RFI Management 101: A Process That Won't Slow Down the Job

Requests for Information (RFIs) are how a construction team resolves the gaps, conflicts, and questions that every set of drawings inevitably contains. Handled well, they keep work moving. Handled badly, they become a bottleneck that quietly adds weeks to a schedule.

What an RFI is (and isn't)

An RFI is a formal question from the contractor to the design team when the documents are unclear, contradictory, or silent on something needed to build. Good RFIs are specific, reference the exact drawing or spec, and propose a solution when possible. An RFI is not a place to hide scope changes or to relitigate decisions already made — that erodes trust and slows everyone down.

Why RFIs pile up

• No single log. Questions live in email threads, texts, and hallway conversations — impossible to track.
• Unclear ownership. Nobody knows whose desk an RFI is sitting on right now.
• Missing context. A reviewer has to hunt for the referenced drawing before they can even answer.
• No deadline. Without a target response time, RFIs drift.

A lean RFI process

1. Log every RFI in one place with a unique number, the drawing/spec reference, and the question.
2. Assign an owner and a due date the moment it's created. An RFI without a name and a date is a lost RFI.
3. Attach the context. Link the exact sheet and detail so the reviewer answers instead of searching.
4. Track status — open, answered, closed — so anyone can see the state at a glance.
5. Close the loop. File the answer with the affected drawing so the resolution lives with the document, not in an inbox.

The single biggest driver of RFI speed is context. An answerer who can see the referenced sheet in one click responds in minutes; one who has to go find it responds in days.

The metric that matters: response time

Track average time to respond and number of open RFIs by age. A growing backlog of aged RFIs is an early warning that the schedule is about to slip. A short, stable response time is one of the clearest signs of a healthy project.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Letting RFIs live in email instead of a shared log
• Vague questions that force a clarifying round-trip
• No link between the RFI and the drawing it concerns
• Forgetting to fold the answer back into the record set

An RFI checklist

• One central, numbered log
• Owner and due date on every RFI
• Referenced drawing/spec linked for context
• Clear status (open / answered / closed)
• Answers filed with the affected documents
• Response time and aging tracked

ArchiveView keeps RFIs, drawings, and their answers in the same system — so questions are linked to the exact sheet, owners and due dates are clear, and resolutions live with the record set instead of an inbox. Start a free trial or see it in action.