Specs or Drawings?
- Thread starter laketime
- Start date
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- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
The specs should tell you which takes precedent. I have seen specs that said in the case of a conflict the most expensive takes precedent.
eric9822
Senior Member
- Location
- Camarillo, CA
- Occupation
- Electrical and Instrumentation Tech
When I put jobs out for bid I specifically ask all bidders to ask for clarification in the event we provide conflicting requirements. If a job was awarded and a conflict was identified afterwards I would much rather have a contractor discuss it with me vs. taking the path of lowest cost even if it resulted in a change order.
USMC1302
Senior Member
- Location
- NW Indiana
Most front end documents I've used would be in agreement with what Don said, the more restrictive or in this case the more costly would be required. I agree with spec books being a pain sometimes, especially when the A/E cuts and pastes stuff that doesn't even remotely pertain to the project. On the other hand, I don't feel any sympathy for those who don't bother to even glance at them and complain when something big gets missed.
weressl
Esteemed Member
Specifications are boilerplate, drawings are job specifics. So I would say that the designer and engineers intent was to limit the the conduit to 3/4" on THIS job.
Pre-bid clarifications are in order.
I am curious, why would one call out 1/2" as a minimum? Is there an NEC recognized conduit size smaller than that exist?:roll:
I have been through this with the court system and the ruling at that time said the written word took precedence over any drawings in forming what has to be done and how it is to be done. The drawings can be used to enhance the description but in no way take the place of the written word. When you think about it the ruling makes sense what judge (usually a former lawyer) is going to take away the lawyers biggest tool the word.
gadfly56
Senior Member
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
Sorry you had to get this answer the hard way. I don't believe there is a standard heirarchy unless there are states which have adopted a default one by statute. And you might have had a different result in a different jurisdiction. I have seen specifications which rank the various information forms for precedence; eg: specs, drawings, memos, submittals, product brochures, and others that make you guess. Or worse, you bid as a sub to the sub and they don't give you the general T&C section for the project and suddenly they want you to deliver stuff you never signed up for such as training, or one-year free service, or 2-hour emergency response. We write our proposal responses to exclude any hidden or phantom pass-through requirements. As you found out, know before you go! The general principle (and I emphasize "general") regarding contract law is that ambiguities are usually resolved in favor of the guy writing the check.
chris kennedy
Senior Member
- Location
- Miami Fla.
- Occupation
- 60 yr old tool twisting electrician
Chapter 9 Table 4 lists FMC, IMC, LFNC, LFMC, RMC, and PVC in trade size 3/8.
It has been my experience that a specification is owned by the client and the dwgs/procedures by the engineering firm,at the biggining of a project these two are married together making a General Specification that is job specific.There are of course things that fall thru the crack and are usually promptly changed and revisions are issued to the General Specification through out the design engineering phase.If a conflict gets thru and is caught by construction and/or inspection then the more stringent ruling is law unless clint intervenes and dictates differently.Change orders are a different breed of cats
dick
dick
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