RFIs Are the Construction Phase's Communication Channel - Managing Them Well Keeps the Project Moving
During construction, the contractor and subcontractors constantly encounter situations where the construction documents do not fully answer a field question: a detail that is not shown; a dimension that is missing; a specification that refers to an alternate that is no longer available; a conflict between the architectural plan and the structural plan. The contractor submits a Request for Information (RFI) to the architect to get a formal, documented answer. The architect's management of the RFI process - responding promptly, providing clear and technically correct answers, tracking RFIs to closure, and distinguishing questions about the design from questions about means and methods - is one of the most important construction administration responsibilities and is a significant source of both project success and construction disputes. The ARE CE exam tests RFI management as a core construction administration competency.
The RFI Process
The RFI process: (1) Contractor identifies a question about the contract documents; (2) Contractor submits a formal RFI through the project communication system (email, BIM 360 or Procore platform, or physical form) with a unique RFI number, description of the question, sketch if needed, and requested response date; (3) Architect receives the RFI, logs it, routes it to the appropriate consultant if it involves engineering disciplines; (4) Architect (or engineer) prepares a response; (5) Architect issues the response back to the contractor with the same RFI number, the response text, and any clarifying sketches; (6) Contractor implements the response. If the response to an RFI changes the scope or cost of the work, the contractor may submit a change order request based on the RFI response.
Response Timelines
AIA A201 does not specify a mandatory RFI response time, but most contracts include a response time requirement (typically 10-14 days). The architect should respond as quickly as possible - delayed RFI responses can delay the construction schedule and create contractor claims for delay damages if the response was on the critical path. The contractor's requested response date is a scheduling tool (not a binding deadline); the architect must balance prompt response against providing a technically correct answer that requires adequate time for engineering review.
Design Deficiency vs. Scope Question RFIs
Not all RFIs are equal. Some RFIs represent genuine questions about design intent that the contractor needs answered to build what is shown. Others represent the contractor identifying an error or omission in the documents (a design deficiency) that requires a design solution, not just a clarification. Design deficiency RFIs may trigger Change Orders if the correction requires additional work beyond what the contract documents showed. A third category: RFIs that are actually scope questions that the contractor is asking to clarify what is required before deciding how to bid an alternate or claim additional work - the architect must recognize these and answer them carefully.
Key Exam Points
- RFI: contractor's formal written question about contract documents; architect must respond in writing.
- RFI log: maintained by architect and contractor; tracks RFI number, date received, date responded, response.
- Typical response time: 10-14 days per contract; delayed responses can constitute architect breach and create delay claims.
- Design deficiency RFI: identifies error/omission in documents; may trigger Change Order for added work.
- RFI is not authorization for additional work: the contractor must submit a Change Order request separately if the RFI response results in additional scope.
AREprep's CE construction administration content covers RFI management, RFI logs, response timelines, and the distinction between clarification RFIs and design deficiency RFIs - giving ARE CE candidates the field communication management knowledge the exam tests in construction phase scenario questions about the architect's responsibilities for responding to contractor questions and managing the information flow during construction.
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