Renovation Words, in Plain English

The terms you'll see on a builder's price.

Free, no obligation. One local company prices it, not five.

Fifteen terms

First fix: Cables and pipes run before plastering.
Second fix: Sockets, switches, radiators and sanitaryware fitted after plastering.
Snag list: The list of small defects to fix before the final payment.
Retention: A sum held back until the snag list is cleared.
Contingency: Money set aside for what nobody could see at the start.
RSJ: A steel beam put in where a wall comes out.
DPC: Damp-proof course: the barrier that stops damp rising in a wall.
Tanking: Waterproofing a wall or floor below ground.
Lime plaster: The breathable plaster on solid old walls.
Return: The narrower part at the back of a Victorian or Edwardian house.
Protected structure: A building on the council's Record of Protected Structures.
Section 5: A council declaration of whether work needs planning permission.
Commencement notice: Notice to the building control authority before certain works start.
BER: Building Energy Rating, A to G.
Underpinning: Deepening a foundation under an existing wall.