What does it mean to get a product specified?
A construction specification is the written part of the contract documents. It tells the contractor which products to use, how they must perform, and how to install them. When your product is specified, it is named in the section that covers your product type.
Being named changes your position. Contractors price the specified product, and a competitor who wants in has to submit a substitution request and prove its product is equal. That is why specification is the highest-leverage goal for a building product manufacturer.
Most specifications follow CSI MasterFormat, which sorts work into numbered divisions from 00 to 49. Roofing and waterproofing sit in Division 07, doors and windows in Division 08, finishes in Division 09, and HVAC in Division 23. Our construction lead glossary explains these and other spec terms in plain language.
When are products specified?
Product decisions happen in stages. Each design phase narrows the field, and the window to shape the specification closes before the project goes to bid.
| Stage | What gets decided | Who decides | Your best move |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planning | Building type, budget, delivery method, design team | Owner or developer | Track the project and learn who is on the team |
| Schematic design | Systems and product categories | Architect and design team | Introduce your product and offer education |
| Design development | Specific products and performance criteria | Architect, specifier, and engineers | Supply samples, data, and draft spec language |
| Construction documents | Final spec sections, basis of design, listed equals | Specifier or project architect | Confirm your listing and review the wording |
| Bidding | Pricing and substitution requests | Contractors price it; the architect rules on substitutions | Support bidders with pricing and lead times |
| Construction | Submittals and installation | Contractor, with architect review | Deliver on spec and on time |
Design development is usually the most valuable window, because the team is comparing specific products and still open to input. By construction documents, the wording is hardening. By bid day, the decision is made.
The delivery method changes the timing too. On design-build work, the builder joins during design and has a say in product choices. Our guide to design-build vs. design-bid-build explains how each method changes who you should call.
How to get a product specified in 7 steps
These steps follow a project from your product team’s desk to the job site. Use them as a checklist. If you have strong product data but few specifications, the gap is usually timing: steps 3 and 4.
Define where your product fits
- When: Before outreach
- Owner: Product marketing
Know your MasterFormat section, the building types where your product wins, and the problem it solves better than the alternatives. A sharp niche tells you which projects to chase and which design professionals to call.
Write it as one line your reps can repeat, such as “acoustic resilient flooring for K-12 corridors and classrooms.”
Make your product easy to specify
- When: Before outreach
- Owner: Technical team
Design teams specify products they can document quickly and defend later. Keep these current and easy to find on your website:
- Three-part guide specifications (General, Products, Execution) in MasterFormat numbering
- CAD details and BIM objects for the major design tools
- Product data sheets, test reports, certifications, and warranty terms
- Sustainability documents such as environmental product declarations (EPDs)
- Installation guides and a named technical contact
A BIM object lets a designer place your product straight into the building model. Our guide to building information modeling (BIM) covers what design teams expect from manufacturer content.
Find projects while they are still in design
- When: Planning and schematic design
- Owner: Sales
If you first hear about a project from a contractor who is pricing it, the specification is already written. You need to see projects in planning and design, with the stage, the materials involved, and someone to call.
A human-verified project data platform gives you that list for your territory. Construct-A-Lead’s research team confirms every project by phone, and each record includes at least one named contact with a phone number, plus the stage, estimated value, and a materials list.
See how manufacturers use construction project data to build a target list, and how to find construction projects before they go to bid for other early sources.
Identify who writes your section
- When: Schematic design
- Owner: Sales
The architect of record does not write every section. Find out who controls yours before you make the first call.
- Architects and specifiers write most envelope, openings, finishes, and specialties sections. Larger firms often have an in-house specifier or hire a specifications consultant.
- Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineers write the MEP divisions, including HVAC (Division 23) and electrical (Division 26).
- Interior designers often lead finish selections.
- Owners with design standards, such as health systems, hotel brands, and school districts, may require specific products on every project.
If the project record names only one contact, ask that person who is writing your section. It is a short, welcome question.
Lead with education, not a pitch
- When: Schematic design onward
- Owner: Sales and technical team
Architects need continuing education. AIA Architect members must complete 18 learning units each year from registered AIA/CES providers, and 12 of them must cover health, safety, and welfare (HSW).
A registered course on a real design problem your product solves earns you an hour with the whole team. Keep it neutral: a program that teaches is welcome, and a sales pitch dressed as a course is remembered for the wrong reasons.
Support the team through design development
- When: Design development
- Owner: Sales and technical team
This is where the specific product gets chosen. Answer requests quickly and make every answer easy to use:
- Send samples and mockups promptly.
- Offer to review the draft section for your product and flag coordination issues.
- Give budget pricing so the estimate holds.
- Help the team name your product as the basis of design, with clear performance criteria for any listed equals.
Protect the spec through bid and construction
- When: Construction documents to closeout
- Owner: Sales and distribution
Confirm your product made it into the final documents, then follow the project to bid. Give the general contractor, subcontractors, and distributors accurate pricing and lead times, so no one has a reason to substitute.
Track every targeted project from design to award, and measure your specification rate: the share of targeted projects that name your product. Our guide on how to qualify and prioritize construction leads helps you decide which projects deserve that effort.
How do you get specified by architects?
Architects are accountable for every product they name. They specify what they trust, what they understand, and what they can document. In practice, that means five habits:
- Be relevant. Reference their project and building type, not your full catalog.
- Be complete. Specification-ready data on your website means fewer calls and fewer errors.
- Be responsive. A fast, accurate answer during design development builds more trust than a lunch.
- Be honest about fit. If your product is wrong for the application, say so. You will be called on the next one.
- Join the community. Local CSI and AIA chapters put you in the room with specifiers outside a sales call.
The same approach works with engineers: learn who writes your division, then bring them the data they need to defend the choice.
To see which commercial projects in your territory are in planning and design right now, Start your free test drive. It covers 3 days or 5 projects, whichever comes first, with no credit card required.
What kinds of specifications will you see?
How a section is written tells you how much room your competitors have.
| Spec type | What it says | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Proprietary (sole source) | Names one product, with no substitutes | The strongest position; common where an owner has a standard |
| Basis of design | Names your product as the standard and allows equals that meet its criteria | A strong position: you set the benchmark others must match |
| Multiple named products | Lists two or three acceptable products, sometimes “or equal” | You compete at bid with a few named rivals |
| Performance | Describes required results without naming brands | Help shape the criteria during design |
| Reference standard | Cites industry standards the product must meet | Compliance gets you in; price usually decides |
Public owners often must keep bidding competitive, so expect basis-of-design and multiple-product language on government work. Private owners have more freedom to name a single product.
How do you track specifications to award?
Most sales pipelines are organized by close date. Specification selling works better by design phase, because the phase tells you what to do next.
- Planning: confirm the team and the timeline.
- Schematic design and design development: education, samples, and spec support.
- Construction documents: confirm your product is in the final section.
- Bid and award: support the contractors who are pricing it and learn who won.
A platform that lets your team search by stage, export to Excel, and receive email alerts makes that tracking easier. Our guide on how to choose a construction data platform lists what to compare, and you can read how we verify every project.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get a product specified?
Reach the architect, specifier, or engineer during schematic design or design development, before the specification is written. Provide three-part guide specs, CAD and BIM files, and test data, offer education instead of a pitch, and support the team with samples and pricing. Then follow the project through bidding so your product stays in the final documents.
How do I get an architect to spec my product?
Make it easy and low risk. Contact the architect while the project is in design, reference that specific project, and provide complete, current technical data and ready-to-use specification language. Respond quickly during design development, and offer a registered continuing education course. Architects name products they trust and can document.
How do you get specified in construction documents?
By the time construction documents are drawn, most product choices are made, so the work happens earlier. Build the relationship in schematic design, help shape the section in design development, and then confirm your product appears in the final specification, ideally as the basis of design with clear criteria for any listed equals.
What is a basis of design specification?
A basis of design specification names one product as the standard for a section and describes the performance and features other products must match to be accepted as equals. Being the basis of design is a strong position, because every competitor is measured against your product during bidding and review.
What happens if my product is not specified?
Your main route is a substitution request, usually submitted by a contractor during bidding or early construction. You must show the architect that your product is equal in performance, appearance, and coordination with other systems. Architects are not obligated to accept substitutions, which is why getting specified during design is the stronger path.
How does Construct-A-Lead help building product manufacturers?
Construct-A-Lead lists commercial projects across the U.S. and Canada, often in planning and design. Our research team confirms every project by phone, and each record includes a named contact with a phone number, stage, value, and a materials list. Annual plans run from $1,195 to $14,495. Schedule a demo to see your territory.
Sources
- American Institute of Architects, AIA & state continuing education requirements (accessed November 11, 2026)
- Procore, MasterFormat: The Definitive Guide to CSI Divisions in Construction (updated September 23, 2026)
