Writing Effective Construction Specifications for Project Delivery and Risk Control
Fee: $1,295 / Online / Oct 1 - 2, 2026 / Course Code: 17-0705-ONL26
OVERVIEW
Please note, This instructor-led course has specific dates and times:
This course is held online over 2 days on the following schedule (All times in Eastern Time Zone): 10 am to 6 pm Eastern
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Write clear, enforceable construction specifications that improve coordination, quality, and project outcomes
- Structure specifications to support effective bidding, procurement, and contract execution
- Reduce claims and disputes by anticipating risk and removing ambiguity in specification language
- Integrate general and supplemental conditions to maintain quality and schedule control during construction
- Communicate design intent effectively across owners, contractors, suppliers, and inspectors
Description
In construction projects, unclear or poorly structured specifications are a frequent source of delays, cost overruns, and disputes. When requirements are ambiguous or misaligned between drawings, contracts, and conditions, project teams are forced to interpret intent—often with costly consequences. Many professionals responsible for contributing to specifications receive limited formal training in how to write them clearly, consistently, and defensibly.
This course focuses on the practical skills required to produce construction specifications that support smooth project delivery. You will learn how to structure specifications, define responsibilities, manage risk, and align bidding and contractual requirements with project objectives. Emphasis is placed on clarity, consistency, and enforceability throughout all phases of the construction process.
Through applied examples and interactive exercises drawn from architectural, civil, structural, and mechanical projects, you will develop the confidence to write specifications that improve communication, reduce uncertainty, and support effective decision‑making from bidding through project close‑out.
Who Should Attend
This course is designed for:
- Engineers and engineering technologists involved in design and construction projects
- Professionals responsible for writing, reviewing, or coordinating construction specifications
- Project engineers, specification writers, and contract administrators
- Estimators, inspectors, and technical staff involved in bidding and procurement
- Early‑career through senior practitioners seeking to strengthen applied specification skills
SYLLABUS
Day I
The Role of Specifications in Project Quality
- Importance of quality specifications
- Prerequisites for quality specifications
- Need for efficient production of specifications
- Legal principles
- Contract and specification organization
The Specifier’s Search for Clarity
- Discussion of specification writing practices aimed at clearly communicating project requirements, including consideration of specification language, grammar, abbreviations, etc.
Role of Specification Writer
- Types of specifications-descriptive-performance-reference standard-propriety
- Obtaining owner input
- Product investigation and selection
- Environmental concerns
Product Representatives and Specification Writers-Forging A Working Relationship
- Discussion of issues of mutual interest
- Identifying and understanding the self-interests of both groups
- Recognizing the responsibilities each has to one another
Basis of Project Delivery
- Summary of work in project delivery
- Mechanical and electrical general requirements
- Measurement and payment
- Administration
- Time of completion
- Bonuses, liquidated damages
- Damages for delay
- Warranties/bonds/insurance
- 'Division 1'
General and Supplemental Conditions
- Subjects normally covered
- Relationship of general conditions to specifications
- Differing site conditions
- Materials and equipment
- Shop drawings and samples
- Disapproving or stopping the work
- Purpose and scope of supplemental conditions
Day II
Bidding Requirements - Division 0
General Requirements - Division 1
- Public/private bidding
- Advertisement/invitation
- Instructions to bidders
- Prequalification of bidders
- Bid form
- Alternates, separate prices, unit prices, allowances
- Subcontractors
- Completion date
- Bid security, attachments
- Relationship of specifications to the proposal
Specification Formats and Sources
- Manual organization
- Divisions 2 through 49
- Sections
- Available sources
- In-house master specifications
Workshop I: Writing Specifications for A Civil Engineering Project
Workshop II: Writing Specifications for A Mechanical/Electrical Engineering Project
Case Study
Open Forum-Questions and Answers
Concluding Remarks and Final Adjournment
INSTRUCTOR
Partner & Vice President — BEST Consultants Martin Gerskup Architect Inc.
Mississauga, ON
Mitchell is a Canadian Professional Engineer specializing in the practice of building science and restoration engineering with a background in structural and building systems engineering.
He has spent the last twenty years applying building science principles to the investigation and repair of existing structures, with an emphasis on resolving problems affecting the building envelope. This includes preparing hundreds of condition assessments and reserve fund studies.
President — BEST MGA (2025) Inc.
Toronto, ON
Martin has over 35 years of experience and is the president of BEST Consultants Martin Gerskup Architect Inc. He specializes in the field of investigative architecture and building science with particular emphasis on the resolution of problems affecting the building envelope. Martin is a member of the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) and has served in various capacities on the Ontario Building Envelope Council (OBEC) Board of Directors from 1991 to 1997.
He was president of OBEC from 1993 to 1994, a member of the council for the OAA from 2003 to 2005, and a member of the ULC Thermal Insulation Committee. During his tenure on the council at the OAA, Mr. Gerskup was Chair of the Discipline Committee while also serving on the following committees: Practice Committee, Registration Committee, Public Interest Review Committee, Communications Committee, and the University Liaison Task Group.
In addition to authoring and presenting many technical papers on the subject of building science, Mr. Gerskup taught as an assistant adjunct professor and tutor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design from 1999 to 2001 and at the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Ryerson University in 2002.
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