About a hundred years ago, when AIA produced the document that eventually would become the familiar A201, much more work was done in the field. Reference standards had yet to be developed, and industry organizations did not yet offer the industry standards that are common today. And, because the architect was in control of the project, specifications were required to tell the contractor all that had to be done.

Since then, a lot has changed. We now have countless codes, industry standards, and references standards, which, together, set minimum requirements for just about everything. Much more work is fabricated off site, in controlled factory conditions, making today's materials and products far more reliable and consistent than they were a century ago. 

We often hear about the great quality of bygone days, and there is some truth to that, but the reality is that today's work is generally superior.

All of these things suggest specifications should be shorter, and I believe that to be true. However, specifications are longer than ever, and seem to grow with each new version. The main reason is redundancy, a result of the specifier's lack of faith in the documents we use.

Let's start with the conditions of the contract, specifically the AIA documents, probably the most commonly used. Other general conditions are used, but they often are similar to those published by AIA.

Read what is said about the responsibilities of the architect and of the contractor. In essence, the architect is responsible for showing what the building should look like, and what materials should be used where, and the contractor is responsible for pretty much everything else. Note there is nothing that requires the architect to tell the contractor, or manufacturer, or installer how to do their jobs. In fact, it states "The contractor shall be solely responsible for and have control over construction means, methods, techniques, sequences, and procedures and for coordinating all portions of the Work..."

This makes sense; the contractor knows more about how to run a job, the manufacturers know more about their products, and the installers know more about their work than the architect can possibly understand. So why do specifications delve so deeply into these matters? Why do they tell the contractor how to schedule, how to install, and how to coordinate?

There are good reasons for some of this. For example, it may be that part of a project has to be done first, to allow the owner to move from one area to another, but beyond that, it is the contractor's job to figure out what gets done when.

In addition to the conditions of the contract, we have Division 01, which, properly used, can eliminate many of the requirements commonly found in specifications. In Division 01, we specify those things that apply to everything: selection of materials, storage, handling, installation, following manufacturers' instructions, compliance with standards, acceptance of conditions, and so on.

With just those basic requirements, we're well on the way to reducing the length of specifications. It requires faith, but it is logical, defensible, and enforceable. The basic rule is, if it's in the conditions or Division 01, take it out of the section. Think of it as "specification by exception." Rely on the documents, and all you need to worry about is how what you want differs from the standards or the manufacturers' instructions.

Part 1: Use "related work" as intended, a way to help the reader find something that normally would be expected in this section but is not.

Part 2: Remove substitution requirements. If you have specific products in mind, state what they are. If you're open to competitive products, specify the performance. Don't specify those things that are not essential, and may not be the same for all products.

Part 3: Unless you know more about installation than the manufacturer and the installer, there isn't much to say, except for quality control requirements.

Know your reference standards. If you specify insulation as ASTM C578, Type IV, there is no need to go on and specify the thermal resistance, compressive strength, water absorption, or vapor permeance. On the other hand, if the standard you are using has options, be sure to indicate which are required.

When you specify more than necessary, you enter into the "means and methods" area, and, in so doing, you assume the contractor's responsibility. If something goes wrong, the contractor can say, "I did what I was told" and you're on the hook.

With faith in the documents, it should be possible to specify almost anything in half a page (at least for architectural products, though I suspect mechanical and electrical specifications also can be reduced). Using roofing as an example, if I state the wind loads, the required fire-resistive rating, the type of membrane, applicable standards, required options, warranty, and field quality control requirements, what else do I have to say? The manufacturer's instructions cover all the related materials, and how it gets installed. Here's where the exception part comes in; if the manufacturer's standard flashing height is four inches, but I want eight, I say that.

The result? Easy to write, easy to bid, easy to enforce.

� 2012, Sheldon Wolfe, RA, FCSI, CCS, CCCA, CSC

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