Common Terms
Construction & Financial Glossary
The language we use across every calculator, estimate PDF, and business tool—defined in plain English.
We standardize math inputs (units, rates, spacing) and outputs (LF, SF, CY, BF, $, %) so crews see familiar terms across framing, concrete, roofing, and business calculators.
Lineal Foot (LF)
A straight measurement of length in feet, independent of width or height.
Square Foot (SF)
Area equal to a square that is one foot on each side; used for coverage quantities.
Cubic Yard (CY)
Volume equal to 27 cubic feet; standard unit for ready-mix concrete.
On Center (OC)
Spacing measured from the center of one framing member to the center of the next.
Waste Factor
Extra material added to cover cuts, damage, and field adjustments.
Pitch (x/12)
Roof slope expressed as inches of rise over 12 inches of run.
Board Foot (BF)
Lumber volume unit equal to 1" × 12" × 12" (one-twelfth of a cubic foot).
Financial & Business Terms
Direct Cost
All variable job costs (labor, materials, subs) before overhead and profit.
Default Unit: $
Also called: job cost, cost of goods, cogs
Overhead Recovery
Percent added to direct cost to cover company overhead.
Default Unit: %
Also called: overhead, overhead rate
Target Profit Margin
Desired profit as a percent of revenue after cost and overhead.
Default Unit: %
Also called: target margin, profit margin
Markup on Cost
Percent uplift applied to cost to reach selling price.
Default Unit: %
Also called: markup, markup rate
Bid / Selling Price
Customer price that covers cost, overhead, and profit target.
Default Unit: $
Also called: sell price, bid price
Gross Profit
Selling price minus direct cost and overhead.
Default Unit: $
Also called: gross profit dollars
Gross Margin
Gross profit expressed as a percent of selling price.
Default Unit: %
Also called: margin, gross margin percent
Base Wage
Hourly wage paid to the field worker before burden.
Default Unit: $/hr
Also called: hourly rate, pay rate
Labor Burden
Payroll taxes, benefits, and insurance as a percent of wage.
Default Unit: %
Also called: burden, burden rate
Overhead Allocation
Share of company overhead assigned per labor hour.
Default Unit: %
Also called: overhead per hour, labor overhead
Burdened Labor Rate
Base wage plus labor burden dollars.
Default Unit: $/hr
Fully Loaded Rate
Burdened rate plus overhead allocation.
Default Unit: $/hr
Also called: loaded labor rate
Billable Rate
Charge rate to the customer that includes profit target.
Default Unit: $/hr
Also called: charge rate, sell rate
Profit per Hour
Billable rate minus fully loaded labor cost.
Default Unit: $/hr
Cost per Lead
Marketing spend required to acquire a single lead.
Default Unit: $
Also called: cpl
Close Rate
Percent of leads that convert to sold jobs.
Default Unit: %
Also called: win rate, conversion rate
Average Job Value
Typical revenue per closed job.
Default Unit: $
Also called: avg ticket, average revenue
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
Cost to acquire a paying customer based on CPL and close rate.
Default Unit: $
Also called: cac
Revenue per Lead
Average revenue generated per inbound lead after close rate.
Default Unit: $
Payback Ratio
Average job value divided by customer acquisition cost.
Default Unit: x
Also called: roas, return on ad spend
Gross Revenue
Total top-line revenue before deductions and tax.
Default Unit: $
Also called: revenue
Blended Tax Rate
Combined state, local, and other applicable tax percentage.
Default Unit: %
Also called: tax rate
Deductions
Deductible expenses taken before calculating tax.
Default Unit: $
Taxable Income
Revenue minus deductions used to calculate tax owed.
Default Unit: $
Projected Tax
Taxable income multiplied by the blended tax rate.
Default Unit: $
Effective Tax Rate
Tax owed divided by gross revenue, expressed as a percent.
Default Unit: %
Net Income After Tax
Gross revenue minus projected tax owed.
Default Unit: $
Also called: after-tax profit, net profit
Tax Savings
Tax avoided because of deductions taken.
Default Unit: $