6.1. The Problem

Contractors can have many questions throughout a project that may concern documents, construction, materials, and so on. In the old days, these questions were answered with a phone call or an informal conversation with the architect in charge. Nowadays, however, it is necessary to document every request and reply between project contractors and the firm that is running the project, which in this case is Smart Design. This documentation is necessary because significant costs and complications may arise during the question/answer process, and the RFI can be used as a tool to shape the project's direction.

Some of the uses of RFIs do not have cost implications, such as a simple non-change request for more information about something shown in the specifications. They can also be used to let the architect know about an occurrence of something on the job site, or to let the architect know about latent or unknown conditions. The most important rule for an RFI is that it must contain all of the necessary information and not be too brief. If a contractor has a question for the architect, the architect needs to know exactly what the question is so that it may be answered properly.