RFI template — request for information

An RFI form that gets answered: one question per RFI, precise references, a suggested answer that makes the reviewer’s job easy, and impact flags so nobody can say later they didn’t know it mattered.

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RFI template — request for information
Template from Planium — planium.com
Project name
Project number
RFI number
Date submitted
Response needed by
From (name / company)
To (name / company)
Spec section / drawing reference

How to use this RFI

One question per RFI. Bundling three questions into one form guarantees a partial answer and an item nobody can close. Reference the exact sheet, detail and spec paragraph — a reviewer who has to hunt for the conflict answers slower and worse.

Set a realistic response-needed-by date tied to the schedule, and say what the date is driven by. Then track every RFI on a log with submitted and answered dates — unanswered RFIs are one of the most common documented causes of delay.

Question / information requested

Describe the conflict, gap or ambiguity in the contract documents. State what you checked (sheets, details, spec sections) and where they disagree or fall silent.

Question (describe the conflict or missing information, with exact references)

+ 6 blank rows to fill in in the Word document

Contractor’s suggested answer

Propose a solution whenever you can. A suggested answer speeds up review, shows you have thought it through, and often gets adopted verbatim — which means the answer you can build.

Suggested answer / proposed solution

+ 4 blank rows to fill in in the Word document

Response

To be completed by the architect / engineer. A response that changes the scope, cost or time of the work is not just an answer — see the impact section below.

Response

+ 6 blank rows to fill in in the Word document

Cost & schedule impact

Flag potential impact when the RFI is submitted, not after the answer arrives. If the response changes cost or time, follow your contract’s change process — an RFI answer by itself is generally not a change order.

ImpactNone expectedPotential impactDescription
Cost☐☐
Schedule☐☐

Closeout

FieldEntry
Responded by (name / firm)
Date answered
Distribution (who needs this answer in the field)
Follow-up required (change order, revised drawing, none)

Common questions

What is an RFI in construction?
A request for information — the formal written question a contractor sends the design team when the contract documents are unclear, conflicting or silent on something needed to build the work. The written question and written answer become part of the project record, which is the whole point of doing it formally instead of by phone.
How long does the architect have to respond to an RFI?
Whatever your contract says — many contracts specify a review period on the order of 7 to 10 days, but it varies. Put a response-needed-by date on every RFI, tied to the schedule activity it affects, and track aging on your RFI log so slow answers are visible early.
Should the contractor include a suggested answer?
Almost always. It speeds up the response, demonstrates the contractor has studied the documents, and steers the answer toward something buildable at reasonable cost. Many design teams simply write "proceed per contractor’s suggestion" — the fastest possible RFI cycle.
Can an RFI response change the contract price or schedule?
The response itself usually does not — but if the answer directs work beyond the contract documents, it can be the basis for a change order. That is why the template flags potential cost and schedule impact on the RFI itself: it puts everyone on notice before the work happens, when your negotiating position is strongest.
What makes a bad RFI?
Three classics: multiple questions in one RFI (partial answers, never closed), questions already answered in the documents (erodes credibility for the RFIs that matter), and vague references ("see structural drawings"). One question, exact references, a suggested answer — that RFI gets a fast, usable response.

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