I come from a custom residential background and am working on some commercial finish out projects. All of our Specs have been written in the drawings sheets via general notes, schedules, and call-outs. This has worked so far, but I want to improve the quality of our contract docs by creating a project book that contains the General Requirements, full (3-part) specs, partial specs, and even cutsheets. The thing is, I can't find a crash course on how large firms and CSI intned for the industry to implement proper specs... In other words, how do you tie all this stuff together? Does anyone know of a resource that can help? Thanks for any help!
P.S., I've been practicing since 2005, so I need something that gets straight to the point rather than a general overview.
curtkram
May 13, 19 9:13 pm
we keynote our drawings. Instead of a note saying "gyp bd" it's a little oval that says "09.29"
senjohnblutarsky
May 14, 19 8:40 am
As a guy who does a lot of renovation work, I absolutely hate getting a building that has some version of this. Inevitably, I only get drawings. There's no specbook and nothing that the oval references included in the set.
thatsthat
May 14, 19 9:36 am
We keynote drawings as well, but include the legend for the keynotes on each sheet where keynotes appear. It is so annoying to flip back and forth between the main legend sheet and the sheet I am looking at to figure out the notes; I just end up writing them in anyway. Additionally, using condoc numbers, we change the formatting so the condoc number appears along with the note. ex: "08000-01 - Provide door."
Almosthip7
May 14, 19 11:55 am
Keynotes are for lazy drafters.
b3tadine[sutures]
Aug 23, 22 4:49 pm
Hip, explain, or you just being pfunny, hun?
Everyday Architect
May 14, 19 2:10 am
Here are some resources that can help:
CSI’s Project Delivery Practice Guide
CSI’s Specifications Practice Guide
CSI’s MasterFormat, SectionFormat, and PageFormat
US National CAD Standard
AIA’s Architect’s Handbook of Professional Practice
If you can’t find the answers you’re looking for there, you probably aren’t asking the right questions.
For a crash course, I’d recommend seeking out a consultant with some time on their hands.
senjohnblutarsky
May 14, 19 8:39 am
Masterspec SpecBuilder is easy enough to use. It has editors notes and various other hints for your use. It's not terribly difficult to use. Once you've gone through the question/answer stuff, you just pare out whatever else isn't needed.
I'm a firm believer in the idea that specifications should always be done in a subtractive manner, not in an additive way. There are a few spec programs that are more additive. I always feel like I'm going to miss something with those.
Rusty!
May 14, 19 10:05 am
I've done specs for all kinds of offices. What separates really good teams from bad ones is level of internal organization. This will vary from office to office but also from team to team within same firm.
Better ones do rely on some kind of a keynoting system to keep everything organized. But it is possible to go overboard with them and get completely lost in a list that has thousands of entries. Good rule of thumb is it should be keynoted if assembly has an associated basis of design product. FibreC rainscreen wall panels? Kemper green roof? Pella double hung unit windows? Epoxy terrazzo in the lobby? Have a keynote for all of these that shows up in drawings and specs. Should you keynote joint sealants and tile grout? Probably not. These can live as schedules in specs in a well specified project. Should you keynote drywall? If you have 3 types of drywall in the project, then probably not.
Biggest challenge for large commercial projects is sheer level of information that needs to be communicated. Once you have lost track it is really hard to recover. Be as organized as possible and drawings and specs will come together. There is no 1 correct way of doing it.
SneakyPete
May 14, 19 12:46 pm
Important to use the exact same language in your notes and your specs so that there's no ambiguity which could lead to costly change orders. Putting the spec number into the note alongside the general language is a great hybrid so the specs can be relied upon when there's not enough information in the drawings.
Front end usually says some version of: Specs and Drawings are complementary, one does not take precedence over the other. When there's a question, ask the Architect.
Non Sequitur
May 14, 19 1:11 pm
A nice rug really ties drawings together.
archanonymous
May 14, 19 11:09 pm
I think a nice piece of ribbon or a bow is a great way to deliver the drawings and specs together to the contractor. I've also seen more artisinal approaches with picnic baskets, or the classic corporate one of the enormous three ring binder.
jpilus
Dec 5, 19 4:55 pm
I would go along with Everydays response. There is no crash course. Those Practice Delivery Guides will teach you what you need to know, and your first step should be trying to pass the test for certification for Construction Documents Technology. Once you get past residential construction you really need to produce a project manual.
Miyadaiku
Aug 24, 22 1:27 am
Just take the specification information off your drawings and put it in the specs. If your terminology is the same on your drawings and specs, you should be fine. Noting a material on your drawing IS the reference to the spec. Use your judgement whether to call out a specific section for a material if it's something obscure (a unique piece of equipment that could be hard to find even in the table of contents).
For example, if you have a contractor that flips through the drawings, sees a note "PVC roofing membrane" and has a book of specs, they will go to div 07 in the specs to get the rest of the story. I've never had to write something like "refer to specification 07 XX XX" on my drawings for things like that. (YMMV, maybe I've just been lucky...)
More important than referencing specs from drawings is coordinating specs with other specs. That can be specific to your designs. GCs in my experience generally sub out the work per divisions. You don't get any say in how this happens so make sure you clearly reference what is provided within that division and what it may be related to. Be sure you don't double up specifying the same things in different sections and on the same note, don't neglect to reference things that a certain other section will require. It can result in inaccurate bids and problems on site with excess purchases or dropping the ball on who was supposed to show up with what.
Hi,
I come from a custom residential background and am working on some commercial finish out projects. All of our Specs have been written in the drawings sheets via general notes, schedules, and call-outs. This has worked so far, but I want to improve the quality of our contract docs by creating a project book that contains the General Requirements, full (3-part) specs, partial specs, and even cutsheets. The thing is, I can't find a crash course on how large firms and CSI intned for the industry to implement proper specs... In other words, how do you tie all this stuff together? Does anyone know of a resource that can help? Thanks for any help!
P.S., I've been practicing since 2005, so I need something that gets straight to the point rather than a general overview.
we keynote our drawings. Instead of a note saying "gyp bd" it's a little oval that says "09.29"
As a guy who does a lot of renovation work, I absolutely hate getting a building that has some version of this. Inevitably, I only get drawings. There's no specbook and nothing that the oval references included in the set.
We keynote drawings as well, but include the legend for the keynotes on each sheet where keynotes appear. It is so annoying to flip back and forth between the main legend sheet and the sheet I am looking at to figure out the notes; I just end up writing them in anyway. Additionally, using condoc numbers, we change the formatting so the condoc number appears along with the note. ex: "08000-01 - Provide door."
Keynotes are for lazy drafters.
Hip, explain, or you just being pfunny, hun?
Here are some resources that can help:
If you can’t find the answers you’re looking for there, you probably aren’t asking the right questions.
For a crash course, I’d recommend seeking out a consultant with some time on their hands.
Masterspec SpecBuilder is easy enough to use. It has editors notes and various other hints for your use. It's not terribly difficult to use. Once you've gone through the question/answer stuff, you just pare out whatever else isn't needed.
I'm a firm believer in the idea that specifications should always be done in a subtractive manner, not in an additive way. There are a few spec programs that are more additive. I always feel like I'm going to miss something with those.
I've done specs for all kinds of offices. What separates really good teams from bad ones is level of internal organization. This will vary from office to office but also from team to team within same firm.
Better ones do rely on some kind of a keynoting system to keep everything organized. But it is possible to go overboard with them and get completely lost in a list that has thousands of entries. Good rule of thumb is it should be keynoted if assembly has an associated basis of design product. FibreC rainscreen wall panels? Kemper green roof? Pella double hung unit windows? Epoxy terrazzo in the lobby? Have a keynote for all of these that shows up in drawings and specs. Should you keynote joint sealants and tile grout? Probably not. These can live as schedules in specs in a well specified project. Should you keynote drywall? If you have 3 types of drywall in the project, then probably not.
Biggest challenge for large commercial projects is sheer level of information that needs to be communicated. Once you have lost track it is really hard to recover. Be as organized as possible and drawings and specs will come together. There is no 1 correct way of doing it.
Important to use the exact same language in your notes and your specs so that there's no ambiguity which could lead to costly change orders. Putting the spec number into the note alongside the general language is a great hybrid so the specs can be relied upon when there's not enough information in the drawings.
Front end usually says some version of: Specs and Drawings are complementary, one does not take precedence over the other. When there's a question, ask the Architect.
A nice rug really ties drawings together.
I think a nice piece of ribbon or a bow is a great way to deliver the drawings and specs together to the contractor. I've also seen more artisinal approaches with picnic baskets, or the classic corporate one of the enormous three ring binder.
I would go along with Everydays response. There is no crash course. Those Practice Delivery Guides will teach you what you need to know, and your first step should be trying to pass the test for certification for Construction Documents Technology. Once you get past residential construction you really need to produce a project manual.
Just take the specification information off your drawings and put it in the specs. If your terminology is the same on your drawings and specs, you should be fine. Noting a material on your drawing IS the reference to the spec. Use your judgement whether to call out a specific section for a material if it's something obscure (a unique piece of equipment that could be hard to find even in the table of contents).
For example, if you have a contractor that flips through the drawings, sees a note "PVC roofing membrane" and has a book of specs, they will go to div 07 in the specs to get the rest of the story. I've never had to write something like "refer to specification 07 XX XX" on my drawings for things like that. (YMMV, maybe I've just been lucky...)
More important than referencing specs from drawings is coordinating specs with other specs. That can be specific to your designs. GCs in my experience generally sub out the work per divisions. You don't get any say in how this happens so make sure you clearly reference what is provided within that division and what it may be related to. Be sure you don't double up specifying the same things in different sections and on the same note, don't neglect to reference things that a certain other section will require. It can result in inaccurate bids and problems on site with excess purchases or dropping the ball on who was supposed to show up with what.