NBS Chorus

Best practice guide to specification writing

A well-written specification is vital to the success of a construction project. It helps set clear requirements, support quality and reduce the risk of delays, unexpected costs and disputes.

Drawing on more than 50 years of NBS experience, alongside the practical knowledge of our NBS Consultancy team of qualified specification writers with hands-on industry experience, this guide brings together proven principles to help you create clearer, more robust specifications.

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The Best Practice Guide to Specification Writing helps architects, engineers and construction professionals develop a clear, consistent approach to specification.

It covers editorial style, classification, publishing and other key principles to support better-quality specifications and more consistent ways of working.

The guide is free to download and can also be customised with your organisation’s own guidance and processes, creating a practical quality-assurance resource tailored to the way your teams work.

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Who is the guide for?

Architects, engineers and other construction professionals looking for specification-writing guidance.
Construction design managers who employ architects and engineers on contractor-led projects.
Professional clients such as property developers, local authorities and university estates that are seeking consistency across multiple projects.
Students, teachers and lecturers in architecture, engineering and construction.

Download the guide

What's included:

Editorial principles for specification writing.
Classification systems and how to structure your specification.
Aligning specifications with agreed design responsibilities.
How to use specification reference codes.
Principles for publishing specifications.
Managing revisions and changes.
Using specifications for wider reporting.
Requirements for digital specification technologies, including NBS Chorus.