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Use AI for RFIs and submittals

Reviewed by the Contractor AI Shop research team · Last updated Oct 23, 2026 · How we research

PMs on r/ConstructionManagers use AI to draft RFIs, build submittal registers from specs and flag differences between a submittal and the spec. They also say it's "not perfect" and that every code reference needs checking. This guide covers what works, how to keep job data private, and where automation fits. The person answering the RFI still owns the answer.

1. Pick where the text goes

For anything with client names, prices or contract terms, run a local model: Ollama or LM Studio, with Open WebUI or AnythingLLM as the chat screen. Our spec chat guide walks through that setup. If you use a cloud assistant, check its data terms first. OpenAI's Enterprise Privacy page and help center (checked Oct 16, 2026) say Business, Enterprise and API data isn't used for training by default, while Free, Plus and Pro chats may be unless you turn that setting off.

2. Draft an RFI from the actual documents

The pattern commenters describe: give it the real document text and a clear format, then edit. Paste the conflicting spec paragraph and the drawing note, then ask:

Write a concise RFI that quotes both references below, states the conflict,
and proposes a resolution for the design team to confirm.
Spec: [paste paragraph with its number]
Drawing note: [paste note with sheet number]

Check every reference and code citation it writes before you send it.

3. Build a submittal register one section at a time

One PM gave ChatGPT a single spec section plus the register template they wanted, repeated section by section, and double-checked the output. Work a section at a time rather than pasting the whole book, and ask for paragraph numbers so you can spot-check:

List every submittal required in this section with its paragraph number,
in this table format: Section | Paragraph | Submittal type | Description

Before you build this yourself, check whether your PM platform already does it. A commenter pointed out that platforms such as Procore can build a register from specs.

4. Compare a submittal against the spec

Some PMs export the spec section and the shop drawing submission to text and ask the model to flag differences. Ask for each difference with the spec paragraph it comes from, and treat the list as a starting point for your review, not an approval.

5. Automate the routine parts, with a review step

Once the prompts work by hand, a workflow can watch for a new RFI or submittal, pull the spec section, draft the response and put it in your queue. You can build this with n8n, which is free to self-host (Docker install, Community edition features), connected to Ollama through its Ollama credential. Useful nodes are Extract From File for PDFs and Basic LLM Chain for the draft. n8n's human-in-the-loop docs show how to require approval before anything is sent. If n8n runs in Docker and can't reach Ollama, see the Ollama common issues page.

We have not tested a full RFI workflow end to end yet, so we don't publish one here. Commercial platforms in this space include Trunk Tools, Datagrid and Document Crunch.

Sources

Last verified: Oct 22, 2026 (PT). Independent guide by Contractor AI Shop. Not affiliated with any vendor listed. This page has no sponsored or affiliate links.