Construction drawings focus on a buildings shape, appearance, and dimensions, while the written

construction specifications, or specs, focus on what materials will be used and how they should be
installed. What information goes in notes on the drawings, and what goes in the specs is up to the
designer, but a good set of detailed specs goes far beyond what could possibly be put into a drawing.
Its OK if the same information appears in both places, but if there is a contradiction, the specifications
generally take priority, at least legally.
At a minimum, building specifications list what materials to use, and call out any special installation
requirements. Specs are much more valuable if they go farther and provide detailed installation
requirements and establish quality standards for the materials and the workmanship. Equally important
is providing a measurable way to determine whether the work has met the standard.
On a large job, the specs will be broken down by trades, so there will be specs for the painting, roofing,
concrete work, flooring, and so on.
HOW MUCH TO SPECIFY
Many construction jobs are done with no or minimal written specifications. The customer doesnt really
know what he or she is getting, and often is often disappointed with the results. In the absence of a
written spec, you will often get so-called builders grade products, a euphemism for cheap and basic.
Builders-grade windows are typically solid vinyl with very cheap screens that are difficult or impossible
to remove without breaking them I know, as I have some in my current home and previous home.
Builders-grade doors, floor coverings, tubs, showers, bathroom fixtures, and cabinets share the same
minimal price and quality.
If you want better, and if you want to know ahead of time what you are getting from a contractor, you
need at least basic written specifications, identifying the products that will be used, how many coats of
paint or floor finish you are getting, and so on. Otherwise, its a complete crap shoot. If you are working
with a quality-minded, conscientious contractor, you may get an excellent job, but why leave it up to
chance?
You cant and dont want to spec every nail. But reasonably detailed specs will reduce your risk of
getting substandard materials or workmanship, and it will reduce the risks of disputes over the
completed work quality since the standards for material type, quality, and workmanship are spelled out
in black and white.
How detailed a spec should be depends on the complexity and requirements of the job. Id recommend
basic specs, such as listing the products to be used by brand and model for just about every product
and material to be used on the job. For paints and coatings, you will want to know what prep work will
be done and how many coats applied.
Beyond that, youll want detailed specs for portions of the job that are very costly (or costly to fix, such
as the foundation), critical to the success of the project, prone to problems (like radiant floors), or
require specialized products or workmanship that may be unfamiliar to the tradespeople doing the job.
If problems show up after the work is done, you will be in much stronger position to get the work
repaired if you have a written spec to fall back on. Examples of products or systems that should have
detailed installation specs, and issues to cover in the specs, include:

Foundations Concrete mix, strength, reinforcing

Concrete slabs Concrete mix, strength, reinforcement, flatness, finish, expansion/movement

joints, allowable cracks
 Roofing Type, weight/thickness/warranty period of roofing; type of underlayment, flashing, and
fasters. Carefully spec details for low-slope roofs, and for complex roofs with hips and valleys,
detailing how valleys will be waterproofed. Get detailed material and installation specs for roofing
materials such as wood, metal, tile, slate, and composite materials.

Windows and doors Specify type, model, and energy efficiency. Also provide flashing details
around doors and windows to prevent leaks, which are common here.

Over the years, Ive learned to assume nothing about a job where the scope of work is not in writing. If
the work description or construction drawing is not specific, you wont really know what youre getting
until the job is done. You may be happy with it or not, but changing it mid-job or after completion is
always expensive and who will pay for the changes will always be contested.
If you know what you want, specify it.
TYPES OF SPECIFICATIONS
Specifications may cover the properties and installation of products and materials, and systems. They
are either written as product specifications, installation specification, or performance specifications.
Product specifications.
The first type of spec, that names the product is certainly the simplest no question about what is to be
used. Language such as or equivalent or or similar are OK as long as you state in your contract that
any such substitutions must be approved by owner or owners representative.
With other types of products, such as paint, doors and windows, siding products, and composite wood
products, equivalency is harder to determine. Youre better off finding the product you like and speccing
just that.
Highly technical specs are probably overkill for most residential products, except in high-end jobs, and
in instances where the design or code calls for specialty products.
Installation specifications. Most contractors and tradespersons have their own way of doing things. In
the building trades, youll often hear things like This is how Ive always done it and Ive always done it
this way and havent had any problems.
Unfortunately the way weve always done it may not work anymore due to changes in materials,
codes, energy standards, or other factors particular to your job. The goal of installation specs is to avoid
these kinds of problems. These describe, in detail, how a product is to be installed or applied.
Quality standards. Installation specs for visible finish work often contain quality standards as well (see
also Quality Standard contract language). Quality standards are only useful if they provide an objective,
measurable way to determine if the standard has been met.
Performance specs are often used for heating, air conditioning, and other mechanical systems. They
may also be used for wells, septic systems, or other building components where the performance is
more important than the specific products and materials used. In general, this is a practical and
economical approach that puts the responsibility on the subcontractor or vendor to design the system.
They have the expertise to do this efficiently and are accustomed to putting out proposals. They may
offer some suggestions that differ from your specs, which are generally worth listening to.
WHERE TO GET CONSTRUCTION SPECS
From the architect. If you are working with an architect, he or she will provide specs as part of the
design process. Most architects use a system called MasterSpec, a comprehensive specification
system following the CSI format.
From the contractor. If the designer does not provide specs, they generally come from the contractor
as part of his proposal and may range from minimal to comprehensive.
Writing your own specs. If you are writing your own specs, you should start by identifying as many
products as you can by brand name and model.
Its even better if you take a look at these instructions and include in the specs the details that are most
important to you. Its a good way to communicate your desires and expectations to the contractor.
Even if your contractor has his own standard specs, providing him with a written list of your product
choices and preferred installation details is a good place to start and can be incorporated into the final
spec. You may modify some of your ideas after discussing them with the contractor.

The keys to a successful construction project are good planning and good
communication with your team. The planning phase everything that
happens before anyone bangs a nail is the hardest part of any project.
With good planning, the sticks and bricks part of the project goes
smoothly and quickly with few surprises. You get the project and quality
you want at the price youve agreed to without cost overruns,
delays,disputes, or disappointment. Sound good? Then read on about how
to effectively plan and manage your project.
Your building plans and specifications are your primary tools for communicating to everyone on the
building team what you want built, and how to build it. The visual plans and written specifications work
together with the plans focusing on what to build, and the specifications focusing on the how to build
it.
People in the building trades tend to be visual people, who prefer a good drawing over a wordy
description of what you have in mind to build. However, drawings rarely tell the whole story so words
must be added to describe exactly what materials to use, how to install them, and other important
details. The written portion or your plans are called the specifications or specs for short.
The design phase is the most important part of your project, so take the time necessary to develop a
complete set of plans and specs that covers every aspect of the project. Take the time needed to fine-
tune the plan to exactly what you want. This is by far the cheapest and easiest time to make changes in
your project. Erasing and moving a line on a drawing costs a small fraction of what it will cost to move a
wall once construction is under way, or completed!
Anything omitted from the plans or specs, or left ambiguous, increases your risk of extra charges,
delays, and disputes once the project is under way. Starting a project with just a rough sketch and a
vague idea of what you are building is a prescription for endless cost increases, delays, and conflicts. A
complete and thorough set of plans and specs will help you:

Get apples-to-apples estimates from different contractors.

 Establish clear quality standards for the contractor to meet.

Get what you want and expect, with no unpleasant surprises.

Avoid change orders, cost overruns, delays, and disputes.

Obtain a construction loan.

DOCUMENTATION: PUT IT IN WRITING

Despite your best efforts to nail down every detail prior to construction, there will always be loose ends to
tie up at the start of the job and during the course of the project. This may involve costs, design details,
job-site issues, contract procedures, or concerns about quality and workmanship. You dont have to
document every little item that comes up for discussion, but anything thats really important to you or
that involves a lot of money should be documented in writing.

WHY PUT IT IN WRITING?

In real estate law, anything not put in writing has little value. And although verbal contracts are, in
theory, binding on the parties who made the verbal agreement, enforcing a verbal contract is next to
impossible. Even agreeing on what you actually agreed to is difficult to establish. Therefore, if its
important, get it in writing or at least record who said what and when in a daily job log that you can
refer to if necessary. A daily or weekly scheduler, available at any office supply store, will do the trick and
help keep your notes well organized.

In general, you should document in writing any verbal communications that may have a significant impact
on costs or risk. You should also document minor items that are important to you, such as a small design
detail that you and the contractor agreed to, but might get overlooked by the workers in their day-to-day
effort to get the job done on time. Finally, you should thoroughly document (with both words and photos)
any problems or questionable procedures in case you need to make a warranty claim.

While it is best to get both parties to sign off on an agreement, documenting the conversation with a date
will give you a leg to stand on in negotiations or in resolving disputes, if it comes to that. In most cases,
documentation protects both parties, so your contractor should be happy to sign off on any changes,
delays, extras, or clarifications to the plans, specs, or contract. In many cases, the contractor will already
have documented changes with a change order, but small items may fall through the cracks.

Items to document in writing include:

Clarifications to the plans or specs.

Example: For wind protection, contractor agreed on [date] to use 8 nails per shingle as
recommended by manufacturer for high-wind areas

Any deviation from the plans or specs that you and the contractor agree to.
Example: Owner requested soundproofing wall between bedroom and master bath with
fiberglass insulation and extra layer of drywall glued to each side of wall. Also caulk any
penetrations in wall with resilient caulk. Extra work priced by time-and-materials.

Clarification or changes to contract terms.

Example: Due to weather delays, We cant finish the job on the projected completion date due to
material delays. We expect to finish by no later than [date].
 Verbal guarantees or warranties.
Examples:
(1)Dont worry Ive always done it this way and have never had any problems. I guarantee it will
work.
(2)Our basements are always bone dry with this approach. If you have any basement water
problems, we will come back and make it right.
(3) If there is settling in the backfill around the basement, well come back and regrade to create
proper drainage away from the house. [Date, description of work, warranty terms, and both
signatures required]

Any problems or questionable techniques you notice with the construction or product
installation.

Examples:
(1)You observe the roofing sub installing asphalt shingles in a snowstorm. Make note of the date
and temperature, and take photos if possible. If you later have shingles blow away because they
did not seal properly, you have a strong case that the contractor is at fault, not the shingles.

(2) You see your roof trusses mishandled by the crane and stored improperly, and notice that
some of the truss plates are pulling away from the wood.

IMPORTANT:If the issue involved materials or workmanship, take lots of photos. In many cases
the defective workmanship will only visible during the construction process and will later be
forgotten or buried in the walls, ceilings, or roof.

DOCUMENTING MEETINGS AND PHONE CALLS

Suppose at the preconstruction meeting or weekly meeting, or on a phone call, an important point is
clarified verbally, but is not reflected clearly in the existing documents. It is a good idea to document what
was agreed to. A simple letter or memo will do even an email. While it may or may not hold up in court,
thats not really the point, as its rarely cost-effective to settle residential construction disputes in court.
More importantly, its a written reminder of what you have agreed to, which will help avoid disputes later
in the job. Relying on memories of who said what is asking for trouble.To help maintain a positive
relationship positive, your memo should include your responsibilities in addition to the contractors. For
example, send a letter or email that states:

Thank you for meeting with us today to discuss our new addition. As per our discussion today, I
understand that I will be responsible for meeting all deadlines for product selection. I also agreed to keep
my dog in a crate during your work hours. You agreed to remove the sections of fence, as needed, to
access the back yard and will repair the fence and re-sod the section of lawn when your work is
completed.
Cordially, Bob and Sue Smith

DOCUMENTING PROBLEMS
A more touchy subject is documenting problems with the work in case there is a future dispute or
warranty issue that rests on whether the work was done correctly. Since memories fade, and much of the
work is hidden from view in the finished building, its important to document potential problems, as
thoroughly and as soon as possible. If there are problems later, the manufacturers warranty will likely be
voided if the installer did not follow the manufacturers instructions. In that case, the installer or contractor
is at fault and is liable for repairs if you can document the error.
Problems may be with the storage of materials, the condition of the materials when they are installed, the
type of adhesives or fasteners used, or the temperature or weather conditions during the work. For
example, lumber, roof trusses, or other materials left out in the elements to soak up water may cause
problems later. Pouring concrete into a water-filled trench will not produce strong footing. For exterior
work, note the temperature and weather conditions since many caulks, adhesive, paints, and other
finishes have strict temperature ranges, and many should not be applied to wet materials.

Contractors naturally resent the type of customer who crawls around the job site after hours with a
square and level checking every piece of lumber. This level of scrutiny is rarely justified. But if you think
something is not right, its best to address it sooner, not later.

Ask questions. As a first step, be respective and inquisitive. Ask a lot of questions, but mostly listen.
After all, this is your project and you are probably naturally curious about how things are done. Even if
you know a bit about construction, acting dumb (Columbo style, for those old enough to remember) can
be a very effective strategy for getting useful information.

Maybe the company owner or general contractor is not aware of the problem caused by a worker or
subcontractor. In that case, dont hesitate to ask the contractor. If you do not get satisfactory answers,
youll need to do a little more research, or discuss it with your architect, construction supervisor, or an
outside expert, as discussed below. Some examples:

It looks like they dug a bit too deep for the foundation and added back some fill. Do you think its
adequately compacted?
I noticed some stumps and wood scraps in the backfill around the foundation can that cause problems
with insects or settling?
Is it OK to pour the concrete footings when the forms are filled with muddy water?
I noticed that the new siding got rained on for three days before they started paintinghow long does it
need to dry before its OK to paint?
Is it a good idea to put shingles directly on the plywood with no roofing felt?
I noticed that two of the new windows are very hard to open. Anything you can do to make it easier?
I noticed that the gap between the ceramic tile and tub is grouted. Is it better to use caulk there to
prevent cracking?

And so on. Choose your battles, but dont be shy. Theres no reason you should accept shoddy
workmanship that does not comply with well established industry standards.

Consult manufacturers instructions. Since you are probably not a construction expert, in most cases
it will be hard for you to identify if work in progress is defective. However, if something doesnt look right
to you (see Trade Associations), dont hesitate to ask questions. If you dont get satisfying answers from
the contractor, you can often get information directly from the product manufacturer (or their website) or
the relevant trade association for that type of product or material. Most manufacturers of building
products publish highly detailed installation instructions. They want their products to be installed correctly
so they perform well and they want to avoid liability for product failures due to improper installation.

Call an expert. Sometimes it pays to bring in a consultant or professional to evaluate the work. For
example, if you have any questions about structural support, consider hiring a structural engineer to take
a quick look (better still, if you had him look at the plans before construction begins). On two occasions,
both involving shed dormers, I asked the contractor to beef up the structure on the advice of an engineer.
They didnt appreciate my suggestion either time, but did the extra work, which I gladly paid for. Now
when theres a couple of feet of wet snow on the nearly flat roof, I dont worry about sagging roofs and
cracking plaster.

Take lots of photos. If something significant (potentially expensive to fix) seems wrong to you, take lots
of date-stamped photos and document the work done each day, the techniques and materials used, and
any relevant conditions such as temperature and weather. Digital photos are cheap and too much
information is never a problem in these types of disputes. Tale plenty of close-shots and wider shots
showing the surrounding structure. If possible, record the specific products, adhesives, paints, or other
building products used. Then file these away in case you need them later to document how the work was
done.

Hopefully, youll never need to present your documentation to a court or insurance company, but its good
to have just in case. If the problem is significant enough that you feel the integrity of the entire project is
at risk, its probably time to speak with a lawyer well-versed in residential construction law.

THE ARCHITECTS ROLE

If youve hired an architect to oversee construction, you may think that you can rest assured that the
architect will keep a close eye on the contractor and protect you from any construction defects. This is
true to a limited extent, but does not let you off the hook.

Often the architect will recommended contractors whom he knows and trusts and, assuming you have
hired one of these, any differences of opinion over construction details will probably be worked out
amicably between the architect and contractor. If you hire a contractor unknown to the architect, how well
the two parties will work together remains to be seen.

In either case, however, the architect is typically not legally responsible for construction defects or for
preventing them. He or she is primarily an advisor to you the owner. If the architect reports to you that
there are defects or deficiencies in the work, get his or her report in writing with as much documentation
as you can. The responsibility is still on you to take action if there are serious problems with the work.

On the basis of the site visits, the Architect will keep the Owner reasonably informed about the progress
and quality of the portion of the Work completed, and report to the Owner (1) known deviations from the
Contract Documents and from the most recent construction schedule submitted by the Contractor, and
(2) defects and deficiencies observed in the Work. The Architect will not be responsible for the
Contractors failure to perform the Work in accordance with the requirements of the Contract Documents.
The Architect will not have control over or charge of and will not be responsible for acts or omissions of
the Contractor, Subcontractors, or their agents or employees, or any other persons or entities performing
portions of the Work.