New PMs (and plenty of experienced ones) use these terms loosely, and it causes real delay — an issue routed as the wrong document type sits in the wrong queue. Here's what each one actually does.
The one-line version
- RFI — "Clarify the documents for me." A question to the design team.
- Submittal — "Here's the product I want to use. Does it meet the spec?" A request for approval.
- Change order — "This changes scope, cost, or time." A formal modification to the contract.
Side by side
| RFI | Submittal | Change order | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Clarify or resolve an ambiguity in the contract documents | Get approval that a proposed product/material/shop drawing meets the spec | Formally change scope, cost, or schedule |
| Who starts it | Usually contractor/sub → design team | Contractor/sub → architect/engineer | Owner or contractor, executed by both |
| Changes the contract? | No (clarifies it) | No (confirms compliance) | Yes |
| Points back to | A sheet, detail, or spec section | A spec section (and product data) | The original scope + the triggering RFI/condition |
| Typical risk if rushed | Answered from wrong/old set | Approved against wrong spec section | Scope creep / cost dispute |
How they connect on a real job
They're not isolated — they chain. A field condition raises an RFI. The answer reveals the specified product is unavailable, so the sub files a submittal proposing an equal. The substitution changes cost, so it's formalized in a change order. One issue, three documents, each pointing back to the contract.
Why this matters for speed
Because the bottleneck is shared, so is the fix. IntelMS answers any of these document questions — "which spec section governs this product?", "what does E-2.1 Rev 3 require?", "does the latest CO touch this scope?" — in minutes, with the exact citation, from the latest revision, and flags conflicts or anything contractual for a human. It doesn't approve submittals or issue change orders (a person always does that) — it removes the lookup that slows all three down.
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RFI vs. submittal — what's the difference?
An RFI asks the design team to clarify the documents. A submittal asks for approval that a proposed product meets the spec. One is a question; the other is a request for approval.
RFI vs. change order?
An RFI clarifies and doesn't change the contract. A change order formally alters scope, cost, or time. An RFI can surface an issue that leads to a change order, but they're distinct.
What do they have in common?
All three are grounded in the contract documents and all three depend on quickly finding the governing sheet, spec section, or revision.