Glossary · General construction

Variance

Definition

Official permission to deviate from a zoning requirement (e.g., to build closer to a property line than the setback allows). Requires application and usually a hearing.

Source: Cornell Law LII — Variance

  • Setback

    The minimum required distance between a structure and the property line, street, or other features. Setbacks constrain where additions, d…

  • Zoning

    Local laws governing how land may be used and what can be built where, including size, height, and setback limits. Additions and footprin…

  • Veneer

    A thin layer of a finish material bonded to a cheaper substrate — wood veneer on cabinet panels, stone or brick veneer on walls — deliver…

  • Vapor Barrier

    A material that limits moisture diffusion through an assembly to control condensation. Correct placement is climate-dependent — wrong-sid…

  • VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds)

    Gases emitted by some paints, finishes, and adhesives that affect indoor air quality. Low- and zero-VOC products are widely available and…

  • Value Engineering

    Reviewing the design to find lower-cost ways to achieve the same function and quality — substituting materials or methods to bring a proj…

  • Takeoff

    The process of measuring quantities of materials and labor from the drawings to build an estimate. Accurate takeoffs are the foundation o…

  • Superintendent

    The on-site supervisor who runs the field operation — directing crews, sequencing trades, and enforcing safety and quality at the job site.

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