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If you've been in commercial construction for a while, you know the CSI divisions by heart. But knowing that Division 07 is thermal and moisture protection is different from knowing what to look for inside Division 07 when you're reviewing a spec book under bid deadline pressure. This cheat sheet gives you the practical extraction priorities for every major CSI division, the specific items that affect your bid, your submittals, and your project execution. Bookmark it, print it, and use it every time you open a spec book.
How to Use This Cheat Sheet
For each CSI division, this cheat sheet identifies:
- What the division covers: a quick scope reminder
- Key extraction priorities: the specific items that matter most for bid prep
- Common miss: the requirement that estimators most frequently overlook in that division
This isn't a comprehensive list of everything in each division. It's a practical guide to where the most important bid prep information lives and what to look for first.
Division 00, Procurement and Contracting Requirements
What it covers: Bidding documents, contract forms, conditions of the contract, bonds, and insurance requirements.
Key extraction priorities:
- Bid bond requirements and amount
- Performance and payment bond requirements
- Insurance requirements (limits, additional insured requirements, specific policy types)
- Liquidated damages amount and trigger conditions
- Retainage percentage and release conditions
- Contract time requirements
Common miss: Liquidated damages clauses. These define the daily financial penalty for schedule delays, and they need to be understood before you commit to a schedule in your bid.
Division 01, General Requirements
What it covers: Project-wide administrative requirements that apply to all contractors.
Key extraction priorities:
- Submittal procedures (copies, format, review period)
- Submittal schedule requirement and due date
- Special inspection program (who pays, what scopes, what frequency)
- Quality control requirements and mock-up requirements
- Temporary facilities responsibilities
- Phasing and sequencing requirements
- Closeout documentation requirements
- Allowances and alternates
Common miss: The special inspection program. When it's in Division 01 rather than in each trade section, subcontractors who only read their own division miss the inspection requirements entirely.
Division 03, Concrete
What it covers: Cast-in-place concrete, precast, post-tensioned concrete, and concrete finishing.
Key extraction priorities:
- Compressive strength requirements by structural element (f'c by element type)
- Water-cement ratio limits for exposure conditions
- Cement type and supplementary cementitious material requirements
- Admixture requirements and restrictions
- Mix design submittal and trial batch requirements
- Slump and workability requirements
- Special inspection requirements (frequency, continuous vs. periodic)
- Floor flatness (FF) and floor levelness (FL) requirements
- Curing method and duration requirements
- Hot and cold weather concrete requirements
Common miss: Floor flatness and levelness requirements. High FF/FL values require laser screed equipment and specialized finishing, a real cost difference from standard slab finishing that doesn't show up in the compressive strength requirement.
Division 04, Masonry
What it covers: Concrete masonry units, brick masonry, stone, and masonry accessories.
Key extraction priorities:
- CMU type, weight classification, and compressive strength by location
- Brick type, grade, and facing classification
- Mortar type by application (Type S, N, M) and mix method (proportion vs. property spec)
- Wall tie type, material (galvanized vs. stainless), and spacing requirements
- Joint reinforcement type and vertical spacing
- Through-wall flashing and weep system requirements
- Grout type and placement requirements for reinforced masonry
- Special inspection requirements and frequency
Common miss: Stainless steel vs. galvanized wall tie requirements. Stainless is required in certain exposure conditions or corrosive environments and costs significantly more than standard hot-dip galvanized ties.
Division 05, Metals
What it covers: Structural steel, metal fabrications, cold-formed metal framing, and metal stairs and railings.
Key extraction priorities:
- ASTM steel grade requirements by member type (A992 wide flanges, A500 HSS, A36 plates)
- Welding standard references (AWS D1.1, AWS D1.3) and weld procedure requirements
- Bolt type and installation method requirements (A325, A490, AISC snug-tight vs. pretensioned)
- Surface preparation and primer requirements
- Galvanizing requirements for exterior elements (ASTM A123, zinc coating weight)
- Inspection and testing requirements (visual weld inspection, UT, MT requirements)
- Shop drawing requirements and fabricator qualifications
Common miss: High-strength bolt pretensioning requirements. The difference between snug-tight and pretensioned installation is significant in labor cost, and pretensioning requires specific tool calibration and inspection documentation.
Division 07, Thermal and Moisture Protection
What it covers: Roofing, waterproofing, insulation, air barriers, vapor retarders, and joint sealants.
Key extraction priorities:
- Roofing membrane type and ASTM standard reference
- FM or UL system approval rating required (FM 1-90, FM 1-105, etc.)
- Insulation type, minimum thickness, and R-value requirements
- Installer certification requirements (manufacturer-certified applicator)
- Manufacturer's warranty type (standard vs. NDL) and duration
- Pre-installation conference requirement
- Flashing material and system requirements
- Air barrier continuity requirements
- Sealant type by joint location and substrate
Common miss: NDL (No Dollar Limit) manufacturer warranty requirements. NDL warranties cost more than standard warranties, require pre- and post-installation inspections, and have specific installation requirements that must be met for the warranty to be issued.
Division 08, Openings
What it covers: Doors, frames, hardware, windows, glazing, curtain walls, and skylights.
Key extraction priorities:
- Door and frame material and gauge requirements
- Hardware grade and ANSI/BHMA standard references
- Hardware set organization (by door number, hardware group, or keying schedule)
- Keying requirements (grand master, master, individual key systems)
- Glazing performance requirements (U-value, SHGC, visible transmittance, impact resistance)
- Curtain wall system performance requirements (air infiltration, water penetration, structural performance)
- Approved manufacturers for each product category
- Hardware supplier coordination with door/frame supplier
Common miss: Keying requirements. Complex master key systems require keying schedules, key cutting orders, and sometimes factory keying, all of which take time and add cost that generic hardware pricing doesn't include.
Division 09, Finishes
What it covers: Gypsum board assemblies, flooring, tile, painting, and acoustic ceilings.
Key extraction priorities:
- Gypsum board type and thickness by assembly (fire-rated, moisture-resistant, impact-resistant)
- Fire-rated assembly UL design numbers
- Flooring system requirements (substrate preparation, adhesive type, acclimation requirements)
- Tile substrate and waterproofing requirements
- Paint system requirements (number of coats, coverage rate, VOC limits)
- Acoustic ceiling grid and tile type, NRC and CAC ratings
- Floor flatness requirements before floor installation
Common miss: Substrate preparation requirements for flooring. Moisture testing, surface profile requirements, and primer application requirements for resilient flooring, hardwood, and adhesive-set systems are in the spec, not on the flooring manufacturer's standard installation instructions.
Division 22, Plumbing
What it covers: Domestic water, sanitary drainage, storm drainage, plumbing equipment, and fixtures.
Key extraction priorities:
- Pipe material by service (copper type, PVC schedule, cast iron above and below grade)
- Insulation type, thickness by pipe size, and vapor barrier requirements
- Fixture specifications and approved manufacturers
- Pressure requirements and booster pump system specifications
- Water treatment or quality requirements
- Pressure testing requirements and procedures
- Plumbing fixture owner-furnished items
Common miss: Owner-furnished plumbing fixtures. When fixtures are owner-furnished, the plumbing sub is responsible for rough-in and installation but not procurement, but the spec language needs to be read carefully to confirm the scope split.
Division 23, HVAC
What it covers: Heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems, equipment, ductwork, piping, and controls.
Key extraction priorities:
- Equipment specifications and approved manufacturers by system type
- Controls system type and BAS integration requirements
- Testing and balancing scope and TAB firm certification requirements
- Commissioning requirements and commissioning authority involvement
- Mechanical insulation requirements by system and pipe size
- Ductwork construction standards (SMACNA pressure class)
- Chemical treatment requirements for hydronic systems
- ASHRAE standard references (90.1 energy compliance, 62.1 ventilation)
Common miss: Commissioning scope. Some projects require basic functional testing. Others require a full commissioning process with a third-party Cx authority, seasonal testing, and owner training. The difference in cost between these two scenarios is substantial.
Division 26, Electrical
What it covers: Power distribution, lighting, grounding, raceway, wiring devices, and electrical equipment.
Key extraction priorities:
- Conduit type requirements by location (EMT, RMC, PVC, liquid-tight)
- Wire and cable specifications (copper vs. aluminum, insulation type)
- Approved manufacturers for switchgear, panelboards, and distribution equipment
- Lighting fixture performance requirements (CRI, CCT, efficacy, dimming protocol)
- Lighting controls scope and BAS integration requirements
- Grounding and bonding system requirements
- Electrical testing requirements (insulation resistance, ground fault, infrared)
- Arc flash study requirements
Common miss: Arc flash hazard analysis requirements. When specified, this is a specialized engineering service that adds real cost and isn't included in standard electrical estimating unit prices.
Division 28, Electronic Safety and Security
What it covers: Fire alarm systems, access control, video surveillance, and intrusion detection.
Key extraction priorities:
- NFPA 72 edition referenced and local AHJ requirements
- Fire alarm system type and approved manufacturers
- Notification appliance requirements (horn/strobe placement, candela ratings)
- Initiating device requirements (smoke detector type, heat detector type, pull station locations)
- Interface requirements with sprinkler system (flow switches, tamper switches)
- Interface requirements with HVAC system (duct smoke detectors, damper control)
- Access control system type and integration with fire alarm
- Commissioning and acceptance testing requirements
Common miss: Interface requirements between fire alarm and HVAC systems. Duct smoke detectors and damper control interfaces are often specified in Division 28 but have direct cost implications for the HVAC sub, creating scope gaps when neither trade reads the other's division.
Using This Cheat Sheet with AI Extraction
This cheat sheet maps directly to the extraction categories that AI spec review tools like SpecSwift target. When you upload a spec book to SpecSwift, the extraction output covers the key priorities listed for each division, organized by section and ready to act on.
Use this cheat sheet as a verification guide: after reviewing the AI extraction output for each division, check the common miss items manually. These are the requirements most likely to need additional attention even after AI extraction, either because they appear in unexpected locations or because they require contextual interpretation that benefits from manual review.
Further reading: What Is a CSI Division and What Are Construction Specifications.