RFI (Request for Information)
A formal, logged question the field or precon team asks when the drawings don't answer it.
Quick Answer
An RFI (Request for Information) is a formal written question a contractor sends the architect or engineer when construction documents are unclear, incomplete, or conflicting. It's logged with a number, a reference to the affected drawing, and a due date, and the response becomes part of the project record. Slow RFI responses are a common cause of field delay.
The Full Picture
No set of drawings covers every condition a real building site presents, and even a complete set can contain conflicts between disciplines — a duct routed through a beam, a door swing that doesn't match the furniture plan. The RFI exists because those gaps need a formal, documented answer, not a verbal one that nobody can point back to later.
Each RFI gets a number, states the question, cites the specific drawing or spec section it relates to, and often proposes a suggested resolution. It's logged — historically on paper, now usually in a common data environment — with a submission date and a required response date. The architect or engineer answers, and if the answer changes scope, cost, or schedule, it can trigger a change order.
A well-run RFI log shows the pattern of where a design has gaps. If structural, MEP, and architectural drawings conflict on a beam penetration, that conflict can surface as an RFI in the field — or, ideally, get caught during a precon document review before the trade ever prices or installs the work, when the fix is a drawing markup instead of a stalled crew.
In preconstruction, catching what would become an RFI before bid is one of the highest-leverage things a review process can do. A missing detail flagged during design review costs an hour of coordination; the same gap discovered by a foreman mid-installation costs schedule float, sometimes a change order, and a slower RFI turnaround because the crew is standing by waiting on the answer.
Real Examples
Common Misconceptions
People assume: People assume RFIs are only a field, construction-phase issue.
Actually: many of the same conflicts and gaps can be caught during a precon document review, before a subcontractor ever prices or builds the work — turning a stalled crew into a simple drawing correction.
People assume: People assume a high RFI count always means a bad design.
Actually: volume alone isn't proof of anything; what matters is whether the RFIs are surfacing genuine ambiguity in a complex condition, or the same avoidable gap repeated across similar details.
Does MeltPlan Solve This?
Yes — direct fitYes — catching what would become an RFI is a core part of what MeltPlan's Design Review does. It reads construction drawings and specs and flags missing requirements, inconsistencies within a set, and coordination gaps between disciplines like structural, MEP, and architectural — the exact kind of conflicts that turn into field RFIs when they're found late.
Catch RFI-generating gaps before you bid →Frequently Asked Questions
What does RFI stand for in construction?
Request for Information — a formal written question a contractor or subcontractor submits to the design team when construction documents are unclear, incomplete, or contain a conflict between disciplines.
How does the RFI process work in practice?
The question is logged with a number, cited against the relevant drawing or spec section, and given a due date. The architect or engineer researches and answers it, and the response is logged as part of the official project record, sometimes with a cost or schedule impact flagged.
Who submits RFIs?
Typically the general contractor or a subcontractor, often relaying a field question, though anyone on the project — including the owner's rep — can raise one when the documents don't answer a real question.
Why does RFI turnaround time matter?
A slow RFI response can stall the crew that's waiting on the answer, pushing the schedule. Contracts often specify a required response window (e.g., 7–10 business days) precisely because delayed answers translate directly into field delay.
How is an RFI different from a submittal?
An RFI is reactive — a question raised when documents are unclear or conflicting. A submittal is proactive — proof, sent before installation, that a specific product or assembly matches what was already specified.