We've produced residential specifications for several clients based upon MasterSpec's Small Project with good success. It is integrated with the AIA contract documents, and retains adequate reference standards to serve as a contract and guide to the work. We have confidence in the adequacy of Small Project from a code point of view. You'll need to add "basis of design" manufacturers/products - because of the great variation in products available around the country, Small Project doesn't include lists of products as found in the full size MasterSpec. Utilizing the companion Masterworks automation software, you can format your project's collection of individual sections into a compact single document that can also be published on your drawing sheets (though we prefer a separate booklet).
I spent a few minutes on the UDA Residential Specification website; this appears to be a viable alternative to Small Project, especially for residential work. It looks like they maintain separate product offerings for residential, green residential, light commercial, and green light commercial. If you only do residential work, it may be effective to obtain their residential library and modify it over time to suit your practice. If you foresee doing light commercial work as well, you may want a single library like Small Project rather than purchase multiple separate products. I would expect that with either source, adding specific sustainable products and practices to the base documents is not difficult.
Spending $99.00 or $500.00 or even $2,000.00 on a specification library is not a cost issue. UDA at $99.00 is about 45 minutes of a typical architect's time, and Small Project at about $600.00 is only 4 or 5 fee hours. What is a cost issue is:
How reliable is the content? Will it reduce jobsite, code, and claims issues?
How much time is required to produce accurate project specifications?
Will good specifications reduce tedious drawing notes?
Will the time spent editing the specifications pay off in more efficient contract administration for you?
Will you use preconstruction and preinstallation meetings to review the specification with the contractor?
A simple specification product well edited will be more valuable than a big, full-blown program that overwhelms both the editor and the project. Significant claims and disputes, the waste of dozens of hours on construction problems and litigation, and disappointed clients can all result from using inadequate (or no) specification resources. Doing as careful a job on your specifications as you do on your drawings - meeting the standard of care - will pay off in the long run.
It is unlikely that you can assemble an adequate collection of manufacturer-furnished specifications that will come close to serving the same purpose as one the small specification libraries. Even though some manufacturers offer very good specification resources, I don't think that a collection of these documents will serve as a substitute for a simple but complete project specification.
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Philip Kabza AIA
Partner and Dir Technical Services
SpecGuy
Charlotte NC
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-28-2011 11:12
From: Garth Russo
Subject: Residential Construction Specification Software
This message has been cross posted to the following Discussion Forums: Small Project Practitioners and Residential Knowledge Community .
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I am investigating what is available in specification software for the small firm that principally does residential additions and renovation projects. Does anyone use a specification suite that they feel is a pretty good fit for these projects? Has anyone used the UDA Residential Specifications and have an opinion of them? How does ARCOM Masterspec's Small Projects spec fit the bill?
As a fledgling practice, money is an issue, so I love that UDA's offerings are very affordable, but my guess is this is a classic case of you get what you pay for. Does anyone have an alternative way to provide construction guidance to the contractor that they feel is effective (i.e. all proprietary specs, or not specs at all)?
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Garth Russo AIA
Principal
Live Oak Architecture
Dallas TX
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