UniFormat Specifications

UniFormat, which is published by the Construction Specifications Institute, is a way of organizing construction information by major system. It is used most often as a way of organizing a project estimate because it allows easy comparisons of different systems. In addition, UniFormat is sometimes used during early design phases in what is called a Preliminary Project Description.

Prior to being published by the Construction Specifications Institute, UniFormat was developed as ASTM standard E1557 and was named UniFormat II. It remains a valid ASTM reference.

UniFormat is organized into nine major categories (Level 1), each of which are then broken down into four additional sub-levels (Level 2 through Level 5) that add further detail as necessary. Below is a list of the Level 1 and Level 2 elements.

UniFormat is the intellectual property of the Construction Specifications Institute so we cannot provide a list of all of the sub-levels, but a list of the major categories.

  • Introduction
  • Element A - Substructure
  • Element B - Shell
  • Element C - Interiors
  • Element D - Services
  • Element E - Equipment and Furnishings
  • Element F - Special Construction
  • Element G - Sitework
  • Element Z - General
Article Updated: February 17, 2020

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