Free site instruction and rfi template
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Free site instruction and RFI template (PDF). Log instructions and queries with drawing reference, cost and time impact and sign-off. Download free.
Commercial Director
Key takeaways
- 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.
Updated 4 June 2026
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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.
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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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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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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.
Frequently asked questions
Applicable regulatory standards
This template aligns with the following regulations and standards:
- Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 2002 (Vic) and equivalent state and territory Acts (records supporting payment claims and disputes)
- AS 4000 - General conditions of contract (contractual basis for directions, claims and variations on many AU projects)
- ISO 9001 - Quality management systems (control of documented information and communication)
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:#0E7490;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>Please keep the “by MapTrack” attribution link in the snippet.
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