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RFI cost calculator

Calculate the true cost of RFIs on your construction project. The average RFI costs $1,080 to process and takes 10 to 15 days to resolve (Navigant/CII).

Your project details

RFIs

Industry average: 100 to 300 per project

$

Navigant avg: $1,080 (staff time, review, response)

days

Industry average: 10 to 15 days

$

General conditions, overhead, equipment per day

%

CII estimates 30 to 50% of RFIs are preventable

Cost impact

Total RFI processing cost
$162,000
150 RFIs × $1,080 each
Total delay days
1,800 days
150 RFIs × 12 days each
Total delay cost
$4,500,000
1,800 days × $2,500/day
Total RFI cost on this project
$4,662,000
Potential savings with early detection
$1,864,800

By catching 60 preventable RFIs during plan review instead of in the field.

How this calculator works

This calculator uses the Construction Industry Institute (CII) 1-10-100 rule. A $1 issue caught in design costs $10 in construction and $100 in operations. Default values are based on:

  • $1,080 per RFI, Navigant Construction Forum study average processing cost
  • 10 to 15 day resolution, industry average turnaround including review cycles
  • 30 to 50% preventable, CII research on RFIs caused by drawing errors and missing information

Delay costs vary significantly by project size and type. Adjust the daily delay cost to match your project's general conditions rate.

Keep exploring

More tools, guides, and resources for teams working to reduce RFIs.

How to Reduce RFIs in ConstructionThe $10,000 Eraser: Preconstruction ROIRework Savings EstimatorHow to Write an RFI That Gets Answered Fast

Prevent RFIs before they start

Helonic's AI catches the drawing issues that cause RFIs, coordination conflicts, missing information, and code compliance problems, before they reach the field.