Clear and concise difference between General Specifications and Detailed Specifications:
Difference Between General and Detailed Specifications
1. Meaning
- General Specifications:
Provide an overall description of the nature, quality, and class of materials and workmanship. They outline the broad requirements of a project without going into minute details. - Detailed Specifications:
Provide precise, item-wise, and technical descriptions of materials, proportions, methods of preparation, execution, and testing. They define exactly how each component of the work must be carried out.
2. Purpose
- General Specifications:
Used to inform the contractor about the standard and quality expected in the project. - Detailed Specifications:
Used to avoid ambiguity by giving complete technical clarity to contractors and engineers during execution.
3. Level of Detail
- General Specifications:
Broad, descriptive, and not quantitative. - Detailed Specifications:
Highly specific, quantitative, and technical.
4. Use in Documents
- General Specifications:
Commonly used in estimates, preliminary proposals, and tender descriptions. - Detailed Specifications:
Used in contract documents, working drawings, bills of quantities (BOQ), and construction execution.
5. Content Description
- General Specifications:
Describe the class of work—for example, type of flooring, grade of concrete, or category of plastering. - Detailed Specifications:
Include exact proportions, thickness, mix ratios, curing time, workmanship standards, measurement methods, and testing requirements.
6. Flexibility
- General Specifications:
More flexible; minor variations are acceptable. - Detailed Specifications:
Very rigid; deviations are not allowed without formal approval.
7. Example
- General Specifications:
“10 mm thick plaster using cement mortar.” - Detailed Specifications:
“10 mm thick cement plaster in 1:4 cement-sand mortar, surface properly cleaned, joints raked, mortar mixed mechanically, applied in one coat, cured for seven days.”
