Glossary
Product names
Section titled “Product names”| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Story Renovations | The residential design-build product, and the brand |
| Story Design Studio | The AI design-inspiration product, at the start of the journey |
| Knotty Iron | A legacy name under the Story brand. From Knotty Iron Trading Company, Denver — the older entity behind the business, and the name of the application that has run the work for over a decade |
See the products for what each one does.
Terms that changed
Section titled “Terms that changed”The same thing, renamed with the brand. The older words still surface in documents and older records.
| You may also hear | In Story | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Estimate, Bid, Proposal | Quote | Three older terms for one thing |
| Request for Information, RFI | Issue | Broader in Story — also covers client requests |
| Selection | Finish Selections | Now part of the design phase |
| Draw | Pay Application | Same thing: a progress billing |
Design terms
Section titled “Design terms”Visioning — The earliest design phase, where your goals and taste are captured, including through questionnaires.
Scope Package — The defined scope of work coming out of visioning.
Schematic Design — Early design concepts.
Design Development — Refining the chosen concept toward buildable detail.
Final Design — The completed design the build works from.
Finish Selections — Choosing materials and finishes: tile, fixtures, and paint.
Project Scope — How much of the work Story does: Design-Build, Design-Only, Build-Only, Interiors-Only, or Furniture-Only.
Project Phase — Where a project stands: Scope → Schematic Design → Design Development → Final Design → Build.
Project and billing terms
Section titled “Project and billing terms”Project — A job being executed. Almost every record on your renovation belongs to a project.
Lead — A job before it’s won. Story’s design process attaches here, and a won lead becomes a project.
Quote — The priced proposal for your work, broken into lines by cost code.
Cost Code — The classification that groups work by trade and scope, so framing, plumbing, tile, and cabinetry each carry their own line.
Schedule of Values — The contract broken into billable line items; the basis for progress billing.
Pay Application — A request for payment for work completed to date, against the schedule of values. Called a “draw” in some residential contexts.
Change Order — A formal, priced change to contracted scope, approved before it takes effect.
Change Estimate — Pricing a change before it becomes a formal change order, so it can be reviewed and negotiated first.
Issue — A tracked question or problem on a project, with a response path back to the client.
Note — The universal attachment. Every uploaded document and comment sits on the record it belongs to, with a flag for whether the client can see it.
Retention — A percentage of each payment withheld until the work is accepted.
Punch List — The closeout list of remaining defects and unfinished items.
Daily Log — The daily field record: weather, who was on site, what happened.
Roles on your project
Section titled “Roles on your project”| Role | What they do |
|---|---|
| Project Planner | Plans and coordinates the project |
| Design Manager | Owns the design process through its phases |
| Site Manager | Runs work on site |
| Interior Designer | Produces the design |
| Client | The homeowner. Called “owner” in some screens |
| Vendor | A supplier or trade responding to purchase orders |
Commercial construction terms
Section titled “Commercial construction terms”Terms from commercial general contracting. They belong to Knotty Iron’s vocabulary rather than Story’s, and are defined here because they still appear in older records.
Submittal — A proposal to use a specific product or material, sent for approval before purchase.
Transmittal — The formal record of documents handed from one party to another: who sent what, to whom, when.
Invitation to Bid (ITB) — A request to subcontractors to bid on a scope.
Bid tabulation — Comparing subcontractor bids side by side to pick winners.
Work In Progress (WIP) — Revenue earned but not yet billed, or the reverse. A core construction accounting report.
CPM Schedule — Critical Path Method. A schedule showing which tasks determine the finish date.
Four-Week Look-Ahead — A short-range schedule of what’s coming in the next month.
Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) — A documented review of task risks before work starts.
Certificate of Insurance (COI) — Proof a subcontractor carries required coverage.