In this article, we will discuss:

• schedule hierarchy within contract documents
  
• use in general practice (design, bid, and construction phases)
  
• schedules within a Building Information Modeling (BIM) context

Definitions and Document Priority

As defined by the Canadian Handbook of Practice (CHOP), a schedule is “tabulated information on a range of similar items, such as a ‘Door Schedule’ or ‘Room Finish Schedule’”. In the hierarchy of contract documents (i.e., which document governs (has priority) in the event of conflicting information between documents), material and finishes schedules take precedence over the drawings. In fact, drawings are usually the lowest priority, despite the considerable time and care given to them in architectural practice. This order of priority should be clearly spelled out as part of the construction contract. In the CCDC suite of standard contracts, document priority is established (e.g. CCDC 2-2020 Part 1, GC 1.1.5). It should be noted that larger client organizations will sometimes revise the document priority order by way of supplementary condition. For more information, refer to CHOP v3, Chapter 6.4 - Construction Documents.

Schedules in General Practice

Schedules allow for a consolidated grouping and viewing of similar building elements within the contract documents. This can be a particularly useful method of communication when there are a large number of properties and dimensions associated with a particular building element, such as a door or window. Given their ability to communicate very large amounts of information in a concise manner, care must be taken to avoid duplicating information contained within schedules elsewhere in the contract documents in order to limit the potential for conflicting information.
Building elements typically described through schedules can include building assemblies (roofs, walls, floors), windows, doors, millwork, door hardware, and room finishes. Annotation tags play a crucial role, using alpha-numeric identifiers to link building elements graphically denoted within the drawings to detailed information contained within a schedule. While door, window, and room finish schedules are usually the most complex schedules within a project, additional schedules of a simpler nature can also be used when project complexity warrants them. For example, items such as insulation types, glazing types, curtainwall mullion types, control membrane types, and partition types can also be described by schedule.

Some schedules, such as window and door schedules, generally reference a graphic component in addition to text or numbers in tabulated form. For example, a window schedule may contain scale elevations of the windows themselves, with corresponding window and glazing type numbers, while a door schedule may reference elevation views of each door leaf and frame type. Graphic components are often identified with a letter or number (type mark) which is then used in the schedule itself.

Schedules can be located on drawings, or within the specifications. For example, a project door hardware schedule may be contained within Division 08 of the specifications, while the door schedule itself (including such information as door height, width, fire rating, sound rating, and material properties of the door and frame) may be included as part of the drawing package. It is important to note that certain schedules contain life-safety information, such as required fire ratings for doors and frames, and as such are often included as part of the permit submission package, if a permit submission is required for a local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ).

Schedules are a crucially important part of the tender package, as many sub-contractors (such as door and window installers, or painters will reference the schedules specifically to determine their scope of work. Information missed on the schedule can lead inconsistencies in bids, as different bidders make different assumptions, and cause confusion during construction. During the construction phase, schedules are crucial references for the builder team, as well as for the consultant team when reviewing submittal items such as curtain wall systems, interior screen systems, and hollow metal frames, doors and door hardware.

Typical schedules also include furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) schedules. The FF&E schedule may contain detailed information related to equipment connection requirements, which can be incredibly complex on larger, equipment-heavy projects such as hospitals or labs or a myriad of components for systems furniture.

Schedules and Building Information Modeling

With increasingly widespread adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM) for architectural drawing production, coordination, and facilities management, schedule creation is becoming increasingly automated. This means that an appropriate level of care must be taken to coordinate both graphical and non-graphical (data-driven) information within the model. With BIM, rapid editing of elements can be accomplished through the schedule itself, without having to make edits within individual drawing views. This transforms schedules from a block of information to a live database which can be used to actively edit a project throughout the design stages. For more information, refer to CHOP v3, Chapter 5.6 - Building Information Modelling.