Division 01
Division 01
Division 01 General Requirements is the project-specific administrative rulebook. The CCCA exam tests how Division 01 procedures interact with the general conditions: submittals, substitutions, payment, quality, temporary facilities, and closeout. Division 01 is not boilerplate to be skimmed.
Core rules
- Division 01 supplements the general conditions with procedures for this project. It commonly includes summary, price and payment procedures, administrative requirements, submittals, quality requirements, temporary facilities, product requirements, and execution and closeout.
- Submittals carry action stamps: approved, approved as noted, revise and resubmit, rejected, or for information. The stamp must match the action taken; "approved as noted" means proceed with corrections, not that the contractor may ignore the notes.
- Substitutions after award follow the Division 01 procedure: a written request with product data, comparison to the specified product, cost impact, and schedule impact. The architect's approval is required before installation. An "or equal" clause does not authorize an unrequested substitution.
- Payment procedures use a schedule of values, progress payment applications, retainage, and closeout documents. The contract administrator checks that stored materials, payroll, and lien waivers support the amount requested.
- Closeout requirements in Division 01 should be tracked from the start: record documents, warranties, spare parts, attic stock, training, and final cleaning.
Worked example
The specifications name a particular door closer and add "or equal." After award, the contractor installs a different closer and submits a catalog cut sheet after installation. Reasoning: the submittal is not a substitution request, and it arrived after installation. Division 01 requires a pre-installation written request with cost and schedule impact. The architect can reject the closer and require removal and replacement at the contractor's cost. The "or equal" language does not transfer the decision to the contractor.
Traps that cost marks
- Treating Division 01 as generic and missing project-specific submittal deadlines.
- Reading "approved as noted" as full approval with no obligation to revise.
- Accepting a substitution after installation because the product "meets or exceeds" the specified one.
- Missing closeout submittals until the end of the project.
- Confusing Division 01 with supplemental conditions.