The Work That Stops When RFIs Go Unanswered
Every open RFI is a detailing hold. If an RFI asks whether a column is W14×132 or W14×145, the detailer cannot finalize the column splice, the associated beam connections, or any drawings that reference that column until the answer arrives. One unanswered RFI on a critical member can hold 15–20 drawings in progress. Clusters of unanswered RFIs can effectively stop a project's detailing production entirely.
How to Document the Delay
Documentation is everything. Log every RFI with: submission date, drawing reference, question, proposed resolution, required response date, and actual response date. When a response is late, send a written notice to the PM or GC stating that the detailer's production is held pending response to RFI [number], and that the schedule impact is [X days]. This notice converts an informal delay into a documented, attributable schedule event.
Remedies Available to the Fabricator
If the general contract between the fabricator and GC includes a schedule clause tying the fabricator's milestone dates to timely engineering responses, late responses can support claims for schedule extensions and associated cost recovery. Even without explicit contract language, a documented RFI log showing systematic late responses is compelling evidence in a dispute. The best remedy, however, is prevention: require the GC to include EOR response obligations in the engineering contract before signing the fabrication contract.
The Cascade Effect on the Fabrication Shop
Late engineering responses do not just delay drawing production — they cascade into shop production in ways that are difficult and expensive to reverse. When drawings arrive two weeks later than planned, the shop's production sequence is disrupted: the crew that was scheduled to fit and weld Phase 1 columns has been reassigned to other work; equipment setups have been changed; and material that was allocated to Phase 1 has been reallocated. Restarting Phase 1 production is not the same as starting on schedule — it requires re-setup, re-briefing the crew, and potentially competing with work that started in the interim. The cost of this disruption is real and typically falls on the fabricator unless the late response is well-documented as the cause.
Working Around a Late EOR: Continuing Detailing Where Possible
When RFI responses are late on critical items, the detailer should identify what can proceed without those answers — and continue working on those areas rather than treating the project as fully on hold. Standard framing in areas not affected by open RFIs can still be modeled, drawn, and QA'd. Erection drawings for areas with no open RFIs can be completed and held for release. Preliminary material lists can be updated with confirmed member sizes. This practice keeps productive work moving, reduces the total schedule impact when the RFI is ultimately answered, and creates evidence that the detailer was not idle during the delay period.
Quantifying the Schedule Impact of Late Responses
When a late engineering response causes a schedule impact, the impact must be quantified in writing to support any claim or dispute. A vague statement that 'the project was delayed by late RFI responses' is not a claim — it is a narrative. A claim requires: the specific RFI numbers and required response dates; the date each response was actually received; the drawings or packages held pending each response (with drawing numbers); and the calculated schedule impact in business days. Present this calculation in the same format as a CPM schedule delay analysis — a table showing the before and after milestone dates for each affected release package. This format is understood by GCs, owners, and attorneys, and it is the standard required to support a formal delay claim under the AIA document suite or AISC Code of Standard Practice.
Contractual Protections to Request Before Project Start
The most effective protection against late engineering responses is contractual language establishing the EOR's response obligations — agreed before the project starts, not litigated after the delay has occurred. When working through a GC, request that the fabrication contract include: a defined EOR review period (10 or 14 business days), a defined RFI response period (5 to 7 business days), and a clause stating that fabrication milestone dates are conditioned on timely receipt of engineering responses. Many GCs will agree to this language because it is consistent with standard industry practice per AISC Code of Standard Practice Section 4 — and it protects the GC as well as the fabricator when the EOR is the source of the delay.
Managing RFI Backlog — When Multiple Responses Are Late Simultaneously
On large or complex projects, it is common for multiple RFIs to be outstanding simultaneously — each with its own drawing hold, its own response timeline, and its own impact on the detailing production schedule. Managing this backlog requires more than a spreadsheet: it requires a systematic triage process. Assign each open RFI a priority level — critical (actively blocking fabrication-ready drawings), important (blocking drawings in progress), and informational (needed before the next release but not immediately holding production). Focus expediting efforts on critical RFIs first. When escalating to the GC, present all critical RFIs in a single notice document — not as individual emails — so the GC can see the full production impact in one place and prioritize their intervention accordingly. A consolidated RFI backlog report issued weekly to the GC, with each RFI's age, status, and production impact, is more effective at producing responses than individual RFI follow-ups scattered across email threads.
- Tier RFIs by urgency: critical (blocking), important (in-progress holds), informational
- Consolidate all critical RFIs in a weekly escalation report to the GC
- Show the production hold duration for each critical RFI — not just the submittal date
- Set a response deadline for each critical RFI and track it explicitly
- Request a response schedule from the EOR at the beginning of each submittal cycle — not just at overrun