Careers Business Ownership CSI MasterFormat Basics Organize your construction specs and project information Share PINTEREST Email Print Caiaimage/Agnieszka Olek / Getty Images Business Ownership Industries Construction Retail Small Business Restauranting Real Estate Nonprofit Organizations Landlords Import/Export Business Freelancing & Consulting Franchises Food & Beverage Event Planning eBay E-commerce Operations & Success Becoming an Owner By Juan Rodriguez Juan Rodriguez LinkedIn University of Puerto Rico DeVry University Juan Rodriguez is a former writer with The Balance who covered large-scale construction. He is an engineer with experience managing and overseeing large civil works construction. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on 08/29/19 MasterFormat is a coding system for organizing construction documents, contracts, design specifications, and operational manuals. It uses specific numbers and associated titles that make up a universal indexing system. MasterFormat is also a publication created and maintained by the Construction Specification Institute (CSI) and Construction Specifications Canada (CSC). It is widely used in the construction and operation of buildings and systems in a variety of industries and projects, from hospitals and public infrastructure to schools and residential construction. Advantages of Using MasterFormat One of the most important benefits of MasterFormat is improved communication between project groups, most notably between the design and construction teams. It allows all team members to refer to specific sections of any document using the universal coding system. This facilitates coordination and communication between project owners, architects, contractors, and suppliers, minimizing the time spent organizing documents. For industries with complex operations, such as health care, MasterFormat helps communicate and organize critical operational information among designers, builders, operations managers, and facility owners. In addition, as these and many other industries are increasingly using building information modeling, or BIM, MasterFormat can be used by modeling software to enhance data interoperability and improve BIM adoption. The MasterFormat system can be used to organize many types of project documents, including: Design specifications Project manuals Drawings (keynotes) Product literature/data filing Facility management and maintenance Project integration and communication Detailed cost estimating/project accounting Building information modeling MasterFormat Divisions and Subgroups MasterFormat includes a group of "50 divisions" of construction information. Each division has its own number. Prior to 2004, there were just 16 divisions, and the system has been expanding and evolving ever since. The divisions and subgroups are as follows: PROCUREMENT AND CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS GROUP 00 Procurement and Contracting Requirements SPECIFICATIONS GROUP General Requirements Subgroup 01 General Requirements Facility Construction Subgroup 02 Existing Conditions 03 Concrete 04 Masonry 05 Metals 06 Wood, Plastics, and Composites 07 Thermal and Moisture Protection 08 Openings 09 Finishes 10 Specialties 11 Equipment 12 Furnishings 13 Special Construction 14 Conveying Equipment 15–19 Reserved for Future Expansion Facility Services Subgroup 20 Mechanical Support 21 Fire Suppression 22 Plumbing 23 Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) 24 Reserved 25 Integrated Automation 26 Electrical 27 Communications 28 Electronic Safety and Security 29 Reserved for Future Expansion Site and Infrastructure Subgroup 30 Reserved for Future Expansion 31 Earthwork 32 Exterior Improvements 33 Utilities 34 Transportation 35 Waterway and Marine Construction 36–39 Reserved for Future Expansion Process Equipment Subgroup 40 Process Integration 41 Material Processing and Handling Equipment 42 Process Heating, Cooling, and Drying Equipment 43 Process Gas and Liquid Handling, Purification, and Storage Equipment 44 Pollution and Waste Control Equipment 45 Industry-Specific Manufacturing Equipment 46 Water and Wastewater Equipment 47 Reserved for Future Expansion 48 Electrical Power Generation 49 Reserved for Future Expansion MasterFormat Updates MasterFormat is updated annually, and suggestions for revisions can be submitted to CSI at any time. For the latest updates, visit the MasterFormat revisions page. One example of a significant past revision is the change from a five-digit format to a six-digit numbering system for the sections within the divisions. The newer system creates room for adding many additional sections as needed. Revisions and updates like these allow MasterFormat to evolve as needed, based on user demand.