WV General Contractor key terms

A written amendment signed by the owner and contractor that modifies the scope, price, or schedule of an existing contract. It becomes part of the contract once executed.

A formal written question from the contractor to the designer asking for clarification of drawings, specifications, or intent. Responses are documented and may later support a change order.

The longest chain of dependent activities in a project schedule. Delay on any activity in this chain pushes out the project completion date unless the schedule is adjusted.

A bar chart that plots project activities against calendar time, showing start and finish dates and overlaps. It is often paired with network logic to show dependencies.

The stage when the work is sufficiently complete for the owner to occupy and use it for its intended purpose, leaving only minor punch-list items outstanding.

A written list of incomplete or defective work items identified during a walkthrough near project closeout. The contractor must correct these items before final acceptance.

A percentage of each progress payment withheld by the owner until the project reaches specified milestones, protecting the owner against incomplete or defective work.

A periodic partial payment to the contractor based on the value of work completed and materials stored, typically supported by a pay application and schedule of values.

A breakdown of the contract sum into cost items that allocates value to each portion of the work. It is used to calculate progress payments.

A legal claim against real property filed by a party who supplied labor or materials and was not paid. It can cloud title until the claim is resolved or released.

A document in which a party gives up the right to file a mechanic's lien, either conditionally upon payment or unconditionally after payment is received.

The complete set of documents that define the agreement, typically including the agreement form, general and supplementary conditions, drawings, specifications, and addenda.

A surety instrument submitted with a bid that guarantees the bidder will enter the contract and furnish required bonds if awarded. It protects the owner from bid withdrawal.

A surety bond that guarantees the contractor will complete the work according to the contract terms. If the contractor defaults, the surety may step in to finish the job.

A surety bond that protects the owner from claims by subcontractors and suppliers who are not paid by the contractor for labor and materials on the project.

A written modification to the bidding documents issued before bids are opened. It may change drawings, specifications, or bid instructions and must be acknowledged in the bid.

A stated cost per unit of measurement, such as per cubic yard or per square foot, used to price work whose quantity is uncertain and adjusted as actual quantities are measured.

The process of measuring and listing the quantities of materials and work items from the drawings and specifications to support an estimate.

A planned allowance added to an estimate or schedule to cover known risks and uncertain conditions that are likely to affect cost or time.

A contract where the contractor agrees to perform a defined scope of work for a single fixed total price, carrying the risk of quantity and cost variations.

The practice of disclosing one subcontractor's price to competitors to obtain a lower number. It undermines fair competition and can damage subcontractor relationships.

A wall that supports structural loads from floors or a roof above it. Removing or altering it without engineered shoring and design can cause collapse.

The widened lower portion of a foundation that spreads building loads over a larger soil area to keep settlement within acceptable limits.

Steel reinforcing bars embedded in concrete to carry tensile and shear forces that plain concrete cannot resist, improving strength and controlling cracking.

A field test measuring how far a fresh concrete sample settles in a standard cone. It indicates workability and consistency of the mix.

A horizontal structural member spanning an opening in a wall to carry the loads above it and transfer them to the sides of the opening.

A material that restricts moisture movement through an assembly, such as under a slab or on the warm side of insulation, helping prevent condensation and decay.

Sheet material installed at roof edges, valleys, and wall junctions to direct water away from joints and prevent leaks into the building envelope.

The period, in hours, that a building assembly can contain a fire or maintain its structural function under standardized test conditions, as shown in the code tables.

A continuous and unobstructed path of travel from any point in a building to a public way, including exit access, exits, and exit discharge.

The building-code grouping of a structure by its intended use, such as residential or mercantile, which determines allowable height, area, and life-safety requirements.

An individual designated by the employer who, by training and experience, can identify existing and predictable hazards and has authority to take corrective action.

Systems and practices that prevent workers from falling from heights, such as guardrails, personal fall-arrest systems, and controlled access zones.

Support structures such as sheeting, bracing, or sloping used to protect workers in trenches from cave-ins and to protect adjacent structures.

The program requiring employers to inventory hazardous chemicals, obtain safety data sheets, label containers, and train workers on safe handling and exposure controls.

Gear such as hard hats, safety glasses, gloves, and high-visibility clothing worn to reduce worker exposure to workplace hazards.