Housing Ltd is inviting a number of contractors to a tender for the construction of a commercial building. In the attachment to the invitation to…

This question mentions about specification in construction. In this sector, specifications are written

documents that describe the materials and workmanship required for a development. They do not

include cost, quantity or drawn information and need to be read alongside other contract

documentation such as quantities, schedules and drawings.

Specifications vary considerably depending on the stage to which the design has been developed,

ranging from performance (open) specifications that require further development by a contractor or

supplier, to prescriptive (closed) specifications for which the design is already complete when the

project is tendered.

Prescriptive specifications typically contain detailed descriptions of the following components:

- General requirements relating to regulations and standards.

- The type of products and materials required.

- The execution and installation methods required.

Prescriptive specifications give the client much more certainty about the end product when making

investment decisions (such as when they appoint the contractor), and place a greater burden on the

designer to ensure proper installation rather than the contractor.

Reference:

- CIPS study guide page 116-120

- Prescriptive specification - Designing Buildings Wiki

LO 3, AC 3.1