Residential Construction, like other industries, use words that may have a specific meaning in addition to that which is generally known.

Model Homes are often built to show both the building company's workmanship and choices available to the buyer. The base price quoted for the floor plan may not include all the options shown in the model.

A "Spec House" is started without a specific buyer requesting its construction. It can be purchased any time during the construction process. Any changes requested by a buyer are usually added to the contracted price of the home.

A "Build Job" is a house built on property owned by the building company using floor plans selected by the buyer.

Base Price: The cost of the basic finished structure.

Allowances: Often the base price of the house includes an allowance for the items the buyer can select during the construction process. Prior to signing a contract you may want to evaluate the allowance to decide if the allowance is enough to cover the cost of the items you want in your house.

Options or Upgrades: Additional items added to the basic package of the offered home. i.e. The base price of the home may be budgeted for vinyl flooring and carpet. The buyer may opt to have tile and hardwood instead. The cost of upgrading will be added to the base price of the house.

Buyer Selections are those items the buyer chooses. Ask for a time table that states at what time during the construction process these decisions must be made. This time table should be included in the contract. If you do not make your selections then the contract may make the selection for you or assess you and additional charge for the delay.

A selection timetable should be included in the contract. It generally does not give a date the selections are made but rather notes at what point in construction. If you do not make your selections the contractor may make the selection for you or assess an additional charge for delay.

Floor Plans: Often a simple line drawing of the layout of the house is provided for review. The measurements will show the sizes of the major rooms but not the closets, halls or bathrooms. Floor plans can be used to gauge the size of a specific room but not the actual size of the total house.

Blue Prints or Blues are the actual plans used to construct the home. They measure from one edge of the pad to the other. If the blue prints show a room measuring 15x15 the actual room will be smaller because of space lost to brick ledges and room framing. Discuss the actual finished room sizes with your builder when reviewing blue prints. If you have a special need requiring an exact finished dimension make sure the builder knows this prior to start of construction.

Pad: The concrete surface upon which the home is built. It includes the areas covered by the house, the garage and sometimes patios.

Square Footage: The total square footage include the entire pad area. Square feet under roof includes the area living areas of the house (sometimes referred to as area under air) the garage and in some areas includes covered patios. The square foot under roof measurements are often used when assessing the house for tax and permit / fees purposes.

Adaptations to Plans are often made during the construction process. What looks good on paper does not always work in reality. The plan may contain design elements that cannot be executed due to availability of materials or it may require changes to meet city code requirements. Regular discussions with your builder should include advising you of any alterations which affect the layout of the house.

"Specs" is a term often used to the describe the selections of products and materials used in the construction of the house. Items such as flooring, fixture, cabinets, hardware colors and masonry materials are often selected by the buyer. If specific items are calculated in the quoted price of the house then they should be noted in the contract.