows in zone 4), and since 2023 no city or county may go stricter on a house. The lessons on this site also cite the 2021 edition, the current model code, so you know where the numbers are headed. Read: Codes & permits · Windows: Read the label · Insulation: Read the spec sheet

IGU and glass seal
Windows & Doors

The insulated glass unit is the sealed sandwich of two or three panes, spacer and gas. When the seal fails, moisture gets in and the glass fogs between the panes and will not wipe off. Glass seal is the part of the window warranty to read closely, since it is the part most likely to be used. Read: Windows: Read the label · Windows: The second window is the expensive one

IRC (International Residential Code)
Codes, Permits & Inspections

The model code for one- and two-family houses that most states and cities adopt, sometimes with local amendments. It covers structure, fire safety, plumbing, electrical and, in its energy chapter, the same rules as the IECC. Tennessee enforces the 2018 IRC statewide for houses; Cheatham County and Ashland City are on the 2018 edition too, and Metro Nashville moved to the 2024 edition in July 2025. The edition on your permit is the one you build to. Read: Codes & permits

J

Joist tape
Decking & Outdoor

Self-adhesive tape applied over the top of deck joists and beams so water does not sit in the screw holes and rot the frame. The deck boards outlast the framing on most decks; joist tape is how you fix that. Cheap relative to a frame rebuild. Read: Decking: Read the spec sheet · Decking: The second deck is the expensive one

K

KCMA certification
Labels, Ratings & Warranties

The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association seal, showing the cabinet line passed a set of tests for finish durability, structural strength and resistance to heat and moisture. It is the one third-party mark on cabinets. Absence of the seal does not mean bad cabinets, but its presence means somebody tested them. Read: Cabinets: Read the spec sheet

Kick-out flashing
Envelope & Weather

A small angled piece of flashing at the bottom of a roof-to-wall joint that throws water away from the siding and into the gutter. Without it, water runs down inside the siding and rots the wall below. One of the most common missing pieces on a rot repair. Read: Roofing: Read the spec sheet · Siding: Read the spec sheet

Kiln-dried (KD)
Framing & Structure

Lumber dried in a heated kiln to a set moisture content, usually 19 percent or less, before it is sold. It shrinks and twists less than green lumber after it is nailed in. The grade stamp says KD or S-Dry if it was dried. Read: Lumber: Read the stamp

L

Labor coverage
Bids, Money & Warranty Terms

Whether the warranty pays for the work to remove and replace the failed product or only for the product itself. Most material warranties cover the product only; labor is the bigger cost on a roof or a window. Some makers sell an enhanced warranty with labor through certified installers. Read: Roofing: The second roof is the expensive one · Windows: The second window is the expensive one · The whole house: Read the bid the way the money should

Lead time
Bids, Money & Warranty Terms

How long from order to delivery. Stock lumber is days; special-order windows, doors and cabinets can be many weeks. A lead time you did not plan for becomes carrying cost. Read: The whole house: Read the bid the way the money should · The whole house: The cost of the house

Ledger board
Decking & Outdoor

The board bolted to the house that carries one end of the deck joists. The IRC spells out its fastening, flashing and what it can attach to, and inspectors look hard at it because ledger failure is how decks fall. A free-standing deck skips the ledger entirely. Read: Decking: Read the spec sheet · Codes & permits

Lien waiver
Bids, Money & Warranty Terms

A signed statement from a contractor or supplier that they have been paid and give up the right to file a lien on the property for that amount. Get one with each payment, and get them from subs and suppliers as well as the general. It is how you prove at closing that nobody else has a claim on the house. Read: The whole house: Read the bid the way the money should · The whole house: The cost of the house

Limited lifetime
Bids, Money & Warranty Terms

A warranty term that sounds like forever and usually means the life of the original owner in the original house, with a list of what is excluded and a proration schedule. Lifetime is defined in the document, not by the dictionary. Read the definitions page before the coverage page. Read: Windows: The second window is the expensive one · Roofing: The second roof is the expensive one · Decking: The second deck is the expensive one

Load-bearing wall
Framing & Structure

A wall that carries weight from the roof or floor above, beyond its own. Removing or opening one means a properly sized header and posts carrying the load to the foundation. If you are not sure whether a wall is bearing, assume it is until someone qualified says otherwise. Read: Lumber: Read the stamp

Low-E
Windows & Doors

A thin metallic coating on the glass that reflects heat back where it came from while letting light through. It is what gets a window to a passing U-factor and SHGC. Different coatings are tuned for different climates, so a zone 4 window wants a coating that blocks summer heat without giving up all the winter sun. Read: Windows: Read the label · Windows: What you are paying for

LVL (laminated veneer lumber)
Framing & Structure

A beam made of thin wood veneers glued under pressure so it is straighter and stronger than a sawn beam of the same size. Used for headers, ridge beams and long spans where a 2x12 would sag. Sized from the maker's span chart, not the IRC tables. Read: Lumber: Read the stamp · Lumber: What you are paying for

M

Material takeoff
Bids, Money & Warranty Terms

The count of every piece of material a job needs, pulled off the plans: so many studs, so many squares of shingles, sheets of sheathing. A supplier can do it from your drawings and price it. It is the base of the bid and the base of the delivery schedule. Read: The whole house: Read the bid the way the money should · Lumber: What you are paying for

MDF (medium-density fiberboard)
Interior & Finish

A dense, smooth panel made of wood fiber and resin. It paints beautifully and does not split, which is why painted cabinet doors and interior trim are often MDF. It swells if it gets wet and does not hold a screw on the edge, so keep it out of wet areas and off exterior walls. Read: Trim: Read the profile sheet · Cabinets: Read the spec sheet

Moisture content
Labels, Ratings & Warranties

How much water is in a piece of wood, as a percent of its dry weight. Framing lumber should be at 19 percent or less when installed, which is what the KD or S-Dry on the grade stamp means. Interior trim and flooring want much lower, closer to what the house will settle at. Read: Lumber: Read the stamp · Trim: Read the profile sheet

N

NAFS (AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101)
Labels, Ratings & Warranties

The North American Fenestration Standard, the performance test behind the label on a window or door. It assigns a class (R for residential, LC for light commercial, and up) and a performance grade tied to design pressure, air leakage and water resistance. R-class at the grade your site needs is the normal target for a house. Read: Windows: Read the label · Doors: Read the spec sheet

New-construction vs replacement window
Windows & Doors

A new-construction window has a nailing fin that fastens to the sheathing and flashes into the house wrap. A replacement window has no fin and slides into an existing frame. On a new build you want the fin; a finless unit in new framing is hard to flash right. Read: Windows: What you are paying for · Windows: Read the label

NFRC label
Labels, Ratings & Warranties

The National Fenestration Rating Council sticker on every rated window and door, showing U-factor, SHGC, visible transmittance and sometimes air leakage, all tested the same way for every maker. It is the only number set worth comparing between brands. The inspector may ask to see the labels still on the units at insulation inspection. Read: Windows: Read the label

Nominal vs actual size
Framing & Structure

A 2x4 is not 2 inches by 4 inches; it is 1-1/2 by 3-1/2 after drying and planing. Nominal is the name, actual is the tape measure. Every span table and every layout uses the actual size. Read: Lumber: What you are paying for

O

'Or equal'
Bids, Money & Warranty Terms

Bid language that lets the contractor substitute a product of equal quality for the one specified. It gives the sub flexibility and gives you a fight about what equal means. Spell out the ratings that count (U-factor, wind class, use category) so equal has a definition. Read: The whole house: Read the bid the way the money should

OSB (oriented strand board)
Framing & Structure

A sheet panel made of wood strands glued in layers, used for wall and roof sheathing and subfloor. It carries an APA stamp with a span rating just like plywood. It swells at the edges if it stays wet, so keep it covered and dried in quickly. Read: Lumber: Read the stamp

P

Permit
Codes, Permits & Inspections

The written permission from the local building department or the state to build, issued after plan review and before work starts. It triggers the inspection sequence and it is what the certificate of occupancy is issued against. Building without one is a problem at sale, at refinance and at insurance time. Read: Codes & permits

Pitch
Roofing

The steepness of a roof, given as inches of rise per 12 inches of run, like 6:12. Below 4:12 asphalt shingles need extra underlayment and below 2:12 they are not allowed. Pitch drives the square count, the labor rate and which products you can use. Read: Roofing: Read the spec sheet · Roofing: What you are paying for

Plan review
Codes, Permits & Inspections

The building department's check of your drawings against the code before a permit is issued. It catches span, egress, energy and structural problems while they are still on paper. Turnaround time varies; build it into the schedule. Read: Codes & permits

Plywood box
Interior & Finish

A cabinet box built from plywood instead of particleboard. It holds screws better, tolerates a leak under the sink and weighs less. It is usually an upgrade line item and one of the better ones to take. Read: Cabinets: What you are paying for · Cabinets: Read the spec sheet · Cabinets: The second kitchen is the expensive one

Pre-hung door
Windows & Doors

A door slab already hung on hinges in its frame, with the jamb and usually the sill and weatherstrip in place. It goes into the rough opening as one unit. A slab door is just the panel, for when the frame already exists. Read: Doors: Read the spec sheet · Doors: What you are paying for

Primed vs factory finish
Siding & Exterior

Primed siding or trim comes with a base coat and is painted on site after install. Factory finish is painted or coated in the plant under controlled conditions, with a finish warranty that a site coat does not get. Factory finish costs more up front and repaints later. Read: Siding: What you are paying for · Siding: The second siding job is the expensive one · Trim: Read the profile sheet · Paint: Read the data sheet

Prorated warranty
Bids, Money & Warranty Terms

A warranty whose payout shrinks over time, so a 30-year roof warranty may cover the full cost only for the first few years and a declining share after. Read the schedule; a long headline number with a steep proration is worth less than a shorter full-coverage term. Most shingle and decking warranties are prorated after an initial period. Read: Roofing: The second roof is the expensive one · Decking: The second deck is the expensive one · The whole house: Read the bid the way the money should

Punch list
Bids, Money & Warranty Terms

The written list of small items still wrong or unfinished at the end of a job, walked with the sub or the buyer and signed off as each is done. Final payment and retainage usually ride on it. Keep it running from framing on, not just at the end. Read: The whole house: Read the bid the way the money should · The whole house: The cost of the house

R

R-value
Insulation & Drywall

How well a material resists heat flow; higher is more insulation. Tennessee enforces the 2018 energy code with the 2009 insulation table, so climate zone 4 here asks for R-38 in the ceiling, R-13 in a wood-frame wall, and R-19 in a floor over unconditioned space. The current model code (2021 IECC) asks for more: R-60 ceiling and a wall of R-30, or R-20 with R-5 continuous, or R-13 with R-10 continuous. Compression, gaps and air leaks all take away from the number on the bag. Read: Insulation: Read the spec sheet · Insulation: What you are paying for · Codes & permits

Rafter vs truss
Framing & Structure

Rafters are individual roof members cut and set on site; trusses are engineered roof frames built in a plant and delivered ready to set. Trusses go up faster and span farther without interior bearing walls, but you cannot cut or modify them without the truss engineer. Rafters give you a usable attic; trusses usually do not. Read: Lumber: Read the stamp · Lumber: What you are paying for

Rainscreen
Envelope & Weather

A small air gap between the siding and the house wrap so water that gets behind the siding can drain and dry. Furring strips or a mesh product create it. Not required by code here for most siding, but it is what makes wood and fiber cement last on a damp wall. Read: Siding: Read the spec sheet · Siding: The second siding job is the expensive one

Retainage
Bids, Money & Warranty Terms

A percentage held back from each payment to a contractor until the job is complete and accepted. It keeps the sub motivated to finish the punch list. Tennessee law limits how much can be held and, on larger contracts, how it has to be kept, so check before writing it into a contract. Read: The whole house: Read the bid the way the money should

Ridge vent
Roofing

A vent along the peak of the roof that lets hot, moist attic air out, working with soffit vents that let cool air in. Code sets attic ventilation as a ratio of vent area to attic floor, and a balanced ridge-and-soffit system gets the smaller ratio. Cut the slot; a ridge vent over uncut sheathing is decoration. Read: Roofing: Read the spec sheet · Insulation: Read the spec sheet

Rough opening
Windows & Doors

The framed hole in the wall a window or door goes into, sized a little bigger than the unit so it can be shimmed plumb and square. The maker publishes the rough opening for each unit. Get it wrong and the unit either does not fit or has to be packed out. Read: Windows: Read the label · Doors: Read the spec sheet · Lumber: Read the stamp

Rough-in inspection
Codes, Permits & Inspections

The inspection of plumbing, electrical and HVAC after the pipes, wires and ducts are in the walls but before drywall. Usually done alongside or right after framing inspection. Nothing gets covered until it passes. Read: Codes & permits

S

Scope of work
Bids, Money & Warranty Terms

The written description of what a bid includes and, just as important, what it does not. Two bids for the same job that differ by a lot usually differ in scope, not in price. Read the exclusions before comparing the totals. Read: The whole house: Read the bid the way the money should

Service life
Bids, Money & Warranty Terms

How long a product is expected to last in use before it needs replacing, as opposed to how long the warranty runs. A roof, a deck and a window each have a realistic service life for this climate. It is the number that goes into cost per year of service. Read: Roofing: The second roof is the expensive one · Decking: The second deck is the expensive one · Windows: The second window is the expensive one · The whole house: The cost of the house

Setback
Codes, Permits & Inspections

The minimum distance a building has to sit from the property line, the road and sometimes a creek or septic field. Set by zoning, not the building code, and checked at plan review and often with a foundation survey. A house built inside a setback is a legal problem, not a construction one. Read: Codes & permits

SFMO residential inspections
Codes, Permits & Inspections

In Tennessee the State Fire Marshal's Office adopts the residential codes statewide and runs inspections in areas that have not set up their own program. Cheatham County and Ashland City both run their own: the county's Building and Codes office covers the unincorporated county and the town covers city limits, so the permit and the inspector come from them, not the state. Ask before you plan the schedule. Read: Codes & permits

Sheathing
Framing & Structure

The panel layer nailed over the framing that braces the walls and roof and gives the siding and shingles something to attach to. Panel thickness and nailing pattern are code items and get checked at framing inspection. It is the layer the house wrap goes over. Read: Lumber: Read the stamp · Siding: Read the spec sheet

SHGC (solar heat gain coefficient)
Windows & Doors

How much of the sun's heat comes through the glass, on a scale from 0 to 1. Lower means less summer heat load. The 2021 IECC asks for 0.40 or lower in climate zone 4, and most Low-E glass comes in well under that. Read: Windows: Read the label

Sill pan
Envelope & Weather

A formed or site-built waterproof tray under a window or door that catches any water getting past the unit and sends it out. It is the one piece that keeps a small window leak from becoming a rotten floor. Required by most window makers for the warranty to hold. Read: Windows: Read the label · Doors: Read the spec sheet

Sill plate
Framing & Structure

The bottom piece of lumber that sits on the foundation and carries the wall framing. Code requires it to be treated lumber where it touches concrete and to be anchored with bolts at set spacing. A sill gasket under it stops air and moisture at the joint. Read: Lumber: Read the stamp

Soft-close
Interior & Finish

A damper built into a drawer slide or door hinge so it closes the last inch quietly on its own. It is standard on mid-grade cabinets now and cheap to add to a bid. It does not change the box; it changes the hardware. Read: Cabinets: Read the spec sheet · Hardware: Read the box

Spacer (warm-edge)
Windows & Doors

The strip that holds the two panes apart around the edge of the glass unit. A warm-edge spacer is made of something less conductive than plain aluminum, which cuts condensation at the glass edge in winter. Ask what the spacer is made of; it is not on the NFRC label. Read: Windows: Read the label

Span table
Framing & Structure

A code table that tells you how far a joist or rafter of a given size, species and grade can run between supports. You read it before you buy lumber, not after. If your span is not on the table, you need an engineered product or an engineer. Read: Lumber: Read the stamp · Codes & permits

Spec house
Bids, Money & Warranty Terms

A house built on speculation, without a buyer under contract, to be sold when finished. Every choice is a bet on what a buyer will pay for versus what they will not notice. It is where the difference between builder grade and better matters most. Read: The whole house: The cost of the house

SPF and SYP
Framing & Structure

The two lumber species groups you will see most at the counter. SPF (spruce-pine-fir) is lighter, easier to nail and stays straighter; SYP (southern yellow pine) is stronger and denser and is what most treated lumber is made from. The span table has separate columns for each, so know which one you are buying. Read: Lumber: What you are paying for · Lumber: Read the stamp

Spray foam
Insulation & Drywall

Insulation sprayed as a liquid that expands and hardens in place, in open-cell (softer, lower R per inch) or closed-cell (denser, higher R per inch, also a vapor retarder). It insulates and air-seals in one step. It needs a thermal barrier over it in living space and an ignition barrier in an attic or crawl space. Read: Insulation: Read the spec sheet · Insulation: What you are paying for

Square (roofing)
Roofing

One hundred square feet of roof surface. Shingles, underlayment and labor are all priced per square. A takeoff in squares plus waste for hips, valleys and starter is how a roof bid is built. Read: Roofing: What you are paying for · The whole house: Read the bid the way the money should

Step flashing
Envelope & Weather

Individual L-shaped pieces of metal woven in with each shingle course where a roof meets a wall. Each piece laps the one below so water steps down and out. A continuous strip instead of steps is the shortcut that leaks. Read: Roofing: Read the spec sheet

T

Tear-off
Roofing

Removing the old roof down to the deck before the new one goes on, instead of laying new shingles over old. Code allows one layer over, but a tear-off lets you fix the deck, replace flashing and get the full shingle warranty. Price it as a line item so you can see what it costs. Read: Roofing: What you are paying for · Roofing: The second roof is the expensive one · The whole house: Read the bid the way the money should

Tempered glass
Windows & Doors

Glass heat-treated so it is several times stronger and breaks into small blunt pieces instead of shards. The IRC requires it in hazardous spots: next to doors, near tubs and showers, low to the floor, and at stairs. It costs more and cannot be cut after tempering, so it has to be ordered right. Read: Windows: Read the label · Doors: Read the spec sheet · Codes & permits

Thermofoil
Interior & Finish

A vinyl film heat-pressed over an MDF cabinet door to give a smooth painted look without paint. It is easy to clean and consistent, but it can peel near heat, so keep it away from a self-cleaning oven and read the warranty on delamination. A painted wood or MDF door is the step up. Read: Cabinets: Read the spec sheet · Cabinets: What you are paying for

Transferable warranty
Bids, Money & Warranty Terms

A warranty that stays with the house when it sells, sometimes once, sometimes with a registration step and a time limit. It matters to an investor or a spec builder, since the next owner is the one who will use it. Non-transferable warranties end at the first sale. Read: Roofing: The second roof is the expensive one · Windows: The second window is the expensive one · Decking: The second deck is the expensive one · The whole house: The cost of the house

Treated lumber
Framing & Structure

Lumber that has had preservative forced into it under pressure so it resists rot and insects. The end tag tells you the use category it was treated for, and that decides whether it can touch the ground. Use hot-dipped galvanized or stainless fasteners with it; plain steel corrodes. Read: Lumber: Read the stamp · Decking: Read the spec sheet · Farm: Read the tag

Type X drywall
Insulation & Drywall

Fire-rated gypsum board, usually 5/8 inch, with glass fibers in the core so it holds together longer in a fire. Code calls for it in spots like the garage ceiling when living space is above. It is heavier and stiffer than regular 1/2 inch board. Read: Insulation: Read the spec sheet · Codes & permits

U

U-factor
Windows & Doors

How fast heat moves through a whole window, frame and glass together. Lower is better. Middle Tennessee is climate zone 4: Tennessee's amended energy code asks for 0.35 or lower on the NFRC label, and the current model code (2021 IECC) asks for 0.30. Most Low-E argon double-pane windows land between 0.27 and 0.30, so a good window clears both. Read: Windows: Read the label

UL 2218 impact class
Labels, Ratings & Warranties

The hail test for roofing, rated Class 1 through 4 by dropping steel balls onto the shingle. Class 4 is the highest and is what insurers mean by impact-resistant. It can lower the homeowner's premium; ask the agent before deciding whether to pay for it. Read: Roofing: Read the spec sheet · Roofing: The second roof is the expensive one

Underlayment
Roofing

The layer between the roof deck and the shingles, either asphalt felt or a synthetic sheet, that keeps the deck dry during the job and backs up the shingles after. Synthetic lays flatter, tears less and can sit uncovered longer. The shingle warranty usually names what underlayment is acceptable. Read: Roofing: Read the spec sheet

V

Vapor retarder
Envelope & Weather

A layer that slows water vapor from moving through a wall or ceiling. In climate zone 4A the energy code does not require one on the inside of a wood-frame wall, and putting one in the wrong place can trap moisture. Kraft-faced batts count as a Class II retarder; plastic sheeting is Class I. Read: Insulation: Read the spec sheet · Codes & permits

W

Workmanship warranty
Bids, Money & Warranty Terms

The installer's warranty on how the product was put in, separate from the maker's warranty on the product. A window that leaks at the flashing is workmanship; a window that fogs between the panes is product. Get the installer's term in writing on the bid. Read: The whole house: Read the bid the way the money should · Windows: The second window is the expensive one · Roofing: The second roof is the expensive one

Z

Z-flashing
Envelope & Weather

A Z-shaped strip of metal that goes over a horizontal joint in siding or trim, for example above a band board or where panel siding meets a belly band. It sends water out and over the piece below instead of behind it. Caulk is not a substitute. Read: Siding: Read the spec sheet · Trim: Read the profile sheet