Specification
Performance specifications that hold the contractor team accountable.
Performance specifications that hold the contractor team accountable and deliver risk-appropriate waterproofing. Drafted as contract documents. Not adapted supplier templates.
What this service is
Defining the required performance. Without specifying the product.
Performance specification writing is the production of a comprehensive technical document that defines the required performance outcomes for a development's waterproofing system – grade of protection, design parameters, system requirements, contractor qualifications, quality assurance procedures, and handover documentation – without prescribing specific proprietary products. The performance specification is the contractual document that enables competitive tendering amongst specialist waterproofing contractors and provides the benchmark against which installation quality is measured.
CLW's performance specifications are not adapted supplier templates or generic specifications reused across projects. Each specification is tailored for the specific development, drawing on the design philosophy and risk assessment produced during the earlier design stages, so that it reflects the unique combination of ground conditions, structural form, intended use, and risk profile of the project.
When is it needed
RIBA Stages 3 and 4. Finalised for tender.
The performance specification is developed during RIBA Stages 3 and 4 and is finalised in time to form part of the tender documentation. Its development is contingent on the design philosophy and risk assessment having been established at Stage 2. A specification produced without this foundation will contain gaps or inconsistencies that compromise the tendering process.
The trigger for this service is the transition from design development to procurement. When the project team is preparing tender documentation, the waterproofing performance specification must be included to enable meaningful, comparable bids from specialist contractors.
What CLW delivers
Three deliverables across spec, tender and evaluation.
A complete performance specification
A document that defines scope and application across all waterproofed elements; grade requirements for each zone (BS 8102 classification); design parameters including water pressure, ground conditions, and contamination; system type requirements and performance criteria; contractor qualification requirements (PCA membership, NVQ-qualified operatives, CSSW-qualified technical lead); quality assurance procedures including hold points and testing requirements; and handover documentation requirements.
BS 8102 · Performance criteria · QA hold points
Procurement-ready documentation
The specification is drafted as a contract document, suitable to be incorporated into the tender package. It includes clear definitions of scope boundaries, interface responsibilities and the contractor's detailed design obligations.
Contract document · Scope boundaries · CDP interfaces
Tender evaluation support
When tender returns are received, CLW reviews each submission for technical compliance with the performance specification, assessing proposed systems and methods, and providing a technical evaluation report to inform the client's appointment decision.
Compliance review · Technical evaluation · Appointment advice
How it connects
Where performance spec sits in the chain.
The performance specification implements the structural waterproofing design philosophy. It provides the basis for the waterproofing procurement strategy. The choice between a stand alone package and sub-package, and the contractor qualification requirements. It establishes the performance benchmarks against which construction monitoring measures the contractor's work. And it becomes a key document in any future dispute resolution. The specification defines what was required, and deviation from that requirement is the starting point for establishing liability.
Need a Performance Specification?
Our specifications set the standard for waterproofing procurement. Clear, enforceable, and written by specialists who understand construction reality.
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