Jobsite and paperwork terms, punch lists, change orders, and the words that come up talking to a customer or a GC.
Back to the full A-Z index. Other hubs: Doors, Moldings, Stairs, Closets and Built-ins, Hardware, Joints and Cuts, Layout, Fit and Shop Talk, Tools, Fasteners, Glue and Materials, Specialty / Built-ins.
Jump to a term: Change Order · Nail Pop · Punch List · Punch Out / Punch-Out · Rough-In / Trim-Out · Scope of Work · Settling Crack · Spec (Business Sense) · Square Footage (Material Takeoff) · The Callback · Walkthrough
Change Order
Also called: CO.
A formal, signed change to the scope or price of a job after work has started.
Nail Pop
A fastener that has worked its way slightly proud of the wall or trim surface after the house settles, showing as a small bump under paint.
Punch List
Also called: punch out.
The final list of remaining or corrective items before a job is considered complete.
Do not confuse this with punching out. A punch list is the document itself, the final list of remaining or corrective items. Punching out is the crew's own pass fixing those items.
Punch Out / Punch-Out
Also called: punch out.
The crew's own final pass fixing every loose item before the customer walk.
Do not confuse this with a punch list. A punch list is the document, the final list of remaining or corrective items. Punching out is the action of fixing them, not the list itself.
Rough-In / Trim-Out
Rough-in is the framing/MEP stage before drywall, when blocking and rough dimensions get set; trim-out is the finish-carpentry phase itself.
Scope of Work
The defined boundary of what a trade is and is not responsible for on a job.
Settling Crack
A crack that appears in drywall or trim joints as a house settles after construction.
Spec (Business Sense)
Shorthand for specification, the plans/hardware/material spec sheet a crew installs to.
Square Footage (Material Takeoff)
Estimating material coverage by area, most often for shiplap or paneling jobs.
The Callback
The trade's own word for going back to fix a problem, often one someone else caused. Named the site's monthly video series.
Walkthrough
Shop talk: final walk.
A structured walk of the house, pre-job or final, to verify scope, selections or completion.
What does your crew call it? If you use a different word for something on this page, or we are missing a term you use every day, tell us and we will add it.