They need to be their own finished, complete, stand-alone thing, especially when they are to be used by an estimator for pricing. They also describe material mixes, fabrications, and finishes, along with installation, erection, and application procedures. Reference standards involving products and installation may be listed. Special submittal requirements beyond the norm, such as unusual samples, mock-ups, special testing requirements, and maintenance materials, should be listed.
Special qualifications for manufacturers, fabricators, or installers may also be included, as well as a description of any extended or special warranty requirements. Include fabrication and workmanship requirements only when such information has an impact on product or installation grades, cost, or time scheduling.
Architectural Woodwork Institute AWI grade levels, for example, have cost ramifications and should be identified. As the design process continues, they become the basis for preparation of the project specifications.
Outline specifications serve as a checklist for the project team for choosing products and methods for later incorporation into the project manual. Properly developed outline specifications establish criteria for the final contract documents.
They also help to eliminate fragmented decision making, which can affect previous decisions and cause unnecessary changes and extra work. MasterFormat Division numbers and titles are the recommended basis for organizing outline specifications. My approach for outline specifications is to indicate what products and materials are to be incorporated into the project, and indicate anything about them, that we already know, that affects pricing.
For example, if I already know that the owner only wants to allow a few specific manufacturers for a certain product, I will indicate those manufacturers. If the owner or design team has no preference for manufacturers at DD, I will not list any manufacturers. If we already know some product options that will be used, I will indicate those. If we know finishes, I will include those. If there are special or unusual installation requirements, I will indicate those.
I will not mention typical installation requirements in an outline spec. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Latest Newsletter Podcast Company. What is a technical specification document? Why is writing a technical spec important?
Benefits to engineers By writing a technical spec, engineers are forced to examine a problem before going straight into code, where they may overlook some aspect of the solution.
Benefits to a team A technical spec is a straightforward and efficient way to communicate project design ideas between a team and other stakeholders.
Benefits to a project Investing in a technical spec ultimately results in a superior product. What to do before writing a technical spec Gather the existing information in the problem domain before getting started.
Contents of a technical spec There are a wide range of problems being solved by a vast number of companies today. Introduction a. Overview, Problem Description, Summary, or Abstract Summary of the problem from the perspective of the user , the context, suggested solution, and the stakeholders.
Context or Background Reasons why the problem is worth solving Origin of the problem How the problem affects users and company goals Past efforts made to solve the solution and why they were not effective How the product relates to team goals, OKRs How the solution fits into the overall product roadmap and strategy How the solution fits into the technical strategy d. Goals or Product and Technical Requirements Product requirements in the form of user stories Technical requirements e. Non-Goals or Out of Scope Product and technical requirements that will be disregarded f.
Future Goals Product and technical requirements slated for a future time g. Assumptions Conditions and resources that need to be present and accessible for the solution to work as described. Solutions a. What are the limitations of the solution? How will it recover in the event of a failure? How will it cope with future requirements? Monitoring and Alerting Plan Logging plan and tools Monitoring plan and tools Metrics to be used to measure health How to ensure observability Alerting plan and tools e.
Rollback Plan Detailed and specific liabilities Plan to reduce liabilities Plan describing how to prevent other components, services, and systems from being affected g.
Further Considerations a. Impact on other teams How will this increase the work of other people? Third-party services and platforms considerations Is it really worth it compared to building the service in-house? How much will it cost? How will it scale? What possible future issues are anticipated? Cost analysis What is the cost to run the solution per day?
What does it cost to roll it out? Security considerations What are the potential threats? How will they be mitigated? How will the solution affect the security of other components, services, and systems?
Privacy considerations Does the solution follow local laws and legal policies on data privacy? What are some of the tradeoffs between personalization and privacy in the solution? Regional considerations What is the impact of internationalization and localization on the solution? What are the latency issues? What are the legal concerns? What is the state of service availability? How will data transfer across regions be achieved and what are the concerns here?
Accessibility considerations How accessible is the solution? What tools will you use to evaluate its accessibility? Operational considerations Does this solution cause adverse aftereffects? How will data be recovered in case of failure? How will the solution recover in case of a failure? How will operational costs be kept low while delivering increased value to the users? Risks What risks are being undertaken with this solution?
What is the cost-benefit analysis of taking these risks? Support considerations How will the support team get across information to users about common issues they may face while interacting with the changes? How will we ensure that the users are satisfied with the solution and can interact with it with minimal support?
Who is responsible for the maintenance of the solution? How will knowledge transfer be accomplished if the project owner is unavailable? Success Evaluation a. Impact Security impact Performance impact Cost impact Impact on other components and services b. Metrics List of metrics to capture Tools to capture and measure metrics 6. Work a. Work estimates and timelines List of specific, measurable, and time-bound tasks Resources needed to finish each task Time estimates for how long each task needs to be completed b.
Prioritization Categorization of tasks by urgency and impact c. You may also see Training Sheet Templates. These Real Estate Spec Sheet Templates are ideal for reference as they come with examples linked to real estate. All the fields remain arranged in a systematic manner, which makes it an easy-to-use document. You may also see Free Timesheet Samples. Why do you need spec sheet templates? In essence, a spec sheet enlists all the vital specifications of a product or property which is meant for sale.
Hence, it calls for accuracy. Without accuracy, it would fail as a spec sheet. People from all spheres of life have benefited from spec sheets. These templates are not just handy but also extremely useful. Conclusion Download Spec-Sheet-Templates either free-of-cost or for a price. Poor: All exterior trim to be primed and painted with Benjamin Moore latex paint, or equivalent. Good: Before painting, exterior trim to have exposed knots sealed with shellac or equivalent sealer.
Exposed corners to be lightly sanded. Poor: Ceramic wall tile be installed over tile backerboard with thinset mortar. Grout shall be installed with movement joints, as needed, and sealed upon completion. All Hardibacker edges to be backed by solid framing. Grout color to be approved by owner. At all corners, tub edges, and changes of material, tile joints shall be grout-free and sealed with a resilient caulk to match the adjoining grout.
All work shall be done in a workmanlike manner. 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. MasterSpec is overkill for most residential jobs, even their Small Project Specs, which is no longer available. 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.
Spec-writing software. Some architects and contractors use spec writing software based on the CSI format. In addition to MasterSpec, software options include. 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. Most product manufacturers provide detailed instructions on the Internet.
For generic products, such as ceramic tile, you will find extensive product and installation specs published by trade associations for the industry see list of construction trade association. 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. Here is an example of a real-life spec that I wrote recently for a residential remodel. Download Sample Remodeling Spec. Construction industry standards.
Trade organizations publish extensive standards for installing plywood, hardwood flooring, ceramic tile, wood shingles, and similar generic products that may not have instructions from the individual manufacturer. They may also cite specific quality levels. For example, the Gypsum Association GA , in conjunction with three other trade associations publishes detailed specs for installing gypsumboard.
All joint compound shall be smooth and free from tool marks and ridges. Even if you have no idea what the standard states, if there are problems with the installation, you have a solid, written standard to rely on to establish whether the product was installed correctly. See list of trade associations that publish standards. Other published standards. These standards cover the entire building from foundation to roof, establishing quality standards for everything from foundation cracks to painting quality.
Each entry also includes commentary and corrective actions. A couple of examples follow:. Corrective Measure: The contractor will correct or repair the floor to meet the guideline. Drywall: Any joints that are visible from a standing position of 6 feet under normal lighting conditions are considered excessive.
Corrective Measure: One time only during the warranty period, the contractor will repair affected areas. The first standard for concrete slabs is pretty lax in my opinion. The second standard seems pretty reasonable to me. However, I would ask for a one-year warranty on the repair in the event that the repair is inadequate, or that the building continues to move and settle after one year — generally not a good sign.
For a homeowner unfamiliar with the nitty-gritty details of construction, the book can provide a good introduction to the many types of quality issues that come into play and can serve as a starting point for establishing minimum quality standards acceptable to both parties.
If a particular aspect of the job — for example, the interior woodwork, is of particular importance to you, it may make sense to establish a specific standard, borrowing from the style, if not the specific dimensions, of this book.
In most cases, the standards established by individual trade organizations for drywall, ceramic tile, hardwood flooring, wood siding, etc.
If you are using an architect, he is likely to reference industry standards through the Master Spec or a similar spec writing system. Also most custom builders would aim for higher standards in their work due to professional pride, and their desire to satisfy their customers and get repeat work and referrals.
Back to Top invislink invislink2. We have zoning and planning approvals for an addition, but the drawings are not very detailed and there are no written specifications. Can you provide guidance on where to look to move the project forward. Even then, you will need to scrutinize the bids carefully as each may vary a little in terms of specifications and exclusions. Many contractors will not even bid a project with plans that are fuzzy, so you may need to go to another architect or draftsman to convert your rough plans into detailed architectural drawings with at least the basic construction specs.
The building department may require the same before issuing a permit. If you do not provide detailed specs, then the bids will usually be accompanied by a set of specs from the contractor. These can vary from very basic and generic to highly detailed, but often tend toward the basic — often just a laundry list of the their standard procedures.
The bids may also include allowances for items like kitchen cabinets and floor coverings that are not yet selected. You want to make sure that these are adequate for the products you have in mind. Or, if possible, make the selections before soliciting bids. As you can see, you still have a lot of work to do in comparing one bid to another.
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