Should the engineer include a points list in the design documents?
By Bassirou Thiam, building automation engineer · Updated
Yes. Some engineers fear that a points list invites change orders whenever a point is missing. Controls contractors generally say the opposite: without a points list and a sequence from the engineer, they guess what is expected, which leads to more meetings, more RFIs and, in the end, more change orders than a list with a few gaps.
What a points list does for the engineer
Writing it forces the designer to think each system through at the point level, which improves the sequence itself. It also gives every bidder the same basis, so bids are comparable.
What it does for the contractor
It removes guesswork at bid time, shortens coordination on large buildings, and gives the submittal a clear reference to follow.
Schematic, sequence, points list
Many designers treat the control schematic and the sequence as the source, and the points list as a view of them. Kept that way, the three cannot disagree. See what goes in a BAS points list.