Read Specifications, General Notes, and Product Requirements

A. Finished-Package Specification

Deliverable set: one specification register covering every section in the received project manual; one requirement table linking topic, requirement, source, affected location, submittal, hold point, test, and closeout item; a set of trade-specific extracts for site, concrete, framing, envelope, roofing, openings, finishes, cabinets, plumbing, electrical, and HVAC work; and one specification summary emphasizing requirements not obvious from the drawings.

B. Deliverable Schedule (Component Schedule)

Component	Quantity	Source	Required Fields	Preparation / Purpose
Specification register	1	Complete project manual as received	Division, section number, title, revision, related trade or assembly	Confirms what was actually received and where each section fits
Requirement table	1	Extracted product, submittal, execution, testing, and closeout requirements	Topic, requirement, source, affected location, responsible party if documented, submittal, hold point, test, closeout item	Reduces the project manual to field-usable requirements
Trade-specific extracts	11	Requirement table, sorted by trade	Trade name, applicable requirements, source references	Delivers only the requirements relevant to a given trade
Specification summary	1	Requirement table and trade extracts	Requirements not obvious from the drawings, organized by priority	Highlights written-only requirements a drawing-only reader would miss
Missing-information and RFI log	1	Discrepancies found while building the above	Item, description, affected section or note, requested action	Records unresolved items for the document-control process

C. Source Material Takeoff

• Primary source: the complete project manual, general notes, discipline notes, addenda, approved substitutions, and approved submittals available for the project at the time this chapter begins.
• Supporting source: the current approved drawing set and the Chapter 1 navigation package identifying document status.
• Reference tools: one straightedge and a consistent set of markup colors.
• Recording medium: one document-control log or spreadsheet capable of holding all five deliverable components listed in Section B.

D. Acceptance Standards

Check	Standard
Register completeness	Every section actually received appears in the register; every section referenced by a drawing but not received is logged as missing
Hierarchy identification	The project's stated order of precedence, if any, is recorded in the register; no order of precedence is invented if the documents do not state one
Requirement traceability	Every entry in the requirement table cites its source section or note and, where applicable, the affected drawing location
Standard verification	Every referenced outside standard used in the requirement table has its edition and scope confirmed before being recorded as a field requirement
Code cross-check	Every code reference used in the summary is verified against the approved project basis and permit documents
Conflict capture	Every conflicting note, undefined standard, or unapproved substitution encountered while building the package is recorded, not silently resolved

E. Preparation — Confirm Document Basis

1. Collect current general notes, discipline notes, project manual, specification sections, addenda, substitutions, approved submittals, and product information. Gather everything provided for the project, not only the sections that appear most relevant to a single trade.
2. Confirm issue dates, revisions, specification volume completeness, and relationship to the current drawing set. Cross-check the specification issue against the Chapter 1 navigation package's document-control register.
3. Identify the project's stated document hierarchy or order-of-precedence provision without inventing one. Locate this statement in the general conditions or administrative sections; if none exists, record that fact explicitly.

F. Specification Register Construction

1. Create a specification register by division, section number, title, revision, and related trade or assembly. Populate one row per received specification section in the document-control log.
2. Identify sections referenced on drawings and drawing notes referenced in specifications. Record each cross-reference in the register alongside the section it connects to.
3. Locate administrative requirements for submittals, substitutions, RFIs, meetings, schedules, quality control, testing, inspections, and closeout. Add these administrative sections to the register with their own entries, since they govern procedure rather than a specific assembly.

G. Product and Submittal Requirements

1. Identify product requirements for manufacturers, basis of design, approved equals, performance criteria, materials, grades, finishes, and accessories. Record each requirement in the requirement table with its governing section.
2. Distinguish named products, acceptable manufacturers, performance specifications, delegated design, allowances, and alternates. Tag each requirement-table entry with the applicable category.
3. Identify required product data, shop drawings, samples, mockups, certificates, calculations, and engineering seals. Add each required submittal to the requirement table's submittal column.
4. Identify review and approval hold points before procurement, fabrication, delivery, or installation. Record each hold point against the requirement it controls.

H. Execution, Testing, and Closeout Requirements

1. Locate delivery, storage, handling, acclimation, environmental, substrate, and protection requirements. Add these to the requirement table under the applicable trade.
2. Identify installation standards, manufacturer instructions, reference standards, tolerances, and quality requirements. Record the specific standard, edition, and scope where documented.
3. Do not convert a referenced standard into a field requirement without confirming the applicable edition and scope. Flag any reference lacking a confirmable edition or scope as a clarification item instead of assigning a value.
4. Identify testing, inspection, observation, special inspection, commissioning, startup, balancing, cleaning, and demonstration requirements. Add each to the requirement table's test column with its pass/fail source.
5. Identify warranties, maintenance data, spare materials, attic stock, record documents, training, and closeout submittals. Record each in the requirement table's closeout column.

I. General Notes Review and Coordination

1. Identify general-note requirements for dimensions, field verification, coordination, penetrations, fire stopping, blocking, sealants, finishes, and protection. Record each general note in the requirement table with its governing sheet.
2. Compare general notes across architectural, structural, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical disciplines. Identify overlapping or duplicated notes addressing the same requirement.
3. Identify notes that conflict, overlap, or assign unclear responsibility. Log each on the missing-information and RFI log rather than assigning responsibility yourself.

J. Code References and Manufacturer Instructions

1. Locate code references, occupancy, construction type, energy criteria, fire ratings, design loads, and jurisdictional notes. Record each in the requirement table with its exact source citation.
2. Verify that code references correspond to the approved project basis and permit documents. Cross-check each citation against the permit set identified in the Chapter 1 navigation package.
3. Do not use a code reference to fill a missing design detail without clarification. Log any location where a code citation appears to substitute for missing design information as an RFI-style question.
4. Identify manufacturer instructions that control installation, compatibility, warranty, service access, or testing. Record each manufacturer requirement in the requirement table with the governing product.
5. Compare manufacturer information with drawings, specifications, and approved submittals. Confirm the manufacturer instruction does not conflict with the approved design.
6. Identify discrepancies between product data and the project details. Log each discrepancy on the missing-information and RFI log.

K. Summary Assembly and Closeout

1. Create a requirement table with topic, requirement, source, affected location, responsible party if documented, submittal, hold point, test, and closeout item. Consolidate every entry recorded in Sections G through J into one finished table.
2. Create trade-specific extracts for site, concrete, framing, envelope, roofing, openings, finishes, cabinets, plumbing, electrical, and HVAC. Sort the requirement table by trade and produce one extract per trade.
3. Identify missing sections, incomplete product criteria, undefined standards, conflicting notes, and unapproved substitutions. Finalize the missing-information and RFI log with every item found throughout this chapter.
4. Prepare RFI-style questions for ambiguous requirements, document conflicts, missing performance criteria, or incompatible manufacturer instructions. State the document references, the observed issue, and the requested clarification without proposing an unauthorized answer.
5. Create a specification summary that emphasizes requirements not obvious from the drawings. Prioritize submittal procedures, testing standards, warranty terms, and performance criteria a drawing-only reader would not otherwise find.
6. Review the summary against all active addenda, clarifications, and approved submittals before issue. Confirm every deliverable component in Section B is complete and current before closing the chapter.