Takeoff and Estimating Glossary

British Thermal Unit

BTU is one of the most common ways to represent the capacity of heating and cooling systems. Think of it like this: A small room needs fewer BTUs to stay comfortable, and a larger room needs more BTUs because there’s more space to heat or cool.

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R-Value

R-value is a measure used in construction to determine how well a material resists heat flow and is commonly applied to insulation to improve energy efficiency in buildings.

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GEA

GEA refers to the total floor area of a building measured to the outer face of external walls, giving a complete view of the building’s overall size.

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D-Load

D-Load is the permanent weight of a building’s materials and fixed components that the structure must support over time.

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