Glossary

40 building, flood, permit and money terms in plain English. Every fact links to its source.

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Allowance: An allowance is a budgeted amount in a contract for items not yet chosen, such as tile or lighting fixtures.

Base flood elevation: Base flood elevation (BFE) is the height that floodwater has a 1 percent chance of reaching or passing in any given year, as shown on FEMA flood maps.
Building height limit: A building height limit is the tallest a structure may be under local zoning, measured by a method the code defines.
Building permit: A building permit is written approval from the local government to start construction after it reviews your plans against the code.

Certificate of appropriateness: A certificate of appropriateness is approval from a historic review board for exterior work, new construction, or demolition in a local historic district.
Certificate of occupancy: A certificate of occupancy is the document a building department issues when a finished building passes final inspection and may be lived in.
Change order: A change order is a signed amendment that changes the scope, price, or schedule of a construction contract.
Construction loan: A construction loan is a short-term loan that pays for building a home, with funds released in stages as work progresses.
Construction-to-permanent loan: A construction-to-permanent loan covers the build and then converts to a regular mortgage after the home is finished.
Cost-plus contract: A cost-plus contract has the owner pay the actual cost of the work plus a set fee or percentage to the builder.

Design flood elevation: Design flood elevation is the height a local government requires for the lowest floor, usually the base flood elevation plus any required freeboard.
Design-bid-build: Design-bid-build is a delivery method where an architect completes the design first and separate builders then bid to construct it.
Design-build: Design-build is a delivery method where one company takes responsibility for both the design and the construction of a project.
Draw schedule: A draw schedule lists the building milestones that trigger each release of money from a construction loan.

Elevation certificate: An elevation certificate is a form completed by a licensed surveyor or engineer that records a building's floor height against the base flood elevation.

FEMA 50 percent rule: The FEMA 50 percent rule requires a building in a flood hazard area to be brought up to current flood standards when repairs or improvements reach half its market value.
FEMA flood zone AE: Zone AE is a high-risk flood area on FEMA maps where a base flood elevation has been determined and flood insurance is required with a federally backed mortgage.
FEMA flood zone VE: Zone VE is a coastal flood area with a 1 percent or greater annual chance of flooding plus added hazard from storm waves.
Fixed-price contract: A fixed-price contract sets one total price for a defined scope of work before construction starts.
Flood insurance rate map: A flood insurance rate map (FIRM) is the official FEMA map that shows flood zones and base flood elevations for a community.
Flood vents: Flood vents are openings in the walls of an enclosure below the flood elevation that let water pass through and equalize pressure on the walls.
Floor area ratio: Floor area ratio (FAR) is the total floor area of a building divided by the area of its lot, a number that caps how much can be built.
Florida Building Code: The Florida Building Code is the statewide set of construction rules for design, wind, flood, energy, and safety that local building officials enforce.
Freeboard: Freeboard is extra height added above the base flood elevation as a margin of safety for the lowest floor of a building.

Grand tree: A grand tree is a class of protected tree in the City of Tampa tree code that gets extra protection during construction and removal.

Impact windows: Impact windows use laminated glass and strong frames that are tested to resist wind-borne debris during a hurricane.

Local historic district: A local historic district is an area where a city board reviews exterior changes and new buildings to protect the historic character.
Lot coverage: Lot coverage is the share of a lot that zoning allows buildings and other covered structures to occupy.

Private provider: A private provider is a licensed professional that a property owner hires under Florida law to review plans or perform inspections in place of the local building department.
Punch list: A punch list is the final list of small fixes and unfinished items found during a walkthrough before closeout.

Seawall: A seawall is a vertical wall along a shoreline or canal that holds back water and protects the land behind it.
Setback: A setback is the minimum distance zoning requires between a building and a lot line, such as the front, side, or rear property line.
Spec home: A spec home is a house a builder designs and builds before a buyer is chosen, then sells when it is finished.
Special flood hazard area: A special flood hazard area (SFHA) is the part of a FEMA map where federal floodplain rules apply and flood insurance is mandatory for federally backed loans.
Storm surge: Storm surge is the rise of seawater above normal tides that a hurricane or tropical storm pushes onto land.
Substantial damage: Substantial damage means repair costs equal or exceed 50 percent of a building's market value before the damage, which triggers current flood code.
Substantial improvement: Substantial improvement means a rebuild or addition costing 50 percent or more of a building's market value, which requires the whole building to meet current flood rules.

Tear-down: A tear-down is an older house bought mainly for its lot, with plans to demolish it and build a new home.

Wind-borne debris region: A wind-borne debris region is an area defined in the Florida Building Code where exterior openings must be impact resistant or covered with approved shutters.

Zoning: Zoning is the set of local rules that controls how land may be used and how large and where buildings may sit.

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