When in Doubt, RFI

We all make mistakes, forget something, fail to coordinate. Fortunately, our work is not life threatening. But these omissions can create the potential for delays and increased costs. Rushing to complete a project, pushing to meet a schedule or making assumptions about the design intent will usually lead to errors.

There is a simple tool to avoid these problems: the “RFI”. Simply, a Request for Information.  Coordination is the Achilles’ heel of construction. When the mechanical drawings show a floor drain and the food service rough-in drawings show a floor sink, which do you install? If there are no dimensions showing the location of the exhaust hoods, do you scale off the drawings? If so, which one – food service, architectural, mechanical? It is easier, faster and certainly more expedient to pick one and move on and then claim you were following the dominant trade’s documents.  Lazy response!  Missing a dimension, unsure of a wall detail or not clear about who is providing a finish material?  RFIs are the tool of choice.  Insist that the GC and his trades “do not scale” your documents to determine dimensions. The correct and smart approach would be to simply issue an RFI to get the correct answer.  It is easy, fast and will prevent errors and redundant work, when your assumption proves wrong.

RFI’s are formal documents that demand a formal response from the architect, a member of the design team or the owner or owner’s representative.  Don’t be intimidated by this paperwork or feel that your project is too small to follow such a structured protocol.  Casual procedures on a jobsite often result in errors.  These errors, whether dimensional busts, missing utilities or finish discrepancies can impact the fit of equipment, code violations or the overall design and aesthetic of your restaurant.

Require that your General Contractor issue RFIs for any field questions that are unclear. Your team has a responsibility to respond to all RFIs quickly and clearly.  Your construction will proceed smoothly and you will get the design you paid for.