Request for information (RFI)
Also: RFI log
Quick definition: A formal written question from the contractor to the design consultant asking for clarification of the contract documents — typically about design intent, an apparent omission or a conflict.
Explanation
Beginner explanation
When the drawings are unclear or two documents disagree, the contractor sends an RFI asking the architect or engineer what was meant. The answer is recorded so everyone builds from the same understanding.
Technical explanation
RFIs are logged, numbered and tracked with dates for submission, required response and actual response. An RFI answer clarifies; it does not by itself change the contract price or time. If a response changes scope, cost or time, it must be formalised through a Change order, Change directive or (where it has no price or time effect) a Supplemental instruction. Neither AIA A201 nor CCDC 2 defines "RFI" as a contract term; RFI procedures are usually set out in Division 01 of the specifications. High RFI volumes are a common indicator of design coordination problems, which constructability reviews and Clash detection aim to reduce. On BIM projects, RFIs can reference model elements or viewpoints, for example as BCF topics.
Practical example
RFI-087 notes that the structural drawings show a 300 mm beam where the mechanical drawings route a 400 mm duct beneath the slab in the same zone. The engineer responds with a revised duct route and confirms no change in price or time; the response is issued as a supplemental instruction.
Why it matters
Each RFI costs time and money to prepare and answer, and slow responses delay work. RFI logs are also key evidence in delay and change claims.
Common confusion
In procurement, "RFI" can also mean a request for information issued to the market before a tender (an expression-of-interest step). On a construction site it almost always means the contractor's clarification request.
Standards and references
- Submittals, Shop Drawings and RFIs, Oh My!. Frantz Ward LLP, 2023.Widely accepted professional interpretation
Supports: RFI purpose (clarify intent, omissions, conflicts); RFIs do not change cost or time unless incorporated into a change document; A201 does not define RFI; cost of RFIs (Navigant study)
VDC Stack.io writes its own explanations and does not reproduce copyrighted standards text. Consult the cited standard for normative wording.
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VDC Stack.io. (2026). Request for information (RFI). In VDC Stack.io Knowledge Dictionary. Retrieved from https://vdcstack.io/dictionary/request-for-information/