Handbook / The document set
RFIs
A question somebody has to answer before work can carry on, and a record that you asked.
An RFI is a formal question - to the architect, the engineer, the owner - with a due date and a ball-in-court: whose problem it is right now. The point of raising one rather than sending an email is that it is dated, numbered, and sitting on the project where everybody can see it is outstanding.
An RFI
An answer that costs money becomes a change order in one action, carrying the question and the answer across with it. That link is what turns "we asked and they said do it this way" into a priced change with the reason attached.
On the Harlow job the framer found balloon framing at the bearing point with no path down to the sill. That went out as an RFI with photographs; the engineer's answer specified the column detail, and the extra work was priced as part of a change order.
Open RFIsUndoing things
| What happened | The way back |
|---|---|
| Answered wrongly | Edit the answer. The revision is visible on the record. |
| Closed too early | Reopen it. |
| Raised in error | Void it rather than deleting, so the number is not reused and the trail stays intact. |
Access: Document management.