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Free site instruction and RFI template

Free site instruction and RFI template (PDF). Log instructions and queries with drawing reference, cost and time impact and sign-off. Download free.

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FreePDFUpdated Oct 2026

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Updated 26 Oct 2026

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Jarrod Milford

Jarrod Milford

Co-Founder & Commercial Director

Updated 26 October 2026
Also see:Asset tracking →Best construction equipment tracking →MapTrack vs Tenna →

Short answer

A site instruction and RFI register logs directions given to the contractor and requests for information raised to the designer, superintendent or client, each with a reference, date, parties, description, drawing or spec reference, cost and time impact, response and sign-off. Items are logged the day they arise and reviewed at site meetings. Where a contract adopts AS 4000:2025, clause 36 covers variations and clause 41 notice of claims.

Checked against AS 4000:2025 on by the MapTrack templates team. How we check templates

Key takeaways

  • The MapTrack site instruction and RFI template has 4 columns and room for 4 entries. Columns: Impact, Expected? (Y/N), Estimate, Variation / claim ref.
  • A site instruction directs the contractor to do something; an RFI (request for information) asks the designer or client to clarify something.
  • Both carry a unique reference, date, from and to, description, drawing or spec reference and a response, and both can flag cost and time impact.
  • An unanswered RFI or an instruction with cost or time impact is the paper trail behind most variations and delay claims, so log every one.
  • Number instructions and RFIs in a single register so nothing is lost and the project comms can be reconciled at any time.

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Used by construction, mining and field service teams

Saunders InternationalMineral ResourcesSupagasHacer GroupMetro TunnelUltrabuilt

What is a site instruction and RFI template?

A site instruction and RFI template is a form and log used to capture two of the most common pieces of project communication on a construction site: site instructions and requests for information. A site instruction directs the contractor to carry out, change or stop work, while an RFI is a formal query raised by the contractor to the designer, superintendent or client to clarify drawings, specifications or scope. Each entry carries a unique reference, the date, who it is from and to, a clear description, the drawing or specification it relates to, any cost or time impact and the response, with sign-off by both parties.

Site instructions and RFIs are used by builders, subcontractors, superintendents and consultants throughout construction and civil projects, and the log is often the single most important contemporaneous record when variations and delay claims are assessed. An instruction that changes the work, or an RFI whose answer changes it, is frequently the origin of a variation, so the trail must be clear and numbered. In MapTrack you can attach instructions and RFIs to the job or asset they affect and keep the responses with the work, so nothing is lost between the site and the office. Under the security of payment legislation that applies in each Australian state and territory, a clear record of instructions, queries and their responses supports payment claims and the resolution of disputes.

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Benefits of using this site instruction and RFI template

  • Clear paper trail: a numbered record of instructions and queries protects everyone when scope, cost or time is later disputed.
  • Cost and time captured early: flagging the impact of each instruction or RFI surfaces variations and delays before they are forgotten.
  • Faster answers: a dated RFI log with required-by dates makes overdue responses visible and keeps the program moving.
  • Single source for comms: logging instructions and RFIs together stops items being lost in email and verbal direction on site.
  • Variation evidence: instructions that change the work and the RFI answers behind them are the basis of most variation claims.
  • Accountability both ways: sign-off by the issuer and recipient records that the instruction or response was received and understood.
  • Supports payment claims: a complete record aligns with security of payment processes and the resolution of disputes.

Benefits of digitising forms in MapTrack

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  • Download any completed form as a PDF, with failed answers listed at the top.
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  • Build conditional logic (show or hide questions based on answers).
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  • Collect SWMS sign-ons as signed forms against each site.
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  • Download completed site forms as PDFs when a principal contractor asks for them.

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Steve McAllister

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What to include in a site instruction and RFI template

This site instruction and RFI template covers 11 key areas:

  • Project details: project name, contract, contractor, superintendent or consultant and the date.
  • Type: identify each entry as a site instruction or an RFI (request for information).
  • Reference number: a unique sequential number for the instruction or RFI for tracking in the register.
  • Date raised and required-by date: when the item was issued and when a response or action is needed.
  • From and to: who issued the instruction or query and who it is directed to.
  • Description: a clear statement of the instruction given or the information requested.
  • Drawing or specification reference: the drawing number, revision or specification clause the item relates to.
  • Cost impact: whether the item is expected to change the contract sum, and an estimate where known.
  • Time impact: whether the item is expected to affect the program, and the likely extension where known.
  • Response or direction: the answer to the RFI or the confirmed instruction, with any attached sketch reference.
  • Status and sign-off: open, answered or closed, plus signatures from the issuer and recipient.

How to use this site instruction and RFI template

  1. Decide whether the item is a site instruction or an RFI and give it a reference.: Classify the entry: an instruction directs the contractor to do something, while an RFI asks the designer or client to clarify something. Assign the next sequential reference number so the item can be tracked through the register and reconciled against the project comms at any time.
  2. Record who it is from, who it is to, the date and the required-by date.: Capture the issuer and recipient, the date the item was raised and the date a response or action is needed. The required-by date is what makes overdue RFIs visible, so set it realistically against the program rather than leaving it blank.
  3. Describe the instruction or query and reference the relevant drawing or spec.: Write a clear, specific description of what is being directed or asked, and reference the exact drawing number, revision or specification clause it relates to. A precise reference removes ambiguity and makes the item far easier to assess for cost and time impact later.
  4. Assess and record the cost and time impact of the item.: Note whether the instruction or the answer to the RFI is likely to change the contract sum or the program, and add an estimate where you can. Flagging impact early is what turns a buried instruction into a properly priced variation rather than an argument at the end of the job.
  5. Record the response or confirmed direction and obtain sign-off.: Enter the RFI answer or the confirmed instruction, reference any sketch or revised drawing issued with it, and have both the issuer and recipient sign so it is clear the direction or response was received and understood by both parties.
  6. Update the status and keep the register reconciled.: Move each item through open, answered and closed, and review the register regularly so nothing sits open without follow-up. Reconcile instructions and RFIs against variations and the program so the cost and time consequences are captured before the project closes out.

In MapTrack, you can track construction equipment across every site. Each submission is stored as a timestamped PDF against the asset record.

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How often should you complete this form?

Raise a site instruction or RFI whenever an instruction is given or information is needed, and log it the same day rather than relying on memory or email. Review the open items at each site meeting so overdue RFIs and unpriced instructions are chased before they affect the program or the final account. Reconcile the register against variations and claims at each progress claim and at project close-out. In MapTrack you can attach instructions and RFIs to the job or asset they affect and keep the responses with the work, so the record stays complete between the site and the office.

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Frequently asked questions

A site instruction is a direction from the superintendent, principal contractor or client telling the contractor to carry out, change or stop work. An RFI, or request for information, runs the other way: the contractor formally asks the designer, superintendent or client to clarify a drawing, specification or scope question that is holding up or could change the work. Both are logged with a reference, date and response, and both can flag cost and time impact, which is why they are often tracked together.

Site instructions and RFIs are the everyday comms that most often turn into variations and delay claims. An instruction that changes the work, or an RFI whose answer changes it, needs to be traceable, dated and numbered. Keeping both in a single register means nothing is lost between email, verbal direction and the drawings, and the cost and time consequences can be reconciled against the contract at any time rather than reconstructed from memory at the end of the job.

Yes. Under the security of payment legislation that applies in each Australian state and territory, a payment claim and any dispute is supported by clear, contemporaneous records. A numbered log of site instructions and RFIs, with dates, descriptions, drawing references and responses, is exactly the kind of evidence that shows what was directed, what was asked and when, which helps substantiate variations and the time and cost flowing from them. Many contracts, such as AS 4000, also set out how directions and claims must be handled.

The contract usually sets the response time, but as a rule each RFI should carry a required-by date that reflects when the answer is needed to keep the program moving. Review open RFIs at every site meeting and chase any that are overdue, because an unanswered RFI on a critical activity is a common cause of delay. Logging the date raised, the required-by date and the date answered makes the turnaround visible and supports any delay claim if responses are slow.

Yes. Download and use this site instruction and RFI template for free: it downloads as a PDF you can print to complete by hand. No account is required. If you would rather attach instructions and RFIs to the job or asset they affect and keep the responses with the work, MapTrack can do that. Book a demo to see how it works.

Applicable regulatory standards

This template is a starting point. Check the current requirements that apply to your equipment, work and location. The template alone does not establish compliance.

  • General Conditions of Contract

    Edition: AS 4000:2025

    Directed variations, notice of claims and extension of time claims. Applies only where the contract adopts it.

    • 36: Directing, proposing and pricing variations
    • 41: Notifying and communicating claims, liability for failing to communicate them, and the superintendent's decision
    • 34.3: Contractor claims for extension of time

    Standards AustraliaSold by the publisher

  • Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 2002 (Vic)

    Edition: Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 2002 (Vic), version 015 (in force from 24 June 2026)

    Victoria's security of payment Act, behind payment claims and disputes; each state and territory has its own Act.

    Victorian Government (Victorian Legislation)

  • Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 (NSW)

    Edition: Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 (NSW); current text not read

    NSW security of payment Act; timeframes and procedures differ by jurisdiction.

    NSW Government

  • Quality management systems - Requirements

    Edition: ISO 9001:2026 (Edition 6, published 16 September 2026)

    Documented information and communication, where the builder runs an ISO 9001 quality system.

    • 7.5: Documented information: creating, updating and controlling required records and documents.
    • 7.4: Communication relevant to the quality management system.

    International Organization for Standardization (ISO)Sold by the publisher

Each source was read at its publisher and the page checked on 26 October 2026. The publisher's current text is the authority.

Site instruction and RFI template preview

Site instruction and RFI template template preview showing fields and layout

The numbers behind this site instruction and RFI template

The pages below gather the figures behind this kind of check. Each figure on them carries its source and date, so you can quote it in a toolbox talk, a budget case or a board paper without chasing the original report.

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Embed this free template on your website

Run an industry blog, trade association site, or training resource? Drop a preview of this free site instruction and RFI template straight into your page. The snippet is self-contained, needs no scripts, and links readers back to the full free template.

<div style="max-width:480px;font-family:system-ui,-apple-system,'Segoe UI',Roboto,sans-serif;border:1px solid #E5E7EB;border-radius:12px;padding:20px;background:#ffffff;">
  <p style="font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.05em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#071D49;margin:0;">Free template</p>
  <p style="font-size:18px;font-weight:700;color:#071D49;margin:6px 0 0;">Site instruction and RFI template</p>
  <ul style="margin:12px 0 0;padding-left:18px;color:#374151;font-size:14px;line-height:1.6;">
    <li style="margin:4px 0;">Project details: project name, contract, contractor, superintendent or consultant and the date.</li>
    <li style="margin:4px 0;">Type: identify each entry as a site instruction or an RFI (request for information).</li>
    <li style="margin:4px 0;">Reference number: a unique sequential number for the instruction or RFI for tracking in the register.</li>
    <li style="margin:4px 0;">Date raised and required-by date: when the item was issued and when a response or action is needed.</li>
    <li style="margin:4px 0;">From and to: who issued the instruction or query and who it is directed to.</li>
    <li style="margin:4px 0;">Description: a clear statement of the instruction given or the information requested.</li>
  </ul>
  <p style="font-size:13px;color:#6B7280;margin:14px 0 0;padding-top:12px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;">Free <a href="https://www.maptrack.com/templates/site-instruction-rfi-template" style="color:#071D49;font-weight:600;text-decoration:none;">Site instruction and RFI template</a> by MapTrack</p>
</div>

Free to reuse, including commercially. This template is published under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. Copy it, adapt it, put it on your own site or in your own docs. All we ask is that you credit MapTrack with a link back to this page. The snippet above already includes that credit, so if you use it as-is you’re covered.

Cite this template

Writing about this topic? You’re welcome to quote this checklist. Here’s the wording to use so your readers can find the original.

The MapTrack site instruction and RFI template has 4 columns and room for 4 entries.

Short attribution
MapTrack Site instruction and RFI template, https://www.maptrack.com/templates/site-instruction-rfi-template
Reference list
MapTrack. (2026). Site instruction and RFI template [Checklist template]. Retrieved from https://www.maptrack.com/templates/site-instruction-rfi-template

Free to reuse with credit under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. If you’d rather link straight to it, the page is https://www.maptrack.com/templates/site-instruction-rfi-template.

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