E122. Understanding RFI's

Ever wondered why your building project suddenly hits delays, unexpected costs, or confusing requests from councils and authorities? In this episode of The Building Design, Prime Time Podcast, Amelia and Frank unpack one of the most misunderstood, yet critical, parts of the building process: RFIs (Requests for More Information).

While RFIs might sound boring, they can have massive impacts on timelines, budgets, approvals, finance, and even whether a project can proceed at all. Frank explains exactly what RFIs are, why they happen, who issues them, and how they can completely stall a project if not handled correctly. From planning and plumbing to bushfire, flood, fire safety and council interpretations, this episode reveals the hidden complexities behind approvals and why even experienced designers and builders can get caught out.

You’ll learn how early site analysis, feasibility studies, and proactive communication can dramatically reduce delays, protect your budget, and keep your project moving forward. Frank also shares real-world examples of frustrating council inconsistencies, policy changes, missing information, and how poor communication can cost months and thousands of dollars.

If you’re planning a new home, renovation, extension, or development, this episode will give you critical insights into how the approvals system really works, what to expect, and how to avoid common traps.

RFIs may be boring — but ignoring them can be very expensive. This episode could save you time, money, and a whole lot of stress. 

Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss our weekly podcast topics to help you undertsand your next build or renovation project. 

Disclaimer
The information provided on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, individual circumstances, or remedy. We strongly suggest you consult a qualified professional before taking any action based on the information provided in this podcast. The views, opinions, and information provided in this podcast are those of the hosts do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organisation, employer, or company. All content provided on this podcast is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind. We make no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this podcast and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, or damages arising from its use. We reserve the right to change content or delete any information provided on this podcast at any time without prior notice.

Transcript

E122. Understanding RFI's 

[INTRO] (0:08 - 0:24)

Hello and welcome to the Building Design, Prime Time Podcast, focused on providing valuable information for anyone looking to undertake a new build or extension project. We'll share our tips, tricks and stories from a building designer's perspective.

[Amelia] (0:36 - 0:42)

Hello and welcome to the Building Design, Prime Time Podcast. I'm your host Amelia and once again we're joined by Frank Geskus.

[Frank] (0:42 - 0:43)

Hey Amelia.

[Amelia] (0:44 - 0:45)

Happy Friday.

[Frank] (0:45 - 0:47)

And with a glass of wine.

[Amelia] (0:47 - 0:49)

Shh, don't say it too loudly.

[Frank] (0:49 - 0:50)

Why, everyone will want one?

[Amelia] (0:51 - 0:51)

Yeah.

[Frank] (0:51 - 0:53)

Yeah, well, it’s very nice.

[Amelia] (0:53 - 0:54)

It is very nice.

[Frank] (0:54 - 0:54)

Tasmanian Riesling.

[Amelia] (0:54 - 0:56)

Yeah, not bad at all.

[Frank] (0:56 - 0:59)

Yeah. Hey, I've got an idea for the podcast.

[Amelia] (1:00 - 1:00)

A topic you mean?

[Frank] (1:01 - 1:05)

Okay, topic. 

[Amelia]

Yeah. 

[Frank]

We're going to talk about something that's super boring.

[Amelia] (1:05 - 1:15)

Yeah, I actually came to you earlier this week and asked you a few questions about this and it sort of prompted, well, maybe a few other people don't know much about what this is and how it all works.

[Frank] (1:15 - 1:26)

Yes. RFIs or Requests for More Information. The bane of every designer, engineer, consultant.

[Amelia] (1:26 - 1:29)

It's going to be the most exciting topic we've ever talked about.

[Frank] (1:29 - 2:43)

Oh, it's boring as batshit. There's no other way of putting it. But we need to explain it to you because why this stuff happens and what it actually means.

So what it is, is the Request for More Information. It could be from your planning, building, plumbing, civil engineer and the council, TAS Water, our sewer and water regulatory authority. TAS Fire can be anywhere.

So what they do, they stop the clock. So you put an application in and you get this back and you go, doh, stops the clock. We've got these questions we need to answer.

Could delay the project. Could it cost extra money? Because they could be asked for extra engineering, another consultant, and it could be really simple.

[Amelia]

Yes. 

[Frank]

They're the ones that frustrate me most, the real simple ones. So every stalled project has an RFI behind it.

So the RFI affects everyone from designers, engineers, builders, clients, banks, finances. It's a ripple effect. So what it actually is, is an authority can't complete the assessment of the application that's been lodged.

And it's used across planning, building, plumbing, fire, environmental, traffic, bushfire, waste water, you name it, anything and everything.

[Amelia] (2:43 - 2:48)

So you can get basically an RFI on anything throughout the process.

[Frank] (2:48 - 2:55)

And the reality is they can't assess it. They don't feel they can assess it because they haven't got enough information.

[Amelia] (2:55 - 2:58)

And they'll usually stipulate exactly what it is that they need.

[Frank] (2:59 - 3:10)

They may stipulate, but may not be exactly. And as we were talking before, some of the RFIs, how they're worded, we look at it blankly and go, what does that mean?

[Amelia] (3:10 - 3:10)

Okay.

[Frank] (3:10 - 3:39)

They're not very good at explaining. Some people are awesome. Some are not.

They are very poor at explaining it. So we then try and arrange a phone call and go, what the heck do you mean by this? And they said, look, we want this, this, this, and this.

Well, why didn't you just say that? Because sometimes it's like cookie cutter. I really dislike it.

Get to the point. Tell it how it is. Be clear. Or here's a novel idea. Phone numbers on the drawings and on the application. Give us a call.

[Amelia] (3:39 - 3:42)

That seems to fix a lot of problems, you would think…a quick chat

[Frank] (3:43 - 3:53)

Yeah. It's becoming less and less. Have a quick chat.

Hey, would you mind adding this to the drawing? I know it's common sense. I just need it for that.It could be just one little thing.

[Amelia] (3:53 - 3:54)

Yeah. Okay.

[Frank] (3:54 - 4:05)

Yeah. You send an RFI. Delays.

It's got to go through the manager. And you might get it seven or eight days later sometimes. Whether a phone call.

Yep. I'll get the drawings to them in under an hour because it's a quick, easy fix.

[Amelia] (4:05 - 4:06)

Yeah. Yep.

[Frank] (4:07 - 4:09)

And they don't have to do an RFI. Here's a novel idea.

[Amelia] (4:10 - 4:12)

There's a novel idea. 

[Frank] (4:13 - 4:17)

Talk to people.Wow. Talk to people. Talk to people rather than on an email.

[Amelia] (4:17 - 4:19)

We have these things called phones.

[Frank] (4:19 - 4:50)

Yeah. They're pretty good. 

[Amelia]

Yeah.

[Frank]

Just a new thing. Not. And you build relationships that way too.

And I'm a big fan of just talking to people and going through stuff. And look, there's stuff that you may not agree with what the planner, the planning application, or the building surveyor, or the plumbing, or the permit authority, or whoever. You should be able to have a chat about it, a discussion, and a bit of a debate.

Or at least get an understanding. Because it only makes you better at what you do going into the next job. The other side of it is there may be a change of policy within the council or within one of those departments.

[Amelia] (4:51 - 4:53)

Where they actually require more information.

[Frank] (4:53 - 4:54)

Because we didn't know it.

[Amelia] (4:54 - 4:55)

That's right.

[Frank] (4:55 - 5:48)

Yep. So, time frame stops. There's key reality assessment pauses.

Time frame stops. Nothing moves forward until it's answered. This is why they're really frustrating.

Because when designers, engineers, anyone puts a lodgement in, they fair dinkum think it's complete. And the reports they've added meet the requirements. Meets all the codes that we're aware of.

And then we get an RFI. And it's unexpected. It's inconsistent.

Oh, that really gets me. And policy-driven rather than technical. Because not everything fits within a policy.

So then you've got to be able to have a discussion about it. So it can get very frustrating. Especially with the inconsistency.

Now, no one wants it. No one plans for it. This is what everyone's got to understand.

As a professional, it's bad for business.

[Amelia] (5:49 - 5:51)

Well, that's right. It takes longer.

[Frank] (5:51 - 5:53)

Yeah. Because you're already flat out doing something else.

[Amelia] (5:53 - 5:54)

That's right.

[Frank] (5:54 - 6:25)

Now you've got to hop onto this. It throws your workflow. It just makes sense.

So, for us, when we engage a lot of the consultants, we've got to go back to the consultant. Hey, we need to look at this. When can you look at this?

Do this. Well, I'm in the middle of this. I'm on holidays.

I'm doing this and the other. And this is where it's unexpected. And you've got someone, sorry, I'm off for the next week for training.

Or I'm away or doing that. And you've got to explain to the client, we're going to have a delay here. The worst ones are when they want a report done.

And the reports could take weeks, if not months.

[Amelia] (6:25 - 6:26)

Yeah, that makes it hard.

[Frank] (6:27 - 6:58)

And it may have come from a change of policy or something was missed or whatever. Or here's my favourite, is when we've already worked with someone within the council or authority. Do that.

We've got an email. Blah, blah, blah. Yep, done.

Let's get on with that. You get an RFI and you go, well, you're dealing with Joe before. Well, Joe's on holiday.

I've taken over. Well, hang on. I've got this email.

We've had a discussion. I disagree with it. What do you mean?

We had a discussion. He agreed. This is the person.

I disagree. It's got to go in this direction.

[Amelia] (6:58 - 6:59)

Oh, that's frustrating.

[Frank] (6:59 - 7:12)

Oh, you've got no idea. You want to lose your lolly. And you go, well, let's have this discussion again.

And I have a totally different attitude. So frustrating.

[Amelia] (7:12 - 7:16)

That makes it hard. Is that just simply because of their interpretation of whatever the rules are?

[Frank] (7:16 - 7:17)

Their point of view.

[Amelia] (7:17 - 7:17)

Yeah.

[Frank] (7:18 - 8:22)

And this is where their perception of what the rules or how it should be done is different to someone else. Amazing, isn't it? Same rules, different interpretation.

Happens a lot. So where this really impacts is that the consultants thought they were finished, and now they're going to do some extra work, and now they're going to charge. Sometimes they charge, sometimes they don't, depending on what the request is.

So it can also create bottlenecks with multiple projects. So you might have a couple of the same projects in the same street. Got to deal with, hey, we've all got to get these.

I'll use a flood overlay report there a pearler. We should know that. But a certain council for a while in Tasmania didn't show flood reports on the statewide system called The List.

And I must say I got a little bit grumpy where one of the designers came in. Hey, check this out. We've got an RFI.

This is not fair. There's a flood overlay. And we looked through our documents, and we did our Dial Before You Digs and all our searches. It's not on there. No, we got an email back. Oh, we never put ours on The List.

[Amelia] (8:22 - 8:24)

Oh, dear.

[Frank] (8:25 - 8:27)

Do you want to know which council it is?

[Amelia] (8:27 - 8:29)

I think I already know.

[Frank] (8:30 - 8:31)

They actually have it on The List now.

[Amelia] (8:32 - 8:37)

Well, I think a few people probably arced up about that for them to put it on there.

[Frank] (8:38 - 8:48)

Yeah, so that's very frustrating when all the councils don't do exactly the same thing and make all information open sourced. Dumb, useless, selfish council.

[Amelia] (8:48 - 8:49)

Well, it just makes it harder.

[Frank] (8:49 - 8:52)

I might have mentioned before. Should I mention it? Can I mention it?

Can I mention it?

[Amelia] (8:53 - 8:54)

Frank, we'll get in trouble.

[Frank] (8:55 - 8:58)

Doesn't matter. Hobart Council. Don't care.

[Amelia] (8:58 - 9:00)

I'm sorry, Hobart.

[Frank] (9:00 - 9:13)

Well, it's that particular council. But as I understand, they have now got it on there. But I just don't get the mentality of you throw this stuff on it where it's not readily available.

It comes like a thief in the night. And how do you explain that to a customer?

[Amelia] (9:14 - 9:14)

True.

[Frank] (9:14 - 9:19)

You're a professional. You should know this. You should find it.

And to a point, they're right. But it's not there.

[Amelia] (9:19 - 9:20)

It's not there.

[Frank] (9:20 - 9:29)

Yeah. Yeah. Got that off my chest.

Right. So then what is the client perception? Why wasn't this picked up earlier?

[Amelia] (9:29 - 9:34)

Well, exactly. They're not going to be very happy. 

[Frank]

Of course.

[Amelia]

Their project's delayed. 

[Frank] (9:34 - 9:51)

Yes. So we do our best dealing with that. And same, I've had it with planning where an opinion comes across. And you've got to be a bit careful how you navigate those waters.

So we've had some where we've said, no, we're not willing to do that because we think that you're stepping outside the bounds of the planning scheme. You can't request that.

[Amelia] (9:51 - 9:51)

Yes.

[Frank] (9:51 - 10:01)

So you actually say no to the RFI. And you go back to them. And say, I'm sorry, no.

You're outside your bounds. But you've got to prove it. Sometimes that still doesn't work.

[Amelia] (10:02 - 10:02)

Yeah, OK.

[Frank] (10:02 - 10:17)

Yep. So why do these happen? So one of them is missing information.

Assume detail, not explicitly documented. The obvious items still need to be shown. And this is pretty funny sometimes, the obvious items.

[Amelia] (10:17 - 10:20)

And are these things just forgotten by accident usually?

[Frank] (10:21 - 10:37)

Well, we're talking about a tree. We're talking about a pit in the backyard. We're talking about stuff like, seriously, you've already got the records of all this stuff.

Anyway, it could be a whole number of things. Again, one phone call.

[Amelia] (10:38 - 10:44)

Yeah, you would think that's an easy fix. And just say, yep, can you put this on the drawings? And it's not difficult.

[Frank] (10:44 - 10:48)

And I have such a high respect for people. Go out of the way to make a phone call.

[Amelia] (10:48 - 10:49)

Yes.

[Frank] (10:49 - 11:18)

And we have a chat. Get to know each other. The process is easier.

You can ask. You find most people talking to designers or architects. They are more than happy to have a chat and work your way through it.

Wham, bam, thank you. Sorted. The other one that really catches out is policy changes or interpretations.

So we spoke about interpretation before. But when a policy changes within the council that are introducing something and they feel they need to, oh, this is one that really gets me though. They are working on a policy, a future policy.

[Amelia] (11:19 - 11:21)

Oh, so it's not released yet?

[Frank] (11:21 - 11:30)

Not released yet. But they want you to address some of it.

[Amelia]

Oh, what?

[Frank]

I'm not joking. Yeah, that one really gets me. How are we supposed to know?

[Amelia] (11:31 - 11:35)

No one's supposed to know that. That's a bit rough.

[Frank] (11:35 - 11:41)

It's like, where's Wally? You're looking through all the paperwork trying to find it. I can't find it. Oh, no, this is something that's coming up. Oh, come on.  

[Amelia] (11:41 - 11:46)

It's all right. We're all just mind readers in the office here.

[Frank] (11:46 - 12:27)

Oh, and every other poor designer and architect around the country. So plumbing and building standards. Yep, fair enough.

You've got to stay up to date with the Australian standards and when they're implemented by each one of the departments or your building surveyor. And you've got, as a designer, you've got to try your best to stay on top of this stuff. Local interpretation differs from expectations.

Oh, my. Well, yes, the interpretation can be a bit of a challenge with some of them. And I've had this with TAS Fire as well, their interpretation on stuff, on projects where, classic example, spoke to one person.

Yep, all okay. Go for the application. Different person assesses.

I disagree with it. We end up canning the project.

[Amelia] (12:27 - 12:29)

Oh, that's really disappointing.

[Frank] (12:30 - 12:48)

Yep, we changed direction. We pivoted on that one. We cancelled that type and we changed it into something else we didn't have to do with TAS Fire because it was really disappointing and it was ridiculous.

They just destroyed, no way we could do a cost-effective development. Even though we went through pre-consult and everything.

[Amelia] (12:49 - 12:53)

Wow. It sounded like it would get really expensive to try and get that one through.

[Frank] (12:53 - 12:53)

Really expensive.

[Amelia] (12:54 - 12:56)

As the client, how they wanted it originally.

[Frank] (12:56 - 12:58)

And a four-month delay.

[Amelia] (12:59 - 13:01)

Really? Because of the RFI?

[Frank] (13:01 - 13:12)

Yep. And once we chatted to them, went through it and said, no, this is rubbish. And I advised the client, let's change here, here, because it's not worth your while.

Even after, and they said, we've got an agreement. Yep, I know.

[Amelia] (13:13 - 13:13)

Yep.

[Frank] (13:13 - 14:31)

Very disappointing. Planning schemes evolve. Yeah, kind of.

It's more the interpretations you're dealing with there. Plumbing and building standards. Yep, that's always going to be a case that you've got to keep on your toes.

So specific triggers, bushfire, flood, accessibility, wastewater, infrastructures, services. All those things could trigger RFIs from those particular areas. So this is where we have to identify that as early as possible.

Get the professionals to write reports for those. So then we trust them to deal with it and get it accurate. Too many designers I've seen leave it to the last minute, these types of things. We try to highlight it at the very start of a project. When we do an assessment, maybe a feasibility study assessment, analyse the site.

We identify, we've got a problem here. You've got a flood overlay. Bushfire could potentially be really high.

And you can't get access because you've got a crown lease next to you and you've got to apply for that. And that's always a classic. Early.

Always try and find this stuff early. If your designer comes with this while you're going through construction, I'll be asking some pretty big questions. Well, why didn't you know this at the start of the project?

Because you've gone down the design path. Now you potentially have to change it. Who's paying for that?

Because you didn't check all the regulations.

[Amelia] (14:31 - 14:36)

Especially if the information's there at the beginning, why would you not check it first?

[Frank] (14:37 - 15:02)

In Tasmania, we're so fortunate with the information we have available. You get captured close to 90% -95% of all information by a few websites. 

[Amelia]

That's awesome.

[Frank]

As it should be. So then you've got the right direction. But if an architectural designer does not do their analysis first to figure out what is going to potentially be a challenge, and that comes out later, of course the project delays forever.

[Amelia] (15:02 - 15:04)

And we've already talked about contingencies.

[Frank] (15:05 - 15:15)

Yeah, exactly. And that's where you use some of those. 

[Amelia]

That's right.

[Frank]

So the interesting thing when you talk about that, the dollars to spend on your design and all that doesn't come out of your loan, generally.

[Amelia] (15:15 - 15:15)

Yes.

[Frank] (15:15 - 15:57)

That comes out of your back pocket. And if you've budgeted anywhere between $15,000 and $25,000 to get all your permits, then if you've got delays, RFIs, well, that creeps up. 

[Amelia]

Oh, it would.

[Frank]

Yeah. And it's got to be done in a pretty reasonable sequence. So understand this is risk management by the authorities.

So they're seeking to clarify transfer responsibility onto the experts. It's not personal. It's just it's a procedure they've got to do.

So the hidden costs, there are a lot of simple ones. When it comes to planning, we allow X amount of hours in there so we don't charge any extra.

[Amelia] (15:58 - 16:00)

Oh, in case there are RFIs that come up.

[Frank] (16:00 - 16:52)

Yeah, if you get an RFI and it's pretty minor, bang, we can do it. We've allowed that. But when you get some really crazy stuff, that's where we've got to go talk to the customer.

This is going to be extra. Now, RFIs don't necessarily mean when you get an email talking about objections. Someone objects to your project. Not the same thing. So just please be very aware of that. But then they can be a big delay.

So if you don't get these things organised, it could be a little bit of redesign, adjustment, maybe a few extra consulting fees. And on really difficult sites, this stuff's going to happen. Really tough sites.

Your approvals will get delayed. The builder's start date gets pushed back. Finance approvals are affected.

And a potential price increase with the current inflation and cost of construction. I'm still stunned. The rise of cost of materials in construction is going greater than CPI.

[Amelia] (16:52 - 16:53)

Wow.

[Frank] (16:53 - 17:01)

Yeah. I find it quite astonishing at the moment. So the biggest risk is assuming that we're nearly approved.

[Amelia] (17:01 - 17:08)

Yeah. That's a really good point. I think people, I hope they don't get complacent because they're getting close to the end.

[Frank] (17:09 - 17:13)

Yeah. You're kind of just short of the finish line.

[Amelia] (17:14 - 17:15)

That's right. Yeah.

[Frank] (17:15 - 17:38)

So all this can cascade too. So if you get a planning delay, it's a building permit delay in all the construction drawings. If the building permit is delayed, finance is installed.

Now, this is what we pride ourselves on really heavily. Really bad for business to get an RFI in the building permit. This is knowing all your stuff when you're doing construction drawings and organising all your consults.

So we work so hard.

[Amelia] (17:38 - 17:44)

Are you saying that generally, if we're going to get an RFI, generally it will be during planning stage?

[Frank] (17:44 - 17:59)

Generally. Yeah. Because we've already discussed with TasWater, we've already spoken, getting the civil engineering flood overlays, bushfire.

We've already dealt with all these things beforehand. So the majority of our projects do not get an RFI in building.

[Amelia] (17:59 - 18:00)

Okay.

[Frank] (18:00 - 18:05)

So we work really, really hard because if you get a delay there, the knock-on effect is massive.

[Amelia] (18:05 - 18:06)

Yeah, it would be.

[Frank] (18:07 - 18:21)

So if your finance stalls, your builder researchers will move on to another project. Then you get potential cost rises. So this could originate from an unanswered, or here's my favourite, an RFI that goes missing.

[Amelia] (18:21 - 18:23)

Oh, like the council have lost it or something?

[Frank] (18:24 - 18:24)

Wrong address.

[Amelia] (18:25 - 18:29)

Oh no. They've sent it to the wrong address. 

[Frank]

Yeah.

[Amelia]

Ouch.

[Frank] (18:30 - 18:30)

Yes.

[Amelia] (18:30 - 18:31)

That's annoying.

[Frank] (18:31 - 18:52)

Oh, you've got no idea. I've had a number of these where I know where they got the address or it was a really old one or whatever it is. It's just mad.

So you've got to keep chasing all the time. Again, another time waster because the electronic world isn't great sometimes. I wish they'd just bung it in the mail and get it in five days.

At least that's how they used to do it.

[Amelia] (18:52 - 18:57)

Well, I mean, you'd think there would be some sort of backup in case they don't receive it.

[Frank] (18:57 - 19:00)

Oh no. Emails are perfect, don't you know?

[Amelia] (19:01 - 19:04)

Yep. Gotta love technology.

[Frank] (19:04 - 19:07)

Well, technology is great when it actually works or when people don't check the addresses.

[Amelia] (19:07 - 19:09)

And human error. Of course, human error.

[Frank] (19:10 - 19:14)

And there always will be. And that's where I had one where it went missing for a month.

[Amelia] (19:14 - 19:15)

So that project was delayed a month.

[Frank] (19:15 - 19:16)

We thought, where the heck's the permit?

[Amelia] (19:17 - 19:18)

Yeah, that's annoying.

[Frank] (19:18 - 19:29)

And we chased it up. It says, oh, you haven't addressed the RFI. What RFI?

It says, we sent it to you. When? We stayed.

Got nothing. What address did you send it to? Oh, Frank with two Ks, you know?

[Amelia] (19:30 - 19:30)

Oh no. Wow.

[Frank] (19:31 - 19:32)

You know, they've misspelt it.

[Amelia] (19:32 - 19:32)

Yes.

[Frank] (19:33 - 19:38)

And look, I've done it too. I'm not innocent on this, but you keep chasing stuff. Don't ever assume.

[Amelia] (19:38 - 19:47)

It's almost like they need an internal system so that you can see where it's up to in the process.

[Frank] (19:47 - 20:05)

It's like send and forget. But it went the wrong direction. Anyway, so how to reduce RFIs.

Well, I believe good site analysis at the start of a project, understanding where all the potential challenges may lie.

[Amelia] (20:05 - 20:08)

And sometimes we even do feasibility studies.

[Frank] (20:08 - 20:37)

Yeah, just to make sure. Because we go, oh, it's going to be a tough site. I don't know about this.

Don't know about that. Recommend this. So we get some consultants in early to give recommendation.

Because it also affects your overall price of your job. 

[Amelia]

Yeah. 

[Frank]

You know, bushfire, classic. I don't know. I'm not a bushfire guy. But I get experts in that said, look, we need to look at this site. Can you do a preliminary look at it? What do you reckon? What do we have to do to make this work?

Not do an assessment. Oh, we've got to do this, this, this, and this. Or they go, you've got bucklies and none of getting this through.

[Amelia] (20:38 - 20:38)

Yeah.

[Frank] (20:38 - 20:40)

It's like, you're not going to meet the requirements.

[Amelia] (20:40 - 20:45)

But at least you know. And you haven't gone all the way through the process to be told no.

[Frank] (20:45 - 20:57)

This is exactly right. You know, you break people's hearts. But they're breaking their heart early and they've only spent a couple of thousand bucks with a consultant, a few hundred bucks with us.

Rather than right at the end, you've dropped 20K on your project and you're not going to get a permit.

[Amelia] (20:58 - 20:59)

Yeah, that's right.

[Frank] (20:59 - 21:01)

And you'd be surprised how often that happens.

[Amelia] (21:01 - 21:02)

Really?

[Frank] (21:02 - 22:10)

Yep. So when someone offers a feasibility study, analyse your site, look at all the potential issues. And it's a tough site.

You may not know it's a tough site. But it's well worth every cent. So then it's cross-checking, planning versus building versus plumbing and all everything in between.

Never assume. You've got to make sure everything is as right as possible to reduce the chance of RFIs. But from a client and builder, sometimes RFIs may look upon as incompetence.

It's not that at all. It's stuff that might just naturally got missed or the information wasn't supplied or whatever or a difference of opinion. So you've got to work your way through that.

But we're going to try and respond quickly. And it's really hard sometimes when you've got your workflow. So just remember RFIs aren't your enemy.

They're a stress test before construction. Definitely stress at times when they're a toughie. But when they're simple, this is where I'd much prefer give me a call or one of my team a call and go, hey, I've got this. Do you think you could have a look at this, address this? And with your planning report, can you please address this component? No worries, it's done.

It's done in an hour or two.

[Amelia] (22:10 - 22:27)

I think there's a note here on this section because here at Prime Design we arrange all of the permits and everything for people. Now what happens if that's not the case? And you have people that are arranging all of their own paperwork, all of their own permits.

[Frank] (22:28 - 22:28)

Good luck.

[Amelia] (22:28 - 22:31)

Are they going to know how to address an RFI?

[Frank] (22:31 - 22:41)

No, because they come back to us. But they also, some people come with a poor attitude and going, what am I paying you for? I've got this back.

But they don't actually understand what the RFI is about.

[Amelia] (22:41 - 22:48)

That's right. Especially if we don't understand them sometimes. If we have to pick up the phone and actually say, what is it that you want?

[Frank] (22:48 - 22:50)

I don't understand. Please explain.

[Amelia] (22:50 - 22:52)

So yes, one of those situations.

[Frank] (22:53 - 23:13)

And it's very reasonable to ask that because some people do not word their emails very well at all. Or they don't get the point or they get a bit fluffy and abstract. So when people have got to do it themselves, well, I suppose that leads to the other thing that we've had a number of people come back and say, can you please do this for me now?

I don't get it. Because it is complex and the wording is like from another planet.

[Amelia] (23:14 - 23:18)

Honestly, I think the process itself as a whole is complicated.

[Frank] (23:18 - 23:39)

Oh, very much so. So it's better to resolve now than during construction. So you've got to keep that aware.

Everything's got to be right. So the real danger is assumptions and letting RFI sit idle. Mind you, can't be helped if it's gone somewhere in the ether, internet space somewhere and didn't land where it's supposed to be.

[Amelia] (23:39 - 23:42)

Disappeared. 

[Frank]

Just disappeared. 

[Amelia]

A Harry Potter moment.

[Frank] (23:43 - 23:47)

OK, interesting. Segway that kind of not.

[Amelia] (23:48 - 23:50)

What can I say? It's Friday.

[Frank] (23:53 - 23:58)

So RFIs are boring, but ignore them, they're expensive. How's that for a takeaway?

[Amelia] (23:58 - 24:09)

That's the moral of the story. I think rely on your designer. Make sure you pick a good designer that will help you with this.

And if you're not sure, ask them.

[Frank] (24:10 - 24:15)

Well, design should handle a lot of this. A good designer, a good architect should be able to do all this for you.

[Amelia] (24:15 - 24:15)

Exactly.

[Frank] (24:16 - 24:26)

But clock stopping is normal. There's nothing to panic over. And if your project's on a crazy tight deadline, that may be for all sorts of circumstances, this stuff sometimes can't be controlled.

[Amelia] (24:27 - 24:35)

I mean, and it's not just our area either. It can be from the build to all aspects of the project. You know, you've got to have some bad weather or...

[Frank] (24:36 - 24:37)

Yep, very much so.

[Amelia] (24:37 - 24:39)

All sorts of stuff. You just have to allow for these things.

[Frank] (24:39 - 25:06)

Very much so. So when you've got a tight timeframe, this is when the stress hits bad. You know, this is where people come to with expectations of time.

I said, well, no, we can't do it, not comfortably. We might be able to get it sooner, we'll do our best, but no, this is the timeframe it has to be. So don't expect people to be able to tighten stuff up.

So the goal is always no RFIs. And generally most projects are, if you've done your work properly. That's good.

[Amelia] (25:06 - 25:11)

If all the information is available, it should be pretty smooth sailing.

[Frank] (25:11 - 25:16)

So the goal is to be fast, informed, coordinated. Sounds simple in a complicated process.

[Amelia] (25:17 - 25:19)

But sometimes they just come up.

[Frank] (25:19 - 25:36)

They do. And this is, some people blame red tape. And yep, I totally agree.

But to be fair, some of these things need to be done and done well. Because if you don't do it properly, you know, with fire, TasWater, you know, plumbing. If you don't get it right, someone's got to fix it some way.

[Amelia] (25:37 - 25:37)

That's right.

[Frank] (25:37 - 25:42)

So yeah. So there's that boring topic of RFIs. I hope that's helped.

[Amelia] (25:43 - 25:44)

I hope so too.

[Frank] (25:44 - 25:45)

Has it helped you understand it?

[Amelia] (25:45 - 25:53)

Yeah. Well, I mean, as I said, I came to you in the office earlier this week and asked a few questions. So yeah, I think that definitely brings some clarity.

[Frank] (25:54 - 25:54)

Yes.

[Amelia] (25:54 - 25:58)

I think we might wrap it up there. Thanks for listening to the Building Design, Prime Time Podcast.

[Frank] (25:59 - 25:59)

Catch you later.

[OUTRO] (26:09 - 26:12)

You're listening to the Building Design, Prime Time Podcast.