RFIs (Requests for Information)

01Create an RFI

From any project’s RFIs tab, click + New RFI to expand the inline form. The existing RFIs stay visible below the form for context.

1. RFIs tab. Active tab — count chip shows how many open + answered RFIs exist on this project.
2. + New RFI / Cancel. Top-right toggle. Opens this form; the button switches to Cancel while the form is open.
3. Subject. One-line title. (“Conduit routing for second-floor recessed lights.”)
4. Question. The actual question in detail. Drawing references and screenshots make a big difference for the answerer.
5. Priority. Low / Normal / High / Urgent — drives sort order and overdue urgency.
6. Due date. When you need an answer back. Drives overdue tracking on the list view.
7. Create RFI. Submit. The new RFI lands in the list below in Open status.

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Conduit numbers RFIs sequentially per project (RFI-2026-0001, RFI-2026-0002, etc.) — easy to reference in emails, texts, or phone calls. The form also accepts an Assigned-To person and Attachments below the visible viewport.

02Comment threads

Open any submitted RFI.

1. Question at the top — the original ask.
2. Comment thread below — both sides discuss, clarify, follow up.
3. Add a comment any time. All threaded inline.
4. Formal response field — separate from comments.

The discussion comments are great for going back and forth (“can you clarify which fixture?”), and the formal response is what you’d cite in a dispute or audit.

03Status flow and closing

RFIs move through three states: Open (created, awaiting response) → Answered (formal response submitted) → Closed (the asker confirms the answer is sufficient). The asker closes; the answerer answers. Once closed, the comment thread is read-only but stays on the project as a permanent record.

The screenshot below shows the list view with one of each visible state side-by-side. Pin numbers map to the seven labelable elements on this view:

1. Sort by Date / Contractor. Sort toggle — by date to see most recent activity, by contractor to group RFIs from the same sub together (GC use case).
2. PDF + + New RFI. Top-right actions: PDF exports the full RFI history; + New RFI opens the inline form from tab 01.
3. Answered status + priority. The blue ‘answered’ chip plus the priority chip (“normal” here). Status flips to answered automatically when the formal response is submitted.
4. Cross-company attribution. “by Fairfield HVAC Services” tells the GC which sub asked it. Subs only see their own RFIs; this label is the GC’s filter.
5. Close. Appears on answered RFIs. The asker clicks Close once they’re satisfied with the response.
6. Open status + priority. The orange ‘open’ chip plus a “high” priority chip — RFI is still awaiting a formal response.
7. Answer. Appears on open RFIs assigned to you. Opens the formal-response field — the only action the answerer takes.

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04Cross-company visibility (GC view)

If you’re a GC with multiple subs on a project, your RFI tab is where the magic happens.

1. Aggregated list. RFIs from electrical sub, plumbing sub, HVAC sub all in one view.
2. Company labels on each row show which sub asked it.
3. Sort by company to focus on one sub.
4. Filter by status, priority, or assigned-to.

Subs only see their own RFIs. They can’t see what the other subs are asking, which is appropriate for most jobsites.

This was specifically requested by Billy (one of our GC advisors) and is the single most important feature for GCs running multiple subs on a project.

05Export and documentation

Click Export RFI Report at the top of the RFI list. Conduit generates a PDF with every RFI: subject, question, priority, status, dates, formal response, and the full comment thread.

1. Project records. Every RFI cycle documented.
2. Dispute resolution. “Here’s what was asked and answered” in one document.
3. Paper trail. When customers or insurance companies ask.

The export includes everything in chronological order. You can also export a single RFI from its detail page.

That’s RFIs. Next: Submittals and Specs for the formal approval workflow.