What Is a Construction RFI and Why Does It Matter?

A resident of San Ramon, California, Timothy Mahoney serves as project superintendent for Fine Line Construction Co., in San Francisco. In this capacity, Timothy Mahoney of San Ramon handles all construction activities for the company, including change orders, scheduling, and RFIs.

In construction, an RFI, or request for information, clarifies any gaps or uncertainties that are not cleared up in construction plans, contracts, specifications, and other documents. RFIs are an essential component in communicating project scope and requirements between everyone involved, and can be drafted at any stage of a construction project, including during the final phase of construction or before quoting.

Although creating an accurate RFI can be time-consuming, having such a document in place eliminates many costly and time-consuming actions that may be otherwise necessary during the life of the project. For instance, an RFI that makes design clarifications can address incomplete plans or potential design conflicts. Meanwhile, RFIs may also provide information about constructability issues relating to the proposed project, or request that certain materials be substituted in the building process.

Most RFIs are submitted to the designer, client, or other party who provided the document by a subcontractor or general contractor. The receiving party then responds to the contractor’s request for information that answers whatever question they posed.