Specifications are a staple of construction projects, both large and small. They are also an essential part of ensuring contractors deliver high quality construction, meeting the project owner’s requirements.
In a previous article, we’ve talked at length about what construction specs are, but how do you do know if the specification you’re reading is good enough to work from?
Here’s a non-comprehensive list of five crucial things to look for in your construction specs.
1. Scope of Work, General and Contractual Requirements (Division 00 & 01)
This section is the foundation of your estimating work, defining the breadth of your responsibility and the non-technical rules of the project.
- Why it’s Important: It tells you what you are pricing (including items like general conditions, temporary facilities, testing and warranties) and how you must execute the contract (e.g., insurance minimums, schedule constraints, payment terms). Misunderstanding the scope can lead to omitting entire sections of work or failing to include mandatory soft costs.
- Where to Look:
- Division 00 – Procurement and Contracting Requirements: Good specifications will include references to documents like the agreement, general conditions, supplementary conditions and insurance requirements.
- Division 01 – General Requirements: This section details temporary facilities, submittals, quality control (QC), cleaning, project closeout procedures and allowances or unit prices. Good specifications will clearly call attention to the Summary of Work and Temporary Facilities sections.
2. Allowances and Unit Price Schedules (Division 01)
These sections define costs that the owner has either fixed or wants to have associated with rates.
- Why it’s Important: Allowances are predetermined lump sums for items whose final selection is pending. To properly estimate the project, it’s ideal to include the exact allowance value in the base bid and understand what it covers (material only, or material and installation). Unit prices are pre-agreed costs for changes in scope (like extra cubic yards of excavation or linear feet of piling) and must be included in the cost estimate.
- Where to Look:
- Division 01 – General Requirements: Good specifications will usually contain a dedicated section like Section 01 21 00 – Allowances or Section 01 22 00 – Unit Prices.
- Good specifications will contain clear language defining the allowance so that a contractor knows what it covers and what it will not cover.
3. Material Quality and Performance Requirements (Divisions 02–48)
The technical divisions detail the specific products and standards required for construction.
- Why it’s Important: The cost difference between a standard product and a high-performance or custom product can be substantial. Good construction specs will define required manufacturers, model numbers, physical properties (e.g., strength, R-value, fire rating), and installation tolerances.
- Where to Look:
- Part 2 – Products within any technical section (e.g., Section 04 21 13 – Brick Masonry). This part lists acceptable manufacturers, product names, material composition and performance standards (like ASTM or UL ratings).
- Look for phrases like “Basis of Design” or “Approved Equal,” which dictate the quality level and substitution process.
4. Installation and Execution Requirements (Divisions 02–48)
This covers the required quality and coordination of the labor required to complete the construction project.
- Why it’s Important: The labor hours required are directly affected by the complexity and quality demanded during installation. Specs often require specific preparatory work, testing/inspection procedures and detailed methods of assembly that are more time-consuming than standard practice.
- Where to Look:
- Part 3 – Execution within any technical section. This details surface preparation, sequencing, site tolerance levels and specific installation methods.
- Well-written construction specs will clearly articulate any requirements for certified installers or manufacturer supervision, which are hard costs to include.
5. Owner-Supplied Items (Division 01 or Technical Sections)
As the name implies, these are items the owner is responsible for purchasing and providing to the contractor.
- Why it’s Important: If an item is owner-supplied, your estimate should not include the material cost for that item. However, your estimate must still include the cost for receiving, handling, storage and installation (labor) of that material unless explicitly excluded. Misidentification of owner-supplied items leads to either double-billing the owner (including material cost) or missing the associated labor cost.
- Where to Look:
- Division 01 – General Requirements (a specific section or in the Summary of Work).
- Part 2 – Products of technical sections will always indicate that a specific product is “Owner-Supplied” in a well-written construction specifications document.
To help ensure Scope of Work completeness, Gordian has developed an AI-driven SOW generation assistant that translates high-level construction specifications into detailed division by division project scope documentation. For an interactive tour of the Gordian FlashTM AI Scope of Work Assistant, visit Gordian.com.
