What It Means

A Request for Information (RFI) in construction is a formal process by which contractors, subcontractors, or consultants seek clarification about project documentation. RFIs are typically submitted when drawings or specifications are unclear, incomplete, or in conflict, requiring a response from the design team before work can proceed.

Common reasons for RFIs include:

• Missing or ambiguous dimensions
• Conflicting detail drawings
• Gaps in specification documents
• Unresolved transitions between assemblies
• Incomplete coordination between architectural, structural, or MEP elements

Each RFI represents a potential risk to cost, schedule, and coordination.

Why It Matters

RFIs are a necessary part of the construction communication process, but when too frequent, they signal deeper issues in project documentation. According to industry research, the average project experiences nearly 800 RFIs, or 9.9 RFIs per $1 million in construction value (PlanGrid Report).

Excessive RFIs can:

• Delay construction timelines
• Lead to costly change orders
• Require additional design time to resolve
• Damage coordination between stakeholders
• Undermine trust in documentation quality

Preventing avoidable RFIs through better coordination and detailing is a proactive approach to improving construction outcomes and reducing friction between design and field teams.

Best Practices

• Address known design conflicts during coordination phases (DD and CD)
• Maintain a clear, traceable RFI log for project tracking
• Reference detail tags, drawing numbers, and scopes accurately in RFI responses
• Categorize RFIs by origin (site condition vs. design gap vs. constructability)
• Resolve root causes in future drawing sets to prevent repetition

RFIs cause delays in work and inconsistencies in the construction documentation that could have been addressed earlier. To improve this situation, it would be helpful to adopt tools that proactively scan BIM models for incomplete transitions, misaligned components, and inconsistencies among repeating assemblies. This approach could lead to measurable reductions in the number of RFIs.

While no tool can eliminate RFIs entirely, platforms like D.TO help resolve common triggers, including missing detailing logic, unclear envelope transitions, and module inconsistency, early in the design process, reducing unnecessary back-and-forth during construction.

Limitations

• RFIs caused by field conditions (e.g., unforeseen site issues) cannot be fully prevented
• Poor RFI management (e.g., delayed responses, unclear logs) can worsen issues
• Some RFIs stem from owner changes or contractor substitutions, not detailing
• High-quality documentation alone doesn’t guarantee lower RFI volume—team coordination and contract structure also matter
• Overreliance on RFI tracking without fixing upstream design quality can create false confidence

In Simple Terms

An RFI is like asking, “What exactly do you want me to build here?” Too many RFIs means the instructions aren’t clear. Better detailing, especially with smart model-checking tools, means fewer questions later—and smoother construction.

How D.TO Helps

The D.TO platform helps reduce RFIs by detecting missing or inconsistent logic across detailing modules, assemblies, and transitions in your BIM model. Instead of waiting for field teams to uncover drawing gaps, by embedding structured intelligence into your design workflow from Schematic Design through CDs, D.TO supports clearer, more consistent documentation, giving teams fewer reasons to stop and ask.

Discover how D.TO enhances your daily design workflows on D.TO’s key features page, or schedule a demo to explore them in more detail!!