CSI Product Selection & Substitution 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In a proprietary specification, the specifier names a single manufacturer with no alternatives. What is the primary risk of this approach?
- It violates federal antitrust laws in all cases
- It may limit competition and require justification on publicly funded projects (Correct answer)
- It automatically triggers value engineering by the contractor
- It requires a separate bid bond for each proprietary item
Correct answer: It may limit competition and require justification on publicly funded projects
Proprietary specifications can restrict competition and may require justification or owner approval, especially on public projects subject to competitive bidding laws.
Question 2: Which specification type offers the most flexibility for contractor product selection while ensuring performance outcomes?
- Descriptive specification
- Proprietary specification
- Performance specification (Correct answer)
- Reference standard specification
Correct answer: Performance specification
Performance specifications define required end results and measurable criteria, allowing contractors to select any product that achieves those outcomes.
Question 3: During the submittal review process, the architect stamps a product data sheet 'Reviewed – Furnish as Corrected.' What action is required next?
- The contractor may proceed to install immediately
- The contractor must resubmit corrected submittal for final review before proceeding (Correct answer)
- The architect must issue an addendum to formalize the correction
- The contractor notifies the owner and proceeds after 10 days
Correct answer: The contractor must resubmit corrected submittal for final review before proceeding
'Furnish as Corrected' means the submittal is conditionally accepted only after the noted corrections are incorporated and resubmitted for confirmation.
Question 4: Under CSI guidelines, what information must a contractor typically provide when submitting a substitution request?
- Only the manufacturer's catalog number and list price
- Complete product data, comparison of differences from specified product, and reason for substitution (Correct answer)
- A signed letter from the owner approving the substitution
- Only a sample of the proposed product for visual review
Correct answer: Complete product data, comparison of differences from specified product, and reason for substitution
A complete substitution request must include detailed product data, a point-by-point comparison to the specified product, and the reason the substitution is being requested.
Question 5: A manufacturer listed as a basis-of-design product discontinues the specified model after contract award. How should the project team respond?
- The contractor selects any available product without architect review
- The contractor submits a substitution request for an equivalent product for architect review (Correct answer)
- The owner terminates the contract due to impossibility of performance
- The architect issues a bulletin requiring the original product regardless of availability
Correct answer: The contractor submits a substitution request for an equivalent product for architect review
Discontinuation of a specified product creates a legitimate basis for a substitution request, which must still be reviewed and approved by the architect before the alternative is used.
Question 6: What does a 'basis-of-design' product designation in a specification communicate to bidders?
- Only that specific product may be used — no substitutions allowed
- The design is based on that product's characteristics, and substitutions must match those characteristics (Correct answer)
- The product was selected solely on lowest price
- The owner has pre-purchased the specified product
Correct answer: The design is based on that product's characteristics, and substitutions must match those characteristics
Basis-of-design designates the product used to develop the design intent; it establishes the benchmark that any substitution must match in performance, size, and configuration.
Question 7: Which CSI SectionFormat part contains the quality assurance requirements that a substituted product must satisfy?
- Part 1 – General (Correct answer)
- Part 2 – Products
- Part 3 – Execution
- Part 4 – Closeout (if used)
Correct answer: Part 1 – General
Part 1 – General of SectionFormat contains quality assurance, references, and administrative requirements including the standards a substitution must meet.
CSI Product Selection & Substitution 3
In a proprietary specification, the specifier names a single manufacturer with no alternatives.
What is the primary risk of this approach?