What are Specification and Selection items?

What are Specification and Selection items?

Megan Sullivan

On the Specs & Selections page you can create both specification and choice items to cover everything that goes into a project.

Specifications are the basic building blocks of what goes into a project, and include things like the type of lumber or concrete being used.  These specification items are part of the contractual agreement with the client to build their home and don’t require the client to make a choice. Therefore these items will be automatically selected and locked once they are entered.  

On an Open Book project (or a Fixed Price project with budget tracking turned on), the Original Budget will be visible, but there is no Revised Budget.  On the Budget page, the Original and Revised Budgets will be equal.

On a Fixed Price project, there is no Client Price since this is assumed to be part of the contract price.

By having the specs in your project, you have an easy reference for your team, clients (or prospective clients) and trade partners, but neither you nor your client needs to “make a choice”.

 

A Selection or choice item is one that you present to your clients to make a decision.  Depending on how you set up the item, the clients will either enter their own choice (Open-Ended) or choose from among some options you present (Predefined Choice). Unlike Specification items,  Selection items may be cost-impacting as reflected on the Financial Summary page (but they do not have to be).

When a choice is made on a Selection item, this financial impact is reflected in the Revised column on the Budget page.  The Original budget should not change after the original proposal price is set.

Both Specification and Selection items can have files and photos attached to them, can be assigned to change orders, and have areas for comments.