Any Advice for Specification Writers?

5/22/2019

I've taken technical writing courses and have experience working with MasterSpec, US Military specifications, vendor specifications, and various ownership standard specifications.

I'm giving an internal training to our younger staff and I'm particularly interested in opinions from contractors and vendors who regularly read a variety of specifications for bidding.

What advice would you give for those who write specifications? I'd be interested in helping train our staff as well as improve myself.

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3 Comments

Dave L.

5/22/2019 10:32:16 am

Having been on both the giving and receiving end, I think that is a very good question. Later (when I'm not on the clock), I might type a few thoughts, but for now I'll say I appreciate the information and perspective I found on Liz O'Sullivan's "Comments from a Spec Writer" website and blog:
https://lizosullivanaia.com/
https://www.specificationsdenver.com/

PETE

5/22/2019 11:52:45 am

I have experience writing specs in BSD Speclink. The one piece of advice I would give is to not over-constrain the project to the point that it ties the hands of the contractor, especially if the job is going out to bid. Companies have proprietary methodologies. It's part of free-market enterprise. On the other hand, if it's design-build, you typically know on the front end how it's going to go in. In the latter case, over constraining may come back to bite you in the a**.
BDS is edit by inclusion, in other words you only check the box that is appropriate forthe project. I have found that it is easier to select all of the boxes and export the section on the first go around (say you've never written this type of specs before). This gives me a specification section that is longer than War & Peace, but it is a good way to be sure that I haven't missed something. I will then print out the section and edit with red ink, striking through any sections that don't apply, and changing the wording for portions that need to be tweaked. Then I edit my exported file (usually in Word) based on the redline. Last, I upload the edited file to the database and have another engineer or contract sales person review the finished specs.

Dan Wilder

5/22/2019 01:39:08 pm

Find out standard construction means and methods and utilize those to detail your specifications. Talk with the owners and insurance agencies about long term goals and practical trade offs. If the insurance gives allowances for a Sch 40 piping and/or the use of Nitrogen to prolong the life of the pipe and components and is utilized over sensitive areas, use that to shape the direction of the spec in those instances. Follow the RFI questions/Substitution requests asked from GC's and maybe hit those areas first which typically show a need for adjustment.

Specify characteristics of the components, not a specific manufacturers unless a specialty system is required. Use ASTM/ANSI/ASME/UL/FM requirements to keep reputable MFG's in the mix and provide the bidding contractor a chance to use their preferred vendor.

Items like forcing cut grooves (most fab shops charge extra if they can do it at all), flange only connections over a specific pipe size (in lieu of couplings), using greater than needed hanger ATR sizing or items like clevis hangers, use of Sch 40 galv steel A53 sleeves for non-rated wall penetrations (yes, I have a job like this right now) only add cost to a project without any realized long term savings or a higher performing system.

Once the initial work is completed, this can be a repeated specification with great success.

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