What it's for
A request for information, or RFI, is a written question to the architect, engineer or owner about the drawings and specs, answered in writing and dated. This RFI template for construction keeps both on one form: the question on page 1, the answer on page 2.
Use it when the documents leave something the crew can't build around: a missing dimension, two sheets that disagree, a detail that doesn't fit what's on site. A subcontractor can use it too, with the general contractor under TO.
An RFI is a question, not a change order or a claim. The form decides nothing about cost or schedule: its IMPACT boxes record whether you expect the answer to change either, so the person answering can address it. If the answer adds or changes work, price it on a change order. Whether an RFI also counts as notice of a change is for your contract to say, not the form. Our guide to change orders that get paid covers notice, pricing and billing a change.
What's inside
Two Letter-size pages, with our logo, a credit link and the page number in each footer. The pale yellow fields and lines are for typing, and nothing calculates. The form carries no terms and no signature line: the response records who answered it and when.
Page 1 is the request: your letterhead, with REQUEST FOR INFORMATION, RFI no. and Date on the right, then:
- PROJECT: PROJECT, TO, FROM, SPEC SECTION OR DRAWING REFERENCE, SUBMITTED BY and RESPONSE NEEDED BY.
- QUESTION: six full-width lines.
- SUGGESTED SOLUTION: three lines.
- IMPACT: COST IMPACT and SCHEDULE IMPACT, each with a Yes and a No box.
Page 2 starts with ATTACHMENTS, two lines. RESPONSE follows with six lines, then RESPONDED BY, DATE and a Yes and a No box for CHANGES COST OR TIME.
How to fill it in
- Type your details over the letterhead, replace YOUR LOGO with your logo, and save the result as your blank.
- Number each RFI in sequence for the job at RFI no., and enter the day you send it at Date.
- Fill in PROJECT, TO (the person who will answer) and FROM.
- At SPEC SECTION OR DRAWING REFERENCE, give the spec section and the sheet and detail the question is about.
- Fill in SUBMITTED BY, and at RESPONSE NEEDED BY, the date you need the answer by.
- Write the question under QUESTION. Each line is a table row that grows as you type, so a long question can make page 1 run over. Delete the empty lines under it to make room.
- Under SUGGESTED SOLUTION, write the fix you'd propose, if you have one.
- Under IMPACT, type an X over the Yes or the No box for COST IMPACT, and again for SCHEDULE IMPACT. The boxes are typed characters, not checkboxes you click.
- On page 2, list what you're sending with it under ATTACHMENTS, and send it.
- The person it goes to writes the answer under RESPONSE, fills in RESPONDED BY and DATE, and marks Yes or No for CHANGES COST OR TIME.
Getting an answer you can build from
Ask one question per RFI. Each one then gets its own number, answer and date. Put two questions on one form, and one can come back answered while the other holds the RFI open.
Point to the spot: the reference on page 1, plus a marked-up sheet or a photo, listed under ATTACHMENTS, when a picture says it faster than a paragraph.
Propose a fix when you have one. It gives the person answering something to accept or correct.
Set the response date from the schedule. Work back from the day the affected work starts, less the time you need to act on the answer: ordering material, getting a revised shop drawing, moving a crew.
Keep every RFI in one list, such as our RFI log, and follow up on any that pass their response date. If the answer comes by phone or in a meeting, get it on the form before the crew acts on it.
When an answer changes the work, attach the answered RFI to the change order. It shows what was asked, what came back and when.
Frequently asked questions
Does it work in Google Docs or Pages?
Both open .docx files, and this one has no macros, form fields or content controls. Each app lays out Word files its own way, so check that ATTACHMENTS still starts page 2.
Can I add lines?
Yes. Each yellow line is a row in an ordinary Word table: click in one and insert rows above or below it. ATTACHMENTS always starts a new page, so rows added to page 1 can push the form onto three pages. Check the print preview.
Is it the AIA G716?
No. The layout and labels are our own, not a copy of AIA G716 or any other association's form. If your contract or the architect calls for a particular RFI form, use that one.
Is it legal advice?
No. The form doesn't decide whether an RFI counts as notice of a change, who has to answer it or how fast. Your contract governs those. If you want your terms reviewed, ask your attorney.