Home Building Terms You Should Know

During the process of home building, or buying a new home, you may come across some vocabulary that you’re not yet familiar with. To help make the home buying process a little easier from start to finish, here’s a quick reference on the home buying terms you should familiarize yourself with.

• At grade: this is anything that sits on the same level as the ground.
• Backfilling: this is the replacement of soil during excavation, that’s placed around building foundations.
• Blacklines: these are lightly detailed home layouts that show the design of a particular model.
• Building Permit (BP):  approval from the City to start development on a building.
• Casing: this is a type of trim used around windows and doors.
• Concrete footing: a widened section at the base or bottom of a foundation wall and/or column.
• Concrete forms: wood or metal panels which concrete is poured into, that will form the foundation, wall or other parts of the structure.
• Deep services: these are underground services such as sewer, water and storm water management.
• Deficiencies: this refers to imperfections in the home that are resolved before the owner(s) move in, or during the home warranty period.
• Development Permit (DP): approval from the City for blueprints of the land or development.
• Downspout: this is a pipe which carries water from the eavestrough to the ground or the storm drainage system.
• EnerGuide: this is a measuring system of your home’s energy performance.
• Excavating: this is the removal of soil for the construction of concrete footings and for concrete forming to commence.
• Finish grading: this refers to final adjustments to the surface after construction of buildings, usually applying to raking of topsoil, etc.
• Foundations: this is the base of the home, made from concrete.
• Framing: this is is the rough outline of the home made with wood, and includes flooring, roofing, partitioning, ceiling and beams.
• Grade: this is the average level of surface ground around the foundation.
• HVAC: this term refers to ‘Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning’.
• Low E: this refers to low-emissions, referring usually to windows and insulation, etc.
• Possession: this is the date when homeowners take possession of their new home.
• Rebar: these are structural metal bars used in the foundation of a home.
• Roofply: this is the framing, including the sheathing for the roof.
• Rough-ins: these are the interior installation of the homes mechanics: plumbing, heating, electrical, gas pipe, etc.
• Sheething: materials used to cover the framework of a home.
• Slab on grade: this is the concrete slab placed on compacted ground as a base for construction.
• Spec home: this is a home available for purchase where the specifications have already been chosen.
• Trusses: this is the supporting engineered framework for a roof, or other structure like a bridge.
• Walk-through: this is when the homeowners get to go through their new home in its entirety to ensure everything is good to go for move-in.

Is there another word you’ve come across that you want clarification on? Let us know on social media, we’re happy to help!