%20(1920%20x%201080%20px)%20(6).png)
Episode Description:
If you’re in BAS sales, your relationship with specifications and submittals can make or break your projects. Too often, opportunities are missed, or risks overlooked, simply because specs weren’t fully understood or questioned.
This episode helps you build that essential spec literacy. You’ll learn how to approach project specs and submittals with clarity and confidence, so you can better support your customers, reduce risks, and win more work.
Topics Covered
- How to decode and leverage Division 23, 25, and 26 specifications
- Navigating ambiguities and gray areas in project specs
- Building credible and accurate submittals
- Coordinating scope and responsibilities across trades
- Using specification knowledge as a competitive sales edge
Don’t quote blindly. Know the spec, win the project, and protect your margin.
Click here to download or listen to this episode now.Podcast Video
Spec Smarts: What Every BAS Salesperson Should Know About Project Specs and Submittals
Project specifications and submittals often appear as a formality in the sales and execution process, but for building automation system (BAS) professionals, they carry significant weight. A well-informed sales approach starts with understanding how to read, interpret, and leverage specs. Without that knowledge, cost overruns, missed scope, and credibility issues can quickly arise.
This post covers the essential elements of project specs, the divisions you must understand, and the role submittals play in building trust and winning repeat business.
Why Specs Matter
Specifications outline the expectations for every component and process on a project. They set performance standards, define approved products, and clarify installation procedures. For BAS professionals, this means understanding the technical, operational, and contractual aspects before a proposal ever leaves your desk.
Specs also serve as a guide for quality control and legal protection. If you build according to the spec and follow proper documentation, you have a defensible position in case of disputes.
Understanding Key Specification Types
There are three main types of specifications:
-
Performance: Focuses on results, such as energy savings or temperature control tolerances.
-
Prescriptive: Lists specific products or manufacturers that are acceptable.
-
Proprietary: Requires one particular brand or system with no substitutions unless approved.
Knowing which type is in play helps you assess risk, determine cost impacts, and know whether your proposal is compliant or needs clarification.
Critical Specification Divisions for BAS
Sales professionals should always review these divisions in the CSI MasterFormat:
-
Division 23 (Mechanical): Includes HVAC equipment, control devices, sequences, and details on how systems should operate.
-
Division 25 (Integration): Covers system-to-system communication and enterprise-level solutions. Increasingly common in complex buildings like hospitals and campuses.
-
Division 26 (Electrical): Identifies power requirements, low-voltage responsibilities, and networking infrastructure for BAS components.
Failure to review all three can result in missed scope or duplicated effort, affecting your margins and project delivery.
Submittals as a Sales and Risk Tool
Submittals confirm that proposed solutions align with project expectations. They must be complete, accurate, and easy for engineers to review. Submittals typically include:
-
Product data sheets
-
Sequence of operations
-
Network architecture
The review process can lead to approval, approval with notes, or a revision request. Getting it right the first time builds trust and sets the tone for the entire project.
Coordinating with Other Trades
Misalignment between trades creates cost issues and delays. You must clarify responsibilities for wiring, valve installation, conduit, and network devices. Coordination should begin before bidding and continue through pre-construction meetings. Doing so helps you identify scope gaps, avoid assumptions, and document all roles clearly.
Handling Substitutions and Deviations
If you need to propose a product that doesn't meet the spec requirements, follow the formal substitution process. Provide supporting documentation and secure written approval from the engineer or owner. Do not deviate without approval. Doing so risks rework, added cost, and strained relationships.
Substitutions can create value for customers, especially when they reduce costs or add functionality. But they must be presented transparently and handled in accordance with the project documents.
Common Spec Pitfalls
Avoid these mistakes:
-
Skipping Divisions 25 and 26
-
Assuming equivalency without approval
-
Ignoring cybersecurity or memory requirements
-
Failing to clarify ambiguous terms like "equal to" or "submit for approval"
-
Not aligning specs with the actual needs of the sequence of operations
Each of these errors can damage your credibility, delay approvals, or reduce project profitability.
Spec Literacy as a Sales Advantage
Sales professionals who understand specs set themselves apart. They become advisors rather than order takers. They identify value-engineered options, uncover risks before they happen, and help ensure the project meets owner expectations from start to finish.
Specification literacy builds trust with engineers and customers. It supports accurate proposals and smooth project execution. It also helps protect your profit by clarifying the scope and reducing rework.
Know the spec. Win the project. Deliver quality.
For a deeper discussion and insights from the field, listen to this episode on the Smart Buildings Academy podcast.
%20(1920%20x%201080%20px)%20(5).png)
