Sizes, standards, and the numbers you keep needing to look up.

The numbers that don't change project to project — nominal sizes and unit weights for the materials that show up in almost every estimate.

Plain-English pointers to what each standard actually governs — not a substitute for reading the code itself, but enough to know which one you need.

The comparisons that come up constantly when a spec isn't locked yet.

Typical percentage allocation across a conventional residential build — an orientation for sanity-checking a budget split, not a quote.

Terms that show up on drawings and BOQs, defined plainly.

Anchor Bolt

A bolt embedded in concrete or masonry to fasten a structural or non-structural element, such as a column base plate, to the foundation.

BBS (Bar Bending Schedule)

A table listing every rebar’s shape, length, diameter and quantity, used to cut and bend steel accurately on site.

BOQ (Bill of Quantities)

An itemised list of materials, labour and quantities required for a project, used for tendering and cost control.

Chajja

A cantilevered projection above a window or door in South Asian construction, providing shade and rain protection.

Contingency

A budget reserve set aside for unforeseen costs during construction, typically 5–10% of the base estimate.

Coping

A capping course on top of a wall or parapet that sheds water and protects the wall below from moisture ingress.

Curing

Maintaining adequate moisture and temperature in freshly placed concrete so it gains strength as designed, typically for 7–28 days.

Damp Proof Course (DPC)

A waterproof layer installed at plinth level to stop rising ground moisture from moving up through masonry walls.

Escalation

The increase in material or labour cost over the duration of a project, factored into long-timeline budgets.

Fenestration

The arrangement, proportion and design of windows and doors within a building’s facade.

Formwork / Shuttering

Temporary moulds, usually timber or steel, that hold wet concrete in shape until it cures enough to be self-supporting.

Grade Slab

A concrete slab cast directly on prepared ground, typically used for ground-floor construction without a raised plinth.

Lintel

A horizontal structural member spanning an opening (door or window) to carry the load of the masonry above it.

Parapet

A low protective wall along the edge of a roof, terrace or balcony.

PCC (Plain Cement Concrete)

Unreinforced concrete, typically used as a levelling or blinding layer beneath foundations and slabs.

Plinth

The raised base of a building between the ground and the ground-floor level, protecting the structure from ground moisture.

Punch List

A list of minor defects or incomplete items compiled near project completion, to be fixed before final handover.

RCC (Reinforced Cement Concrete)

Concrete embedded with steel reinforcement to carry tensile loads that plain concrete cannot resist on its own.

Rebar Cover

The concrete thickness between the outer surface of a member and the reinforcement, protecting steel from corrosion and fire.

Retention

A percentage of each payment withheld by the client until the project (or a defects-liability period) is satisfactorily complete.

Slump

A measure of fresh concrete’s workability, tested by how much a concrete cone settles after the mould is removed.

Soffit

The underside of a structural element, such as a slab, beam, staircase or roof overhang.

Substructure

All construction below plinth or ground level — foundations, footings and basement work.

Superstructure

All construction above plinth level — columns, walls, slabs and roof.

Truss

A triangulated framework of members, typically timber or steel, used to span a roof and carry its load to supporting walls.

Variation Order

A formal instruction that changes the original scope of work, adjusting contract price and/or schedule accordingly.

W/C Ratio (Water-Cement Ratio)

The ratio of water weight to cement weight in a concrete mix — a primary driver of strength and durability.

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An Estima-compiled index blended from public trade and commodity data across each region — directional pricing to sanity-check a budget, not a substitute for a supplier quote.

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