Common Renovation Terms Defined

If you’re planning a remodeling project for your home, you might come across a few renovation terms you might not know. If you want to make your upcoming project easier, it’s a good idea to learn these renovation terms. Listed below are some of the most common ones.

Allowance – This means the rough estimate of money that’s allocated for specific items and labor. It can be outlined in the remodeling contract.

Bid – This is a formal offer a contractor gives you. This specifies the amount of labor needed, work conditions and other estimated costs. This is where you can negotiate the terms and conditions for your project.

Blueprints – These are technical drawings produced by the architect. These lay out the plans for a remodeling project, such as the dimensions, materials used and how it will be built.

“Change the House Footprint” – The footprint means the overall dimensions of the home, including the garage and porch. The whole term means altering the dimensions of the home, such as building an additional room to expand the space of a kitchen.

Demolition – This means to knock down old items, walls, wall coverings and materials inside a home. This is one of the first steps in the remodeling process in order to clear the area for the needed renovations and upgrades.

General contractor – This refers to the person responsible for the daily oversight of the remodeling project. General contractors need to have the proper licenses, bonds and insurance to operate as required by most states. This is also usually the person to approach for your questions and concerns.

“Gut a Room” – To gut a room means to literally remove everything from a room, including the wall covering. All that’s left should be the framing, subfloor and whatever’s inside the walls.

Mechanicals – These are the systems inside the walls and ceilings, including the electrical wirings, plumbing and HVAC found within the walls, floors and ceilings of a home.

“Pull a Permit” – This means getting a building permit from the local building department. This is to ensure that the blueprints are reviewed and that the project site will be checked by a building inspector to see if it’s within the code guidelines.

Subcontractors – They’re hired by a general contractor to handle certain parts of the remodeling project. They can be an electrician, plumber or a specialty contractor.

Subfloor – The subfloor is the wood flooring installed over the joists to provide more stability. Floor coverings like carpeting, tiles or plank flooring are installed over the subfloor.

Tradespeople – These are skilled people specializing in a certain trade, such as electrical work or roofing. They’re hired as subcontractors on remodeling projects.

Design Build Remodeling Group can get the job done right. To get started, call us today at (443) 300-2268, or you can fill out our online contact form. We serve Baltimore and neighboring areas.