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- The clarity of specifications depends on the use of simple, direct statements, concise use of
terms, and attention to grammar and punctuation. Avoid the use of words or phrases such as
etc. and/or, any, and either, which are ambiguous and imply a choice that may not be intended. - Avoid exculpatory clauses such as,”the general contractor shall be totally responsible for all...,”
which try to shift responsibility. Be fair in designating responsibility. - Keep specifications as short as possible, omitting words like “all,” “the,” “an,” and “a.” Describ-
ing only one major idea per paragraph makes reading easier while improving comprehension. It
also facilitates editing and modifying the specifications at a later date. - Capitalize the following: major parties to the contract, such as Contractor, Client, Owner,Archi-
tect; the contract documents, such as Specifications, Working Drawings, Contract, Clause, Sec-
tion, Supplementary Conditions; specific rooms within the building, such as Living Room,
Kitchen, Office; grade of materials, such as No.1 Douglas Fir and FAS White Oak; and, of
course, all proper names. The specifier should never underline anything in a specification, as
this implies that the remaining material can be ignored. - Use “shall” and “will” correctly. “Shall” is used to designate a command: “The Contractor
shall....” whereas “will” implies a choice: “The Owner or Space Planner will.....”
The coordination of the specifications with the construction drawings is essential, as they comple-
ment each other. They should not contain conflicting requirements, omissions, duplications, or errors.
To minimize the possibility of errors, the specifier should:
- Ensure that the specifications contain requirements for all the materials and construction de-
picted on the drawings. - Use the same terminology in both documents (i.e., drawings and specifications). If metal studs
are used in the specifications, the same term should be indicated on the drawings. - Check that dimensions and thicknesses are shown only on one document and not duplicated.
Typically, sizes are indicated on the drawings, and the standards for the materials and compo-
nents that those sizes reference are written into the specifications (unless the project is a very
small one without a project manual). - Make sure that notes on drawings do not describe installation methods or material qualities, as
these normally belong in the specifications.
10.5 SPECIFICATION FORMATION AND ORGANIZATION.
The 16-division MasterFormat™ was originally created in 1963 and is a product of The Construction
Specifications Institute and Construction Specifications Canada. It is a widely used format both in the
United States and Canada for specifications of nonresidential building projects. MasterFormat is the
standard for titling and arranging construction project manuals containing bidding requirements, con-
tracting requirements, and specifications. The Construction Specification Institute (CSI) has been work-
ing since its inception on trying to standardize the specification numbering system and the format of the
sections, which was modified in the MasterFormat version of 1995. In recent years the CSI actively
sought to add new divisions to address the rapidly evolving and growing computer and communications
technology. A modified MasterFormat was introduced in 2004 that increased its division numbers from