Designing Homes With Fewer RFIs

Why RFIs Are So Common in Residential Projects

Requests for Information are a normal part of the consenting and construction process, but they are often a symptom of deeper issues rather than isolated questions. In residential projects, RFIs typically arise when information is missing, unclear, inconsistent, or difficult to verify.

Councils and builders are not looking to slow projects down. They are looking for confidence. When drawings, calculations, and reports do not clearly align, or when assumptions are not explained, RFIs become the only way to resolve uncertainty.

The Most Common Causes of RFIs

In residential structural design, RFIs frequently stem from:

• Member sizes shown on plans but not supported by calculations

• Calculations that do not clearly reference drawings or locations

• Missing or unclear load assumptions

• Bracing layouts without justification

• Foundation details that lack site context

• Producer Statements that do not fully match the scope of work

• Reports written in overly technical language without clear summaries

Even well designed structures can generate RFIs if the supporting documentation does not clearly explain how decisions were made.

Clarity Matters More Than Complexity

Reducing RFIs is not about adding more pages or more calculations. It is about presenting the right information in a clear, consistent way. Councils need to understand what has been designed, how it complies with the Building Code, and where the supporting evidence can be found.

When structural logic is easy to follow and documentation is well structured, reviewers spend less time searching for answers and more time confirming compliance.

How Nodey Helps Reduce RFIs

Nodey is built to address the root causes of RFIs by keeping design, analysis, and documentation tightly connected.

When you mark up structural elements in Nodey, those elements are directly linked to their calculations, checks, and outputs. This ensures that every beam, joist, bracing line, and foundation detail shown on the drawings has clear engineering justification behind it.

Nodey helps reduce RFIs by:

• Keeping drawings and calculations synchronised at all times

• Clearly documenting load paths and assumptions

• Applying the correct NZ standards automatically

• Producing structured calculation summaries that reference the design

• Generating reports that clearly explain outcomes, not just results

• Maintaining traceability so reviewers can follow the logic step by step

Because documentation updates automatically when designs change, there is less risk of outdated or conflicting information being submitted.

Better Design Communication Leads to Faster Approvals

RFIs often arise when reviewers need to ask for clarification. When that clarification is already provided within the report, the question never needs to be asked.

By focusing on explainability, traceability, and consistency, Nodey helps engineers submit clearer designs that councils can assess with confidence. The result is fewer RFIs, smoother approvals, and less time spent revisiting completed work.

Designing homes with fewer RFIs is not about shortcuts. It is about creating documentation that communicates intent clearly from the start.