Question

Describe the difference between a Change Order (CO), a Request For Information (RFI), and submittals? Give an example of each

Answer 1

A change order is work that is added to or deleted from the original scope of work of a contract, however, depending on the magnitude of the change, it may or may not alter the original contract amount and/or completion date. A change order may force a new project to handle significant changes to the current project.

A request for information (RFI) is a common business process whose purpose is to collect written information about the capabilities of various suppliers. Normally it follows a format that can be used for comparative purposes.

Submittals are those shop drawings, product data, samples, and mock-ups to be delivered to the design professional (the architect or engineer) for review and action as required by the contract documents.