Construction Management Glossary

The original approved project schedule that becomes the fixed reference point for measuring progress - any deviation from the baseline tells you exactly how far ahead or behind the project is.

A complete list of every material, labour item, and work package needed for a project, with quantities and rates - the foundation for cost estimation and contractor billing.

A digital 3D model of a building that contains not just geometry but data - material specifications, cost information, scheduling data, MEP routing, and structural details - enabling coordination and clash detection before construction begins.

The systematic process of testing, verifying, and documenting that all building systems - HVAC, electrical, plumbing, fire safety, lifts, DG sets - work as designed and meet performance specifications before handover.

The longest sequence of dependent tasks that determines your project's earliest possible finish date. Delay any task on this path, and the entire project slips.

A daily record of work completed, labour deployed, materials consumed, equipment used, and issues encountered on a construction site - the raw data that feeds every project management decision.

The contractually mandated period after project completion (typically 12-60 months) during which the contractor or developer must repair any defects that emerge in the completed work - at their own cost.

A method that compares planned progress, actual progress, and actual costs at any point in a project - telling you if you're ahead, behind, over budget, or under.

A horizontal bar chart that shows project tasks on the Y-axis and time on the X-axis, with each bar representing a task's start date, duration, and finish date - the most common visual representation of a construction schedule.

A short-term rolling schedule - typically 2 to 4 weeks - that breaks the master plan into daily actionable tasks for site teams, focusing on what's about to happen rather than the full project timeline.

The process of coordinating Mechanical (HVAC), Electrical, and Plumbing systems within a building to ensure ducts, conduits, pipes, and cables don't clash with each other or with structural elements.

A structured list of inspection points that must be verified and documented at specific construction stages - ensuring work meets specifications, codes, and quality standards before being covered by subsequent work.

Adherence to India's Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 - the regulatory framework that mandates project registration, timeline commitments, financial transparency, and buyer protection for all residential and commercial developments.

A formal question from the contractor or site team to the design team, seeking clarification on drawings, specifications, or scope - essential when construction details are ambiguous or conflicting.

The process of adjusting a project schedule to resolve resource conflicts - when the same crew, equipment, or material is needed in two places at the same time, resource leveling decides which task gets priority.

A periodic payment certificate submitted by the contractor for work completed during a specific period - calculated by measuring actual quantities executed against BOQ rates, minus retention and previous payments.

A graphical curve that plots cumulative progress or cost against time, showing planned vs actual trajectory - called an S-curve because healthy projects start slow, accelerate in the middle, and taper off at the end.

A punch list of defects, incomplete items, and quality issues found during inspection of completed work - the final checkpoint before a unit or area is accepted as finished.

A formal change to the original scope, specification, or quantity of work in a construction contract - documenting what changed, why, and at what cost.

A hierarchical breakdown of a construction project into smaller, manageable work packages - from project level down to individual tasks that can be scheduled, costed, and assigned.