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The short version. Ask a question in your own words and get an answer with the section it came from. Always look at the citation — that’s the part you can act on.

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How to ask well

Works well

“What’s the required concrete strength for the footings?”“Does the spec allow a substitution for the specified hardware?”

Works poorly

“Is this okay?” — no context.Questions the book doesn’t answer, like schedule or cost.

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Read the citation, not just the answer

When a decision costs money or affects life safety, open the section it cited and read it yourself. The answer is a fast way to find the right paragraph — it is not a substitute for having read it.
If what you need isn’t in the book, that’s not a Spec Ask question. That’s an RFI.

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Next

Write an RFI instead

For anything the documents don’t answer.

Forms

Templates vs. submissions, in one minute.