Construction specifications, explained for the people who write them

Construction specifications are the written part of the contract documents: the drawings show where and how much, the specifications say what and how well. They define the products, materials, performance requirements, and execution standards the contractor is bound to.

Every specification section follows the same structure. Part 1, General covers scope, references, submittals, and quality assurance. Part 2, Products names the materials, products, and performance criteria. Part 3, Execution covers installation, tolerances, and testing. Product research lives in Part 2, and everything in Part 2 has to be defensible.

MasterFormat, published by CSI, groups specifications into divisions by work result — concrete, masonry, openings, finishes, and so on — and numbers each section within them. It is the filing system every specifier, estimator, and product manufacturer in North America uses, which is why product data that isn’t organized to it is hard to find.

A proprietary specification names a product. A performance specification states what the product must do and leaves the choice open. A descriptive specification details the product’s properties without naming it. Most sections blend all three, and the research question is the same for each: which products meet this, and can I prove it?

Gaudi Pro answers the Part 2 question with cited results from verified manufacturer data and a confidence indicator on each one, so the product you name is one you can defend. Start free