What the RFI?

How do you get into Construction Administration? In this special episode of What the RFI?, recorded while on vacation in Tofino, BC, I answer some fan mail from Richard—an experienced Architectural Technologist looking to make the jump into a full-time Construction Administration role. We talk about how experience in architectural technology, construction documents, RFIs, shop drawings and consultant coordination can become the foundation for a career in CA—and why you probably already know m...

Your building is nearly finished. The consultants have signed off. Integrated systems testing is complete. Everyone is talking about move-in day. Now the building inspector is coming. In Episode 50 of What the RFI?, we’re talking about one of the biggest milestones in Construction Administration: the occupancy inspection. What happens when the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) arrives on site? What is the building inspector actually looking for? Who should attend the inspection? And what ha...

What happens after the fire alarm goes off? Does the elevator recall? Do the doors release? Do the mechanical systems respond? Does the monitoring station receive the signal? In Episode 49 of What the RFI?, we continue our four-part Building Occupancy Series with a practical look at CAN/ULC-S1001 Integrated Systems Testing from the Construction Administrator’s perspective. We break down what S1001 testing is, how it differs from fire alarm verification, who needs to be involved, how to prepar...

Canada-U.S. tariffs are hitting construction, raising new questions about material costs, steel prices, procurement, contracts, and who ultimately pays when prices suddenly change. With new 50% U.S. tariffs affecting billions of dollars of Canadian goods and Canada preparing retaliatory measures, construction materials including steel, aluminum, lumber, cement, plywood, paint, and other building products are caught in the middle. In Episode 48 of What the RFI?, Matt Brennan looks beyond the p...

Your construction project is 99% complete. The walls are painted, the flooring is down, the lights are on and everyone is talking about move-in day. So you’re basically done, right? Not even close! Getting a building ready for occupancy requires months of preparation, testing, documentation and coordination between the contractor, consultants, owner and Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). In Episode 47 of What the RFI?, Matt Brennan kicks off a four-part series on construction occupancy and ...

You want me to strip what? Some of the biggest financial risks on a construction project happen before the building ever gets out of the ground. In Episode 46 of What the RFI?, Matt Brennan digs into earthworks, geotechnical reports, test holes, stripping plans, and the steps architects and owners can take to reduce the risk of costly surprises underground. Because a $100,000 earthworks budget can turn into $1 million in extras remarkably quickly when actual site conditions don’t match what e...

You have 24 months to build a school… yet somehow every deficiency, training session, closeout document, hardware adjustment and commissioning issue seems to appear in the final two weeks before occupancy. Why? In this episode of What the RFI?, Matt talks about procrastination in construction and why the final stretch before occupancy can become absolute chaos. Using two school projects currently approaching occupancy, Matt shares some of the challenges from the past week—from fire alarm veri...

How do you run the first construction site meeting? In this episode of What the RFI?, Matt Brennan explains how Architects, Contract Administrators, Project Managers, Engineers, Owners, and General Contractors can prepare for and lead a successful First Site Meeting. The kickoff meeting is one of the most important milestones in Construction Administration. It establishes expectations, communication procedures, documentation requirements, project schedules, and responsibilities before constru...

Meeting notes are one of the most important records on a construction project, but what should actually go into them, who should run the meeting, and how detailed do they really need to be? In Episode 43 of What the RFI?, we continue our three-part series on construction meetings with a practical walkthrough of how I prepare for, run, document, and follow up on site meetings as part of the Construction Administration process. We cover construction meeting notes vs. meeting minutes, preparing ...

Meeting minutes are one of the most valuable records in Construction Administration, but they can also be one of the most time-consuming tasks. In this episode of What the RFI?, Matt Brennan shares how Granola AI has transformed the way he captures meeting notes, documents decisions, and follows up on action items across multiple construction projects. Unlike traditional AI meeting assistants that rely on intrusive bots joining your calls, Granola works quietly in the background, allowing you...