“I used to hate writing specifications. They can be boring and uninspired if you look at them as simply another task to check off of your project list. But the more that I write them, the more engaging I find them to be.”

Are Architectural Specifications really THAT important? That is a question we have been asked by Building Owners, Contractors, Developers, Project Managers and even some Architects, when they are deciding to hire a design professional or specification writer. Our answer is always a very firm YES!

What are Specifications anyways, and why are they so important? Have you ever failed to be clear with your directions? When was the last time you didn’t describe something specific enough? Failing to do so might have resulted in someone getting lost from your incomplete directions, or worse, loss of a job or project that was meaningful to you. During construction, specifics are everything and failure to communicate specifically could create massive change orders, cost overruns and schedule delays, which can negatively impact your bottom line. In fact, specifics are such a key element of construction that there is an entire formal process dedicated to them

A specifier should be an integral part of the design team, from the very beginning…to the very end.

Construction specifications detail the work and workmanship needed to complete a construction project. As required documents during the design phase, they’re part of a formal process and carefully detail the coordination between products, systems and other associated elements. Many times, design professionals may re-use specifications from previous projects in order to save time. While that may save time during the documentation phase, it may very well come back to wreak more havoc for the project down the road when the products in those specifications are found to be discontinued, modified or do not integrate with the other systems in the project.

Without specifications, the very backbone of the project, as well as the protection they provide, may compromise both the building, the designer and the Owner.