THE FIELD OFFICE
Resources for Builders
Your digital tool shed. Industry terms explained, ready-to-use templates, and calculators to help you build smarter.
The Construction AI Dictionary
Essential terms for the modern builder. From traditional construction terminology to cutting-edge AI concepts.
AIA Documents
Standard contract forms published by the American Institute of Architects, widely used in the construction industry.
BuildIndex™
Intellus's public market benchmark for under-construction properties, providing standardized valuation metrics across the industry.
Change Order
A formal document modifying the original contract scope, schedule, or price after contract execution.
Computer Vision
AI technology that enables computers to interpret and understand visual information from images and videos, used for progress monitoring on job sites.
Cost-to-Complete
An estimate of remaining costs required to finish a construction project from a specific point in time.
Draw Request
A formal request from a borrower to release funds from a construction loan, typically tied to completed work milestones.
GMP (Guaranteed Maximum Price)
A contract structure where the contractor guarantees the project won't exceed a specified price, taking on cost overrun risk.
Hard Costs
Direct construction costs including materials, labor, and equipment—the physical components of a building.
IncomeProof™
Automated income verification for construction properties, analyzing rent rolls, lease agreements, and occupancy data.
Large Language Model (LLM)
AI systems trained on massive text datasets that can understand and generate human-like text. Examples include GPT-4 and Claude.
Lien Waiver
A document from a contractor, subcontractor, or supplier waiving their right to file a mechanic's lien after receiving payment.
Loan-to-Cost (LTC)
A ratio comparing the loan amount to the total project cost, used by lenders to assess risk.
Loan-to-Value (LTV)
A ratio comparing the loan amount to the appraised value of the property.
Machine Learning
A subset of AI where systems improve through experience without being explicitly programmed for each task.
MarketProof™
Real-time comparable analysis engine that benchmarks your property against similar projects in your market.
Natural Language Processing (NLP)
AI technology that enables computers to understand, interpret, and respond to human language in text or voice form.
ProgressProof™
Intellus VALUE's AI-powered progress verification system that uses photo analysis and document correlation to validate construction completion percentages.
Punch List
A document listing work items that don't conform to contract specifications, typically created near project completion.
RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation)
An AI technique that combines document retrieval with language generation, allowing AI to answer questions using your specific documents as source material.
Retainage
A percentage (typically 5-10%) withheld from progress payments until project completion to ensure contract fulfillment.
RFI (Request for Information)
A formal document used to clarify design intent, specifications, or contract requirements during construction.
Schedule of Values (SOV)
A detailed breakdown of a contract sum into individual work items, used for progress billing.
Soft Costs
Indirect project costs including design fees, permits, insurance, and financing costs.
Submittal
Documents, samples, or shop drawings submitted by contractors for architect/engineer approval before fabrication or installation.
Substantial Completion
The stage when work is sufficiently complete for the owner to occupy or use the project for its intended purpose.
Zero-Trust Security
A security model that requires strict identity verification for every person and device trying to access resources, regardless of location.
Field Templates
Ready-to-use documents designed for construction workflows. Download, customize, and deploy on your next project.
Daily Field Log
Track weather, labor, equipment, and work completed. Essential for progress documentation and dispute resolution.
Request for Information (RFI)
Standard format for clarifying design intent and contract requirements. Includes tracking fields and response sections.
Change Order Request
Document scope changes with cost and schedule impacts. Supports both owner-initiated and contractor-initiated changes.
Safety Incident Report
OSHA-aligned incident documentation including near-misses, injuries, and corrective actions.
Punch List Template
Track completion items by location, trade, and priority. Exportable for final walkthrough coordination.
Submittal Log
Track submittal status, review cycles, and approval dates across all trades and specification sections.
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