What it's for
This RFI log template tracks every request for information sent on a job: who it went to, when you need the answer and whether it came back. Log each one the day you send it. The sheet has 40 rows, and you can insert more.
Keep it beside the RFI form you send for each question. The form is the request; the log is where every request on the job lives together, so you can see what's still open at a glance.
A Y under COST IMPACT or SCHEDULE IMPACT marks an answer you expect to change the price or the time. If it does, price the change on a change order; our guide to change orders that get paid covers notice, pricing and billing one.
What's inside
Two sheets, both protected with no password.
RFI log carries our logo, with no spot for yours: it's an internal tracking sheet, not something you send out, so the only fields above the table are PROJECT and JOB NO. Pale yellow cells are yours to fill in; all other cells are locked.
Its table runs RFI NO. through SCHEDULE IMPACT, 40 rows, and pale yellow throughout, not locked, so it still sorts and filters with the sheet protected. DAYS TO ANSWER is the one column in the table that calculates: it works out the calendar days from DATE SENT to DATE ANSWERED on its own and stays blank until both dates are in. STATUS is a drop-down of Open, Answered and Closed; COST IMPACT and SCHEDULE IMPACT are drop-downs of Y and N. An Open row whose RESPONSE NEEDED BY date has passed turns pale orange; a blank RESPONSE NEEDED BY is never flagged.
Below the table, STATUS SUMMARY counts the rows at each status, and Average days to answer is the mean of DAYS TO ANSWER over every row that shows one (every RFI with a date sent and a date answered), whatever its status, to one decimal place.
The sheet prints landscape on two pages, one page wide, with the header row repeated on each; on screen, everything down to the header row stays frozen as you scroll.
About this template holds three steps, a note on the example rows, the version, the license, and links to this page, the change order guide, all our templates and four related ones.
How to fill it in
- Fill in PROJECT and JOB NO. at the top, then clear the two example rows or type over them.
- Number each request under RFI NO. as you send it, and enter the day under DATE SENT.
- Write the SUBJECT, name who it's TO, and give the SPEC OR DRAWING REFERENCE it points to.
- Set RESPONSE NEEDED BY to the date you need the answer.
- Pick STATUS from the drop-down, starting every request at Open.
- When the answer comes back, enter DATE ANSWERED and change STATUS to Answered or Closed. DAYS TO ANSWER fills in on its own.
- Mark COST IMPACT and SCHEDULE IMPACT Y or N once you know.
- Watch the row color while a request is open: one whose RESPONSE NEEDED BY date has passed turns pale orange. Answer it or close it and the flag clears.
The worked example
The file opens on two example rows, each SUBJECT starting "Example:", and the About tab says to replace them with your own.
| RFI NO. | DATE SENT | SUBJECT | TO | SPEC OR DRAWING REFERENCE | RESPONSE NEEDED BY | DATE ANSWERED | DAYS TO ANSWER | STATUS | COST IMPACT | SCHEDULE IMPACT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9/8/2026 | Example: footing depth at grid C | Structural engineer | S-201 | 9/15/2026 | 9/12/2026 | 4 | Answered | N | N |
| 2 | 9/16/2026 | Example: window head flashing detail | Architect | A-501 | 9/23/2026 | Open | Y | Y |
Row 1 is Answered, 4 days after it was sent. Row 2 is still Open and past its RESPONSE NEEDED BY date, so it shows the overdue flag. The status summary reads Open 1, Answered 1, Closed 0, and Average days to answer reads 4.0, from row 1 alone.
Frequently asked questions
Does the average days to answer include open requests?
Only an open request with both its dates filled in. The average runs over every row that shows DAYS TO ANSWER, whatever its status, and skips the rest; until one does, the cell stays blank rather than showing zero.
Does it work in Google Sheets or Numbers?
It works in Excel and Google Sheets, and it has no macros. Its formulas and color rule use only IF, OR, COUNTIF, ROUND, SUM, COUNT, AND and TODAY. We don't promise Numbers for the color cue, and some file previewers don't draw it.
Can I sort the list, filter it or add rows?
Yes, with the sheet still protected. Sort and filter from the header row's buttons. Rows inserted between two rows of the table get the drop-downs and the color rule, and the counts and the average take them in; copy DAYS TO ANSWER into each new row from the row above. Rows added below the table aren't counted.
Is it legal advice?
No. The file doesn't decide how fast an answer should come back or what your contract requires; it only tracks the dates you enter and counts the days between them. If you want your terms reviewed, ask your attorney.