All 100 terms
Every term in the file is listed below, followed by ten full entries so you can see the format.
- AFL
- Acrylic shutter
- As-built drawing
- Backsplash
- Ball catch
- Beading
- BOQ
- BWP ply
- Carcass
- Carpet area
- Chhajja
- Channel
- Chase
- Coving
- CP fittings
- Cut-out
- Dado
- Datum
- Defects liability
- Distemper
- Downlight
- Dry balcony
- Edge banding
- Efflorescence
- Elevation
- Emulsion
- EPC
- False ceiling
- Finished floor level
- First fix
- Fluting
- Free issue
- Gola profile
- Grout
- Gypsum board
- Handleless
- Hinge overlay
- Hollowness
- Hob
- IS 303
- IS 710
- Island
- J-profile
- Kitchen triangle
- Knock-down
- Laminate
- Lintel
- Lippage
- Loft
- Louvre
- Lumen
- MDF
- Mitre
- MR ply
- Nosing
- NOC
- OC
- Occupied fit-out
- O&M manual
- Ponding test
- POP
- Post-forming
- Primer
- Profile light
- PU finish
- Putty
- Quartz
- Raft ceiling
- RCP
- Reinstatement
- Retention
- Riser
- Rough-in
- Running foot
- Sanitaryware
- Scribe
- Second fix
- Shadow gap
- Shell and core
- Skirting
- Snag list
- Soft-close
- SPC flooring
- Splashback
- Stack
- Sunk slab
- Tandem drawer
- Templating
- Toe kick
- Turnkey
- Two-way switch
- Veneer
- Vitrified tile
- Warm shell
- Waterproofing
- WPC
- Wall unit
- Work order
- Working drawing
- Zero-clearance
| Term | What it means in Indian practice |
|---|---|
| AFL | Above finished floor level — the datum every service height is measured from |
| Acrylic shutter | High-gloss shutter with an acrylic sheet bonded to an MDF or ply base |
| As-built drawing | The drawing updated to show what was actually installed, not what was planned |
| Backsplash | The wall surface between counter and wall unit, usually 18 in high |
| Ball catch | A simple sprung catch used on light shutters without a soft-close hinge |
| Beading | A thin timber or metal strip covering a joint or an edge |
| BOQ | Bill of quantities — the measured schedule that defines the contracted scope |
| BWP ply | Boiling water proof plywood to IS 710, used in wet zones |
| Carcass | The box of a cabinet, before shutters and hardware |
| Carpet area | The usable floor area within walls, the number your interiors are priced on |
The PDF carries a one-line definition of this kind against every one of the 100 terms listed above.
How to use it
- Print it and keep it with the BOQ. Most of these terms will appear on your quotation within the first month.
- Look up anything on a quotation you cannot define. A line you cannot define is a line you cannot check.
- Learn five before your first meeting — carpet area, BWP, MR, running foot and elevation area. They cover most of the early confusion.
- Use the online glossary for the detail, where each term also carries its cost and what it is confused with.
Three terms worth knowing before you sign anything
- Elevation area versus developed area. The same wardrobe measured two ways produces numbers two and a half times apart at correspondingly different rates.
- BWP versus MR. IS 710 versus IS 303. One belongs in a sink bay and the other does not.
- Rough-in. The distance from wall to waste outlet that a WC needs. Get it wrong and the wall comes down.
The full online glossary gives each term its cost and context; the comparison guides cover the pairs people confuse.
Frequently asked questions
Which terms cause the most expensive misunderstandings?+
Carpet area versus built-up, elevation area versus developed area, and BWP versus MR plywood. The first affects what you are paying per square foot, the second affects whether two quotations are comparable at all, and the third affects whether your kitchen carcass survives ten years.
What is the difference between a working drawing and a 3D view?+
A working drawing is dimensioned and is what the site builds from. A 3D view is a render agreed for look. Where they disagree the working drawing governs, and that should be written on your design approval form. Renders shift colour with lighting settings and are not a record of a finish.
Why does 'AFL' appear on every drawing?+
Above finished floor level — the datum every service height is measured from. It matters because the finished floor is not the slab: tile, adhesive and screed can add 40 to 60 mm. A socket dimensioned from the slab rather than from AFL ends up low.
What is a shadow gap?+
A deliberate recessed gap between two surfaces instead of a joint line or a moulding. It costs more because it demands tolerance, which is exactly why it reads as expensive. A 3 mm shadow gap held across a 12 ft run is a sign of a well-run site.
Are these terms specific to India?+
Many are. Chhajja, dry balcony, sunk slab, running foot, gola profile, BWP and the IS standards are Indian practice. Others — shadow gap, reflected ceiling plan, warm shell — are international but are used here with local conventions attached.