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Breaking down building terms

October 28, 2020

Breaking down building terms.

Is building a new home on the cards? It means a lot to us that you feel supported throughout your home building journey. So here we shine a light on the more common terms we get asked about. Don’t worry, we’ve stripped out the builder’s vocab and put it into layperson’s terms.

Taking the jargon out of building terms.

Addenda: It’s an attachment to the contract which has the finer detail about the brands and products to be used in your home.

BAL Assessment / Bushfire Assessment: BAL stands for Bushfire Attack Level. In the South West, bush fire is a real hazard. This review provides designers with the info to minimise the risk of ember attack and radiant heat causing damage to your home.

Building Permit: The piece of paper that gives us the all clear from the local government to commence construction.

Cavity Insulation: Fancy material installed within the cavity of the external brick wall to improve energy efficiency.

Certificate of Design Compliance (CDC): The certificate we need to get a Building Permit that confirms the design of your build meets the Building Code.

Certificate of Title: An official document showing land ownership details, inclusive of any encumbrances (aka the bank).

Coastal Conditions/Corrosion Protection: Living close to the beautiful South West beaches means we need to protect the steel frame and other components (nails, beams etc) from corrosion. This applies to homes that sit within 10km of beaches and within 100m of rivers, canals, and the like.

Contracts Administrator (CA) & Construction Consultant (CC): Remember these two because they’re the people you talk to – a lot – during your build.

Covenants: If your block is in a housing estate, then pay attention. A covenant, or restrictive covenant, is when two parties agree to what can and can’t be done on the block. Land Developers more often than not specify design standards – which is a good thing for making the estate appealing.

Crossover: The section of driveway between your boundary and the road.

Essastone®: It’s the luxurious engineered stone we use for kitchen, bathroom and laundry benchtops in the Ventura Forever range.

Glazing: It would be easier if we simply said windows. But if we’re being nit-picky, it’s the action of installing the glass in to the window frame.

Key Handover: Our last formal get-together where we give you the keys to your home (spoiler alert, it only happens once you’ve made the final payment).

Prestart: The fun process of choosing your products and colours that make your home, a home. You’ll need to be prepared before you meet with the Prestart Consultant as this is a final step in your selections.

Residential Design Code (R-Code): This one’s a technical code set by the State Planning Policy for residential development. The R-Codes are the principles that are used to control residential development and include standards like site coverage and setbacks.

Setback: The distance of a building from the block boundary.

Site coverage: Site coverage is the maximum area of land that a building can occupy. This is a development standard imposed under the R-Codes or Local Development Plan/Detailed Area Plan.

Stormwater Drainage: Stormwater stems from rain falling on the dwelling’s roof structure. Gutters collect the water, and downpipes move the water into the soak wells buried underground (sometimes it can be a connection point installed by the council).

Three Phase Power: Is required for larger appliances and gadgets that draw more power to function. If you’re planning on air conditioning (who doesn’t), the latest trend induction cooktop or steam oven, pool or spa then three phase power is a must.

Three Point Pack: Also known as Standard Telecommunications Package which is the cabling solution that connects the home to TV, phone and internet services. It consists of a single TV point, data and phone point which meets the requirements for NBN compliance.

Waterfall Edge: Sound grand? It is. It’s a luxe finish, mostly seen with stone surfaces, where the benchtop continues down the side of the cabinetry to the floor for a beautiful seamless look

Working Drawings: Building drawings or plans that are drawn to scale which serve as a guide for the construction of the home. They are one part of your overall contract documentation and are vital for getting the necessary approvals.

Still got questions?

While we can’t go through all the building slang here, our friendly team are always on hand to clear up any questions that may arise. We will never leave you hanging; when your building contract is ready, your New Homes Consultant will walk you through the fine details.

If you choose to build your South West home with us. We’ll do everything we can to make sure your home is full of good vibes, complete with quality finishes and built with trusted local workmanship.

Because it’s our home too.