What Is The Purpose Of Construction Specifications? Exploring Their Importance

A construction project has many moving parts that must work together to succeed. To do so, each material, activity, and process needs to be planned to the smallest detail to ensure the project runs smoothly with no cost overruns or delays.

However, planning can only get you so far if it is not appropriately communicated to the right stakeholders. It is no secret that issues with communication in construction projects can account for a big percentage of time delays and cost overruns, which makes having detailed information available for everyone a priority. That is where construction specifications come into play.

Construction specs serve as powerful information hubs for project stakeholders, ensuring every detail is specified without room for misinterpretation or error. But what is the true value of specs? This blog post provides a comprehensive definition, a detailed analysis of the importance of specification tools, the different types of construction specifications, and an explanation of some of the key benefits of specs in construction.

What Are Specifications In Construction?

Construction specifications, also known as construction specs, are written documents that describe the scope and methods of work, materials, workmanship, permits, timelines, etc., for a project that will be placed under contract.

Specs are generated during the design phase and serve to connect the design and construction stages of the project to ensure no discrepancies occur between the initial idea and what actually is built. They are often handed over to contractors and subcontractors as part of the contract documentation to use as guidelines for carrying out their work. In some cases, subcontractors only receive the portion of the specs that relate to their scope of work instead of the entire document.

The general contractor also uses specs to define the schedule and organize the delivery of materials or equipment. The project owner might also use them once the project is completed to carry out inspections and evaluate the work.

Construction companies in North America mostly use the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) MasterFormat to organize specs. MasterFormat provides templates that organize the information in a list of Divisions and Sections to make it easier to find. In the UK, a popular classification standard is the Uniclass 2015 from the NBS, which uses interconnected tables to classify information.

Who Generates Construction Specifications

Construction specs are usually technical documents generated by architects, engineers, and other professionals with the necessary expertise to gather the information. The documents are usually put together in a digital or paper format called a “spec book” and used throughout the entire project as guidelines for the work to be completed.

In bigger or more complex projects, the owner might hire a spec writer to carry out the work. These professionals are qualified to take what they know from the project and put it into a concise and understandable format that anyone can understand. Spec writers can work in-house for an architectural firm or as independent consultants with the help of professional construction specification tools.

Drawings vs. Specifications

In many cases, the words construction drawings and construction specifications are used interchangeably. However, while both are valuable construction documents, they differ in format and scope.

Drawings are visual representations of the building project. They tell you where each element fits and how it should look. Specs, on the other hand, are written documents that describe the project in terms of materials, regulatory requirements, pricing, workmanship, and more. They go beyond just telling you where something goes to how to install it, the material, the color, and much more.

Types Of Construction Specifications

Different types of construction specifications are used for different projects. For informational purposes, we will explain these types as separate things, but in most cases, projects use more than one type for distinctive design elements. Let’s explore them in detail below.

• Prescriptive specifications: Also known as descriptive specifications, they outline the exact materials, installation methods, workmanship quality requirements, and other elements of the project. They are the most detailed type of specs and are widely used in projects where the owner wants to ensure the designer’s vision is executed exactly as intended. This approach reduces the risk of misunderstandings or misinterpretations from the contractor, as everything is outlined from the beginning. Prescriptive specifications also include details about building codes and safety standards that contractors must follow.

• Performance specifications: This type of specification describes the operational requirements of the finished project without providing detailed instructions on how to achieve them. It is up to the contractor to analyze which materials and methods are better to complete the work as long as the final product meets the requirements. The main advantage of this spec type is that it allows the contractor to leverage their expertise and implement innovative technologies or cost-effective solutions that the client may be unaware of. However, it also leaves room for varied interpretations of the project requirements, which can lead to costly reworks, which is why they are mainly used for straightforward and not-too-complex projects.

• Proprietary specifications: This type of spec is used when a specific brand, model, or other defined detail needs to be used to carry out the work. Historically, proprietary specs have been used mostly in renovation projects where details about specific materials are needed to ensure the new construction matches what is already in place. However, they have gained popularity in recent years as the need to specify granular details increases. In fact, most manufacturers include a spec sheet with the materials or product purchases to include in the specifications. Proprietary specifications can be closed, with no substitutions allowed, or opened, allowing for other alternatives.

The Value Of Construction Project Specifications

Disputes between contractors and clients are common in construction projects. Most of these disputes happen due to misunderstandings or missing specifications about how the work should be carried out. Some of these discrepancies can lead to accidents or failures when the building is already being operated, making using specifications more critical than ever.

Experts in the field highlight specifications as one of the key elements driving improvement and innovation in construction projects. This is not surprising, as successful construction projects require as much detail as possible.

With that in mind, let’s explore some of the key benefits of specs in construction.

Improved communication and relationships

Probably one of the biggest benefits of using specifications in construction projects is the fact that they boost communication and ensure good relationships between contractors and the project owner. Specs detail all the necessary information from the design to ensure the construction process is carried out according to plan. This prevents misunderstandings that can generate disputes and relationship challenges between parties as expectations are set from the get-go.

Enhanced productivity

It is not a secret that construction productivity has always been challenging for the industry. With the rise of modern construction management software with multiple collaboration features, this challenge has been more or less tackled. However, collaboration technology can only get you so far without the right information. Building specifications ensure all the information is delivered to contractors and available in a digital format so they can know exactly what to do and expect from each work. This avoids delays due to misunderstandings and allows for better task planning, significantly enhancing productivity.

Quality assurance

As mentioned, specs in construction projects offer detailed information about all aspects of a build, from materials, colors, and finishes to safety codes and standards it needs to follow. This sets a clear quality standard for the work to be completed, ensuring no issues occur that can interfere with the expected outcomes. That is why specs are also used as guidelines to cross-check the work that is completed, as the information they provide has been carefully put together by a team of experts.

Error-less procurement process

The details provided by construction specs can improve the construction procurement process. Information about what materials, finishes, equipment, etc., they must procure is available from the early planning stages. This ensures an error-free process that prevents procurement cost overruns. Plus, it allows for efficient planning for the delivery of materials, as timelines are also specified in the spec’s documents.

Accurate cost estimations

The construction cost estimation process relies on specifications to provide details about materials and labor requirements. Detailed specs can significantly improve the accuracy of the estimates, which in turn avoids cost overruns or delays that can affect the project’s profitability.

How To Generate Successful Construction Specs

As you’ve learned by now, specs are fundamental to a project’s success, so they should be taken seriously. Many people might consider the process tedious and time-consuming. Luckily, this is not the case anymore, as innovative software solutions have been developed to make it faster and more efficient.

For example, RIB SpecLink, our platform for construction specifications, is a cloud-based solution that centralizes the spec writing process by offering all project teams access to contribute with specs while ensuring that spec experts control the final output. Plus, specs can be accessed from any browser-enabled device, ensuring full accessibility and collaboration across the entire project.

That said, specialized software can only take you so far if the process is not approached correctly. Below are some tips to help you ensure success!

Don’t be afraid to get specific

The best advice we can give you is not to be afraid of getting specific. Spend the necessary time ensuring that the project vision is accurately portrayed so that the rest of the project stakeholders can use it as a guideline for their work. Specialized software like RIB SpecLink offers advanced functions to identify conflicts and considerations to improve outcomes, reducing the risk of errors or omissions. Plus, the software has a 10+ year strategic relationship with the CSI, meaning all features are developed with their best practices in mind.

Follow the 5C’s framework

As mentioned earlier in the post, spec writing requires thoughtful planning, creative thinking, and the ability to present complex information in an understandable format. To do so, we recommend following the 5Cs of specification.

• Clear: Use clear language that is understandable for everyone in the project. Make sure all roles and responsibilities are clearly defined, all acronyms, abbreviations, and terminology are defined, all repetition has been removed, and all unnecessary legal jargon is removed, among other things.
• Concise: Write concisely. Avoid using wordy sentences that make reading the document more difficult. An active voice is recommended to make the content more specific and direct to the responsible parties.
• Complete: Check that the information is deep enough to add value. Concise does not mean incomplete!
• Correct: Make sure you cite updated standards and that the information is only mentioned once and in the correct place.
• Consistent: Keep consistency in terms of terminology, structure, and style. Everything should be easy to navigate and understand.

Offer training and accessibility

Project teams need to be able to access and understand construction specs to use them correctly. For example, an estimator needs to understand the different sections of the construction specifications to prepare for bidding. Likewise, the owner or project manager needs to be able to read the spec documents to confirm that the work complies with the specifications. That is why we recommend offering training to ensure everyone is familiar with the formats and the information contained to prevent any issues down the line.

But it does not stop with training. As mentioned, many stakeholders will need access to specs to reference the information contained in them. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to provide full accessibility but in a controlled environment. Software like RIB SpecLink functions in the cloud, meaning anyone can access the documentation for any device with an internet connection. Plus, our platform allows collaborative document editing with the possibility to track any changes and ensure transparency for an efficient workflow.

Final Thoughts

As you learned throughout this post, specifications in construction play a crucial role in a project’s success. They ensure that all parties are clear about their scope of work and that healthy relationships can be built during the project lifecycle. They are also crucial in contract agreements, making them quite valuable for construction companies.

Mastering the process is a journey that requires continuous improvement and the involvement of all stakeholders to avoid misunderstandings or disconnections that affect the project. Following best practices and supporting your team with the right technology can significantly impact the process. Specialized software substantially cuts the time it takes to write specifications thanks to automation and features that make the process much easier and more efficient.

RIB SpecLink is a state-of-the-art spec software with years of experience in the industry and more than 25.000+ users. Our platform has collaboration at its core to ensure specs can be written and supported by the expertise of all project stakeholders. Our custom templates speed up editing, increasing productivity and lowering costs. If you want to test these and a range of other innovative functionalities to take your specifications process to the next level, get a demo of RIB SpecLink today!