Information flows
What travels is usually some mix of scope, risk, money, design intent, compliance evidence, schedule commitments, and proof of completion.
Diagram
flowchart LR Owner[Owner] <--> Design[Design team] Design --> Authority[AHJ / agencies] Authority --> Design Authority --> Builder[Builder / GC] Builder <--> Trades[Trades] Builder <--> Vendor[Vendors] Builder <--> Owner Builder <--> Inspector[Inspector / AHJ]
Owner ↔ design team
The owner sends needs, priorities, and approvals. The design team sends options, drawings, specifications, cost-sensitive design choices, and permit-ready documents.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| What moves | Program, budget assumptions, sketches, DD, construction documents, selection approvals |
| Why it matters | This is where fuzzy wants become buildable commitments |
| Typical failure mode | Budget and design drift apart; the owner approves a concept without absorbing downstream cost and schedule effects |
Related glossary terms: Construction documents (CDs)
Design team ↔ builder / GC
This is the core interpretation loop. The builder prices and builds from the documents; the design team explains or adjusts what those documents mean.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| What moves | Bid packages, construction documents, RFIs, ASIs, sketches, change pricing, payment review |
| Why it matters | Even small ambiguities can multiply across multiple trades and inspections |
| Typical failure mode | Late clarifications arrive after procurement or rough-in, causing change orders and rework |
Related glossary terms: Construction documents (CDs), Procurement - buyout
Builder / GC ↔ trades
The builder turns the full project into tractable scopes and timing. Trades turn those scopes into quotes, crew plans, field execution, and exceptions.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| What moves | Bid invites, subcontracts, schedule updates, field directives, inspection timing, punch items |
| Why it matters | Most handoffs on the house are trade-to-trade, not owner-to-trade |
| Typical failure mode | Low-bid scope gaps, sequencing misses, and return trips that nobody priced |
Related glossary terms: None auto-detected.
Builder / trades ↔ vendors
Procurement quality determines whether the field gets the right material at the right moment with the right documentation.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| What moves | Quotes, product data, lead times, release schedules, substitutions, deliveries, warranty records |
| Why it matters | A house can be physically ready but still stall on one missing or late component |
| Typical failure mode | Schedule assumes material certainty that the supply chain does not actually support |
Related glossary terms: Procurement - buyout
Project team ↔ AHJ / agencies
This is the legality loop: what can be built, when it can start, how it is inspected, and when it can be signed off.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| What moves | Applications, forms, plans, calculations, review comments, fees, inspection requests, signoffs |
| Why it matters | The project may be technically buildable but legally blocked until the record is complete |
| Typical failure mode | Incomplete submittals, local-rule surprises, slow corrections, or inspection timing mismatches |
Related glossary terms: Plan check - review comments, AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction)
Evidence: S11, S12, S13, S17, S30, S31
Builder / owner ↔ money and closeout
Payments are information-rich: they encode percent complete, change history, retainage, waivers, and readiness for final turnover.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| What moves | Invoices or pay applications, schedule of values, waivers / releases, punch lists, warranty records |
| Why it matters | Closeout is where legal, financial, and physical completion must line up |
| Typical failure mode | People think the house is done physically but paperwork, punch, or inspections are not actually closed |
Related glossary terms: Schedule of values, Retainage
Owner ↔ contractor (renovation / design-build)
In renovation — especially Design-build delivery — the owner often works directly with the contractor without a separate design professional. The contractor leads scoping, design, selections, pricing, and construction. Communication is higher-touch and more frequent than in new construction because of occupied-home logistics, discovery-driven decisions, and the need for rapid change-order approvals.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| What moves | Scope of work, selections, budget, discovery reports, change orders, schedule updates, containment/phasing plans, payment, punch list |
| Why it matters | In renovation, the owner is making consequential decisions under uncertainty — approving unplanned expenses for Concealed conditions, resisting Scope creep, and living with the disruption |
| Typical failure mode | Vague scope at contract signing leads to disputes; informal changes made without written change orders; owner expectations about timeline and disruption don’t match reality |
Related glossary terms: Design-build, Scope creep, Contingency
Project team ↔ environmental / abatement
This flow is unique to renovation. Hazardous-material surveys and abatement must be completed before selective demolition can disturb suspect materials. The timing is critical — abatement delays cascade into construction delays.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| What moves | Building age and construction history, survey requests, lab test results, abatement work plans, containment specifications, clearance testing results, waste manifests, compliance documentation |
| Why it matters | Federal regulations (RRP Rule, Asbestos NESHAP) mandate this flow; non-compliance carries severe penalties and health risks |
| Typical failure mode | Suspect materials not tested before demolition begins; abatement scope underestimated; clearance testing delayed, holding up the construction schedule |
Related glossary terms: Abatement, RRP Rule
Pre-renovation assessment ↔ project scope
The pre-renovation inspection by a Home inspector produces findings that directly shape the project’s scope, budget, and contingency. This is a one-directional information flow — from diagnostic assessment into project planning — with no equivalent in new construction.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| What moves | Inspection report with findings, photographs, severity ratings, and recommendations for specialist follow-up |
| Why it matters | Defines the project’s risk profile before money is committed; uncovers issues that would otherwise surface as costly change orders during construction |
| Typical failure mode | Assessment skipped to save time/money; findings not integrated into scope and contingency planning; homeowner proceeds without understanding the risk profile |
Related glossary terms: Existing conditions, Concealed conditions, Contingency
Evidence: S43
Structured matrix
- See Exchange matrix for a row-by-row exchange table.