INTRODUCTION TO

SPECIFICATIONS
WRITING
Specifications refers to a detailed description
of work to be done or material to be used in a
project; an instruction that exactly says how to
do or make something, usually in accordance
to standard practice or procedures. Also called
briefly as specs, it is an integral component of a
building document. It is a precise, explicit
statement or enumeration of particulars as to
size, shape, quality, color, manner and method
of making things correctly. It is also presented
in a relatively short, concise, simple, and direct
language that is easy to understand.
For writing specifications for construction
contracts, care must be taken to ensure
consistency of requirements throughout and
conformity with what is written in other
documents.

This consistency can be promoted if one person

drafts all the documents or, if parts are written
by others, one person carefully reads through
the whole finished set of documents. An
inconsistency in the documents can give rise to
a major dispute under the contract, having a
serious effect on its financial outcome.
Some principle guidelines for writing
specifications are as follows:
1) The layout and grouping of subjects should
be logical. These need planning out
beforehand.
2) Requirements for each subject should be
stated clearly, in logical order, and checked
to see all aspects are covered.
3) Language and punctuation should be
checked to see they cannot give rise to
ambiguity.
4) Legal terms and phrases should not be
used.
5) To define obligations the words ‘shall’ or
‘must’ (not ‘should’ or ‘is to’, etc.) should be
used.
6) Quality must be precisely defined, not
described as ‘best’, etc.
7) Brevity should be sought by keeping to
essential matters.
It is not easy to achieve an error-free building
specifications. It is of considerable assistance to
copy model clauses/ templates that, by use and
modification over many previous contracts,
have proved satisfactory in their wording.
Such templates can be held on computer
files so they are easy to reproduce and
modify to make relevant to a particular
project in hand.

Copying the entire text from a previous

specification which can result in conflicting
requirements should not be adopted. An
entirely new material is quite difficult to
write and will almost certainly need more
than one attempt to get it satisfactory.
The construction specification has to relate
to the contractor precisely the ff. :
• The extent of the work to be carried out
• The quality and type of materials and
workmanship required
• Where necessary, the methods he is
required to use, or may not use, to
implement the project.

Under the first an informative description is

given of what the contractor is to provide and The extent of detail adopted should relate to
all special factors, limitations, etc. applied. the quantity and importance of any particular
Under the second the detailed requirements type of project in relation to the works
are set out. required.
Types of Specifications: In November 2004 MasterFormat expanded
1) General or outline specs – for small – scale from 16 Divisions to currently 50 Divisions,
projects; lesser scope or divisions of work. reflecting innovations in the construction
2) Comprehensive – for large – scale projects; industry. It provides a master list of divisions,
covers a number of scopes or divisions of and section numbers and titles within each
work. division, to follow in organizing information
about a facility’s construction requirements
MasterFormat is a standard for organizing and associated activities.
specifications and other written information for
commercial and institutional building projects
in the U.S. and Canada . The MasterFormat is a
product of the Construction Specifications
Institute (CSI) and Construction Specifications
Canada.