Construction Terms Glossary

Conwize Construction Industry Terms Glossary Contents

Contract Documents: The Complete Set of Legal and Technical Papers Defining a Construction Contract

Term Definition: Contract documents are the complete set of written, graphic, and referenced materials that collectively define the legal and

Contract Sum: The Total, Legally Binding Price for Executing the Construction Scope

Term Definition: The contract sum is the total amount agreed upon between the client and the contractor for carrying out

Cost Analysis: Systematic Evaluation of Project Costs to Ensure Value and Control Performance

Term Definition: Cost analysis in construction refers to the detailed process of examining, categorizing, and evaluating project costs to determine

Cost Baseline: The Approved Financial Benchmark for Project Performance

Term Definition: A cost baseline is the approved, time-phased version of a project’s budget that serves as the standard for

Cost Code: The Building Block for Construction Cost Tracking

Term Definition: A cost code is a unique numerical or alphanumeric identifier assigned to specific construction activities, materials, or cost

Cost Control: Monitoring and Managing Construction Project Expenditures

Term Definition: Cost control in construction is the process of monitoring and managing project expenditures to ensure that actual costs

Cost Estimate: A Forecast of the Total Construction Cost for a Project

Term Definition - A cost estimate in construction is a detailed prediction of the total financial resources required to complete

Cost-Plus Contract: A flexible Reimbursement-Based Construction Agreement

Term Definition - A cost-plus contract is a construction agreement where the owner reimburses the contractor for actual project costs—such

Critical Path Method (CPM): A Systematic Approach to Identifying Time-Critical Construction Activities

Term Definition - The Critical Path Method (CPM) is a systematic construction scheduling technique used to determine the sequence of