How to write an RFI that gets a fast, useful answer

A request for information (RFI) is how a question about the design gets a formal answer. Written well, it is answered in days and settles the matter. Written badly, it bounces back with “please clarify”, costs a week, and sometimes still leads to rework. The difference is mostly in how the question is put.

Ask one question per RFI

An RFI with five questions gets answered when the hardest one is answered — or gets a partial answer that nobody tracks. Split it. One question per RFI also makes it easier to see which issues are still open.

Show exactly where

Point to the sheet, grid line and detail, and include an image of the area with the problem marked. If the RFI lives on the drawing (pinned to the spot), anyone opening the sheet later sees that the area has an open question.

Explain the conflict, not just the question

“What is the ceiling height in corridor 2?” invites a one-line answer that may not resolve the real issue. Better:

Section B/A-301 shows the corridor ceiling at 2700 mm. The duct shown on M-201 at the same location has its underside at 2650 mm, so the ceiling cannot be installed at 2700 mm without moving the duct. Please confirm whether the ceiling should be lowered or the duct rerouted.

This tells the designer what is in conflict, where, and why it matters.

Offer a solution

If you know a workable answer, propose it: “We suggest lowering the ceiling to 2600 mm in this corridor only.” Designers can often approve a sensible proposal faster than they can design one from scratch, and it shows the RFI is about building, not about blame.

State the impact and the date you need it by

Say what is waiting on the answer and when: “Ceiling framing in this area is programmed to start on the 14th.” A required-by date lets the design team prioritise, and it creates a record if a late answer causes delay.

Be factual about cost and time effects without turning the RFI into a claim — those are handled through the contract’s change process.

Route it to the right person

Send it to whoever can actually answer. A structural question sent only to the architect will be forwarded, and every hand-off adds days. If others need to contribute — a specialist subcontractor, a supplier — ask them for input on the same record rather than starting a parallel email thread.

Track it to closed

An RFI is closed when the answer has been received, understood and acted on — not just when a reply arrives. When the answer changes the design, make sure it is reflected in a revised drawing or an instruction, and that the trades building it have the information.

A shared log helps the whole team: open RFIs, who has them, how long they have been open, and which ones are overdue. Reviewing that list in the weekly coordination meeting keeps RFIs from quietly holding up work.

Checklist for a good RFI

• One question
• Sheet, grid and detail references, with a marked-up image
• What conflicts with what, and why it matters
• A proposed solution where you have one
• What is affected and the date an answer is needed
• Sent to the person who can answer it
• Closed only when the answer is acted on