MIMF

I'm starting a build journal so that I have all the specs, materials, hardware and techniques for each guitar I build.

Is there a term for the distance between the highest and lowest strings and the edge of the fretboard at the nut?

From FretFind2D (a site you should have bookmarked for laying out fret boards) http://www.ekips.org/tools/guitar/fretfind2d/

"The fretboard overhang is the distance from the center of outer strings to edge of nut or bridge. For fretboards with multiple scale lengths this is calculated as delta x distance, distance measured along a line drawn perpendicular to the neck's midline. There are four input modes for overhang.

Equal:
you enter a single value and the overhang will be constant.
Nut & Bridge:
allows you to specify one overhang at the nut and another overhang at the bridge.
First & Last:
allows you to specify one overhang for the first string and another for the last string.
All:
you specify an overhang for all four locations separately."

Thanks, Peter. I didn't have that site bookmarked, but I do now. "Fretboard Overhang" will do the trick.