A Request for Information (RFI) submitted during construction is usually an argument over money. An RFI submitted during preconstruction is a shield that protects the General Contractor's fee. If the architectural drawings are ambiguous, you must force the design team to commit to a detail before the bid is awarded.
The Anatomy of a Perfect Pre-Bid RFI
Architects and engineers are inundated with questions during the bid phase. If you ask a vague question ("What do we do here?"), you will get a vague answer ("See architectural plans"). A professional estimator writes RFIs that force a binary response.
- Bad RFI: "Who provides the VAV controls?"
- Good RFI: "Drawing M-101 shows VAV boxes, but the electrical schedule E-500 shows no power to these units. Please confirm if Division 26 is to provide power, and if Division 23 or 26 is to provide the DDC controls and integration. If not answered, we will exclude DDC controls from our base bid."
Missed: Elevator Guide Rail Supports
The architect specifies the elevator. The structural engineer assumes the steel detailer will handle the rail supports. The steel detailer only draws what the structural engineer stamped. The gap is caught when the elevator installer arrives and has nothing to weld to.
We overlay the elevator manufacturer's shop drawings with the structural steel plans. If the required tube steel (HSS) guide rail supports are not shown on the structural drawings, we immediately issue an RFI.
Common RFI Triggers During Estimating
Our estimating team generates an RFI log for every project. We specifically look for:
- Spec vs. Plan Conflicts: The spec book calls for TPO roofing, but the roof plan details EPDM. Which governs?
- Owner-Furnished, Contractor-Installed (OFCI): If the owner provides the light fixtures, who unloads the trucks, inventories the boxes, stores them, and handles damage claims?
- Undefined Demolition: "Remove existing slab as required." This is unbiddable. The RFI must force the engineer to define the exact footprint and depth of demolition.
Using RFIs to Level Subcontractors
When the architect answers a pre-bid RFI, that answer must be immediately disseminated to all bidding subcontractors as an Addendum. If Subcontractor A includes the RFI clarification in their bid, and Subcontractor B does not, you must "plug" Subcontractor B's bid during leveling to account for the new scope.