RFIs are the questions a project asks itself. Each one is cheap on its own and expensive in bulk, and every day it sits open can hold up a crew. Here are the numbers and what to do about them.
What does the data say about RFIs?
Navigant Construction Forum, "Impact and Control of RFIs on Construction Projects" (April 2013), based on 1,362 projects worldwide from 2001 to 2012:
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Average RFIs per project | 796 |
| Median reply time | 9.7 days |
| Average first reply time | 6.4 days |
| Average review and response effort | 8 hours per RFI |
| Average cost to review and respond | $1,080 per RFI |
| Estimated RFI cost per project | $859,680 |
Projects of a year or less had a median reply time of about seven days; projects of two years or more approached 10. The data is old and international, so treat it as a benchmark, not a rule.
What does the contract say about RFI timing?
AIA A201-2017 asks the architect to respond to requests for information "with reasonable promptness" (Section 4.2.11) and to agree a schedule for its reviews. Many owner contracts and Division 01 specifications set a fixed number of days instead. Read that clause before the job starts, because it decides when a late answer becomes a delay claim.
Why do RFIs take so long?
- The question is unclear, so it bounces back.
- The answer is already in the drawings or specs, but nobody found it.
- It goes to the wrong person, or sits in an inbox.
- Nobody tracks the due date until a foreman asks.
How do you cut RFI response time?
- Search the documents first. Many RFIs are answered by a spec section, a detail or an addendum. Cite it in the RFI if it is unclear.
- Write one question per RFI, with the sheet, detail and spec section, a proposed answer and the date it affects the schedule.
- Set response times in the contract or Division 01, and log the clock from the day it was sent.
- Keep one RFI log with number, status, ball-in-court and due date, and review it in every OAC meeting.
- Flag cost and time impact early. An RFI that changes scope is the start of a change order; treat it like one.
How does Colin help?
Colin, BAU AI's communication agent, reads the project inbox, checks whether the drawings and specs already answer a question, drafts the RFI with its references, and keeps the log and the reminders. A person on your team approves anything that goes outside your company. Colin is offered to the founding cohort and is not part of the published plans.
If your RFIs sit for weeks, join our US founding cohort and we will measure your turnaround with you.
Tushar Adsul, Founder and CEO, BAU AI
Frequently asked questions
What is a good RFI response time? The benchmark median is 9.7 days. Many contracts set 5 to 10 working days; what matters is the time in your contract and whether the answer holds up work.
How much does an RFI cost? The Navigant study estimated about $1,080 to review and answer one RFI, or about $860,000 across an average project.
How many RFIs does a project have? The study averaged 796 per project, with a minimum of 100 in its sample.
Sources
- Navigant Construction Forum, "Impact and Control of RFIs on Construction Projects", April 2013.
- AIA A201-2017, General Conditions of the Contract for Construction, Section 4.2.11.