The specifications are the part of the contract documents that define the qualitative requirements of the project that is to be built. Simply put, construction specifications are documents prepared ahead of construction to describe how building should be carried out by contractors and subcontractors.

While the role of the drawings is to define the geometry of a project, including dimensions, form, and detail, the specifications are intended to complement this by defining the nature of the materials that are to be used and the description of the workmanship and procedures to be followed in constructing the project.