ASC Proceedings of the 41st Annual Conference
University of Cincinnati - Cincinnati, Ohio
April 6 - 9, 2005
MasterFormat 2004 Impact on Construction Organizations
Kevin R. Miller Ph.D. and Jay S. Newitt Ph.D.
Brigham Young University,
Provo, Utah
MasterFormat 2004 was adopted by the Construction Specification Institute (CSI) in June of 2004
(CSI website, 2004). The 2004 version of MasterFormat varies considerably from the 95 version
of MasterFormat (16 CSI divisions). This paper addresses the following topical areas: reviews
the history of MasterFormat, compares the 95 version to the 2004 version, surveys large
architectural and construction firms in Utah, and offers suggestions to contractors on transitioning
to the 2004 MasterFormat.
Key Words: MasterFormat 2004, Estimating, Construction Specification Institute
Introduction
The Construction Specification Institute was asked by industry to examine the MasterFormat and determine if two
areas of concern could be addressed. First, could MasterFormat be expanded to address the needs of the heavy civil
and industrial market segments? Second, could MasterFormat be expanded to address the increasing complexity of
the mechanical and electrical trades? In order to address these needs, the Construction Specification Institute made
major revisions to the MasterFormat in the 2004 version. This paper provides a brief history and an overview of the
changes that were made.
History
In 1961, a group of construction professionals came up with the idea of organizing construction information using a
standard format. During 1961 a first draft was created. In 1962, a second draft was created that organized the
information into 22 divisions. In 1963, this organization structure was called the Construction Specification Institute
(CSI) Format for Building Specifications. During the 1964 meeting, the group adopted the name The CSI Format
for Construction Specifications that included 16 divisions.
Over approximately the next forty years, the organization of information was updated about every eight years. The
updates made slight modifications as new products or processes were introduced into the construction industry. In
1978 the organization structure became known as the MasterFormat and was accepted by federal agencies. At this
time it was also incorporated by Means and Sweets. To illustrate the changes in this structure the original copy that
was accepted in 1964 contained 28 pages whereas the 1995 version contained 317 pages (CSI website1, 2004).
Major changes were introduced in the 1995 version. Many changes in the structure occurred in divisions 1, 2, 4, 13,
15 and 16. Even with all the changes that were made to the information structure, many more construction products
and processes didnt quite fit into the 1995 format. In the mechanical trades, controls and systems as well as process
piping were becoming more complex.
In the electrical areas, security and communications wiring was becoming more complicated and often involved skill
sets that varied from the traditional electrician. This often lead to designers and contractors alike wanting a division
17 for the low voltage aspects of construction projects. CSI was also being asked to expand the MasterFormat
structure from mainly building construction to civil and industrial types of construction. Facility managers also
wanted to use this same structure to help analyze life-cycle issues of their facilities.
Due to these concerns, the CSI organization formed a task force to address the issues the industry was requesting. In
April of 2001 the task force started work on modifying the MasterFormat organization to meet these new needs.
Members of the task force included people from many different organizations including AGC, AIA, ASCE, IFMA,
ASPE, etc (CSI website1, 2004).
This group submitted draft 1 for public comment in February of 2002. After reviewing public comment, draft 2 was
submitted for public comment in October of 2002. Again public comment was sought and the public wanted to
make the format even more inclusive. Responding to the public comments, draft 3 was submitted for public
comment in February of 2003. This draft included 88 divisions. This was thought to be too radical of a change
which resulted in draft 4, which was made available for public comment in May of 2003 with revisions to draft 4
made available in August of 2003. In April of 2004, draft 4 was accepted at the CSI convention and became known
as MasterFormat 2004.
Comparing MasterFormat 2004 to 1995 Version
MasterFormat 2004 may be viewed as a complete overhaul of the 1995 version of the MasterFormat structure. The
1995 version contained 16 divisions; the 2004 version contains 50 divisions. The numbering format also went from
a five digit number to a six digit number. Below is a table comparing the 1995 divisions to the 2004 divisions.
Table 1
Comparison between MasterFormat versions
MasterFormat 1995
1995
Equiv.
1
MasterFormat 2004
Division 00 Procurement and Contracting Requirements
Division 1 General Requirement
Division 01 General Requirements
Division 2 Site Work
Division 02 Existing Conditions
Division 3 Concrete
Division 03 Concrete
Division 4 Masonry
Division 04 Masonry
Division 5 Metals
Division 05 Metals
Division 6 Carpentry
Division 06 Wood, Plastics, and Composites
Division 7 Moisture Control
Division 07 Thermal and Moisture Protection
Division 8 Doors, Windows
Division 08 Openings
Division 9 Finishes
Division 09 Finishes
Division 10 Specialties
10
Division 10 Specialties
Division 11 Equipment
11
Division 11 Equipment
Division 12 Furnishings
12
Division 12 Furnishings
Division 13 Special Construction
13
Division 13 Special Construction
Division 14 Conveying Systems
14
Division 14 Conveying Equipment
Division 15 Mechanical
13
Division 21 Fire Suppression
Division 16 Electrical
15
Division 22 Plumbing
15
New
16
Division 23 Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning
Division 25 Integrated Automation
Division 26 Electrical
16
Division 27 Communications
16
Division 28 Electronic Safety and Security
Division 31 Earthwork
Division 32 Exterior Improvements
2
New
Division 33 Utilities
Division 34 Transportation
New
Division 35 Waterway and Marine Construction
New
Division 40 Process Integration
New
Division 41 Material Processing and Handling Equipment
New
Division 42 Process Heating, Cooling, and Drying Equipment
New
Division 43 Process Gas & Liquid Handling, Purification, & Storage Equipment
New
Division 44 Pollution Control Equipment
New
Division 45 Industry-Specific Manufacturing Equipment
New
Division 48 Electrical Power Generation
After reviewing the changes, it becomes apparent that the changes, while significant, are not as drastic as the initial
impression may seem. Of the 50 division, many of the new divisions are reserved for future expansion while others
have been added to meet the needs of heavy civil, and industrial projects. After closer examination, for the
traditional users of MasterFormat, the building construction contractors, the typical project will now include 23
divisions instead of 16 divisions.
Changing from 5 digits to 6 digits may not be as drastic as initially thought because many of changes simply include
a trailing 0 digit so Cast-in-Place Concrete changes from 03300 to 03 30 00. The numbering system for the divisions
between 3 and 14 of the 95 MasterFormat largely remain the same. The table below provides some typical
comparisons between similar numbers in both the 1995 and the 2004 versions of the MasterFormat.
Table 2
Comparison between similar numbering
1995 MasterFormat
03300 Cast-in-Place Concrete
07920 Joint Sealants
09910 Paints
2004 MasterFormat
03 30 00 Cast-in-Place Concrete
07 92 00 Joint Sealants
09 91 00 Painting
While there are many similarities, there are also significant changes. Most notably are the changes in divisions 2,
15, and 16 of the 1995 MasterFormat. A comparison of some of the significant changes are illustrated in the table
below.
Table 3
Comparison between dissimilar numbers
1995 MasterFormat
02890 - Traffic Signs and Signals
02310 - Grading
02700 - Pavement Specialties
15140 Domestic Water Piping
2004 MasterFormat
10 14 23.23 Post and Panel Signage
31 22 13 Rough Grading
32 17 23 Pavement Markings
22 11 16 Domestic Water Piping
While the above changes are significant, they address the changes that were asked of CSI. The 2004 version of
MasterFormat is more inclusive for heavy civil and industrial projects, as well as providing more room for fire
suppression, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, communications, and electronic safety and security.
Adopters of MasterFormat 2004
While individuals and organizations may have concerns with the 2004 MasterFormat, it appears that many designer
firms, owners and construction publications are adopting the 2004 version. From a literature search performed, the
following table shows the adoption time frames by the various organizations.
Table 4
Adoption Timeframe for MasterFormat 2004
Publishers
Sweets 2006 Edition
Reeds Construction Data (Means) 2006 Ed
Government Agencies
Army Corps of Engineers Late 2005
U.S. Navy Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC)
(CSI website2, 2004)
The authors went further to determine how the Utah design community is adopting the 2004 version of
MasterFormat. The design firms contacted were recommended by employees of the 3 largest contractors in the state
of Utah as ranked by ENRs Top 400 Contractors (ENR, 2004).
The table below shows which design firms plan on adopting the 2004 MasterFormat in the state of Utah. The time
frame for adopting the 2004 MasterFormat will be the second quarter of 2005.
Table 5
Designers in the State of Utah
Firms Adopting MasterFormat 2004
MHTN
FFKR
GSBS
Architectural Nexus
Firms Not Adopting MasterFormat 2004
VCBO
Naylor Wentworth
Below is a list (CSI website2, 2004) of when the specification software companies are incorporating MasterFormat
2004. Those not adopting the 2004 MasterFormat stated they would wait and see if the industry adopts the format
before they converted their specifications.
ARCOM - May 2005 (ARCOM website, 2004)
BSD SpecLink - Currently available
A Transition Plan
All areas of a construction contracting firm are going to be affected by the change in MasterFormat. One of the
authors made a presentation to the Utah state AGC chapter on November 11, 2004 with the topic being
MasterFormat 2004". Prior to the presentation, comments from people in attendance were mainly negative
concerning the change. They also knew very few details concerning MasterFormat 2004. Of the people who had
heard about the change, most only knew that there were 50 new divisions. This seemed overwhelming and
confusing to them. After the presentation, most, while not overjoyed about the change, seemed to think that it would
not be as bad as they had initially thought. The common areas of concern included estimating, project management
and accounting.
Estimating
Estimating will be the first area of an organization to be exposed to MasterFormat 2004. The estimating databases
used by construction organizations will need to be modified to align with the changes contained in MasterFormat
2004. Software programs such as Timberline will allow for the database to be sorted by either format which is good
news. However, it will require some time for a person to add the additional Work Breakdown Structure codes to the
database. Other software vendors may also include tools with their software to allow for this dual sorting of the
estimating databases.
If a construction organization uses spreadsheet templates, the templates will also need to be adjusted to
accommodate the 2004 MasterFormat. For a period of time, contractors may be using both formats. As a general
rule, contractors should not start a project using the 1995 version and switch to the 2004 version mid-project. This
would most likely create confusion on the project and be an inhibitor to cost control and cost variance analysis. It
would be better to start new projects with the 2004 format and finish current projects using the 1995 version.
Additional time should be taken by the estimator when setting up an estimate to become familiar with the 2004
layout of the spreadsheet so that during the heat of the bid, costs are not overlooked or left out of the estimate.
Project Management
Project management teams will need to be provided with the updated codes so that costs may be reported and coded
correctly. The project management teams will need to provide training to their superintendents and foremen to
ensure that the work is coded to the correct accounting codes.
Accounting
Accounting should also follow the same plan as estimating by not changing to the 2004 MasterFormat midway
through a project. At some point, cost histories will need to be converted to the 2004 format. With the changes
from the 95 to the 2004 format being a 1 to 1 conversion, cost histories should be able to be converted to the new
format. For organizations where cost histories have not been well done, the transition between formats may offer an
opportunity to quit putting off cleaning up the organizations cost histories and finally do it.
Conclusion
The changes to MasterFormat 2004 are what the construction industry asked CSI for. While all the changes may not
be agreeable to each individual, they are a step in the right direction. If people have strong feelings concerning the
changes, they should become more involved in organizations such as CSI to have their voice heard. Remember that
CSI went through a 3 year period seeking public comment. The changes made will provide for future expansion
which is something the original format did not include. If you dont like the current changes, you can look forward
to when there will be another update to the MasterFormat in a few more years.
Reference
ARCOM website (2004) [Link]
CSI website (2004) [Link]
CSI website1 (2004) [Link]
CSI website 2 (2004) [Link]
ENR, (2004) The Top 400 Contractors, Engineering News Record, 10-24.
