An ASI (Architect's Supplemental Instructions) is a written instruction from the architect that makes a minor change or clarification to the work, consistent with the intent of the contract documents and involving no adjustment to the contract sum or schedule. It is issued under the minor-changes clause of the general conditions, typically on AIA form G710.
What an ASI is for
During construction, small gaps and ambiguities surface constantly: a dimension that needs stating, a finish transition the drawings never detailed, a clarification prompted by an RFI. The ASI lets the architect resolve these in writing, with authority, without running the full change order process. The general conditions (AIA A201-2017 §7.4) give the architect authority to order minor changes unilaterally, precisely because these items change neither price nor time.
The instrument has two hard limits, and both are the architect's to respect:
- No cost or time impact. If the instruction would change the contract sum or the schedule, it is not a minor change; it must go through a change order or construction change directive. Contractors who believe an ASI has cost impact will say so, and the disagreement converts the item into a change proposal.
- Consistent with design intent. An ASI clarifies or minimally adjusts; it does not redesign.
ASI and "supplemental information"
Search phrasing varies here, and some firms and platforms use SI (supplemental information) or similar labels for the same instrument. The AIA terminology is Architect's Supplemental Instructions, form G710. Whatever the label, the defining features are the same: written, architect-issued, no cost or time change.
Worked example
An RFI asks whether the corridor ceiling access panels should be painted to match the ceiling. The drawings are silent. Painting the panels costs nothing extra because the painter is already on site with the ceiling color. The architect issues ASI 012 with a one-line instruction and a marked-up reflected ceiling plan. Had the answer required a different panel product, the architect would instead have requested a proposal and processed a change order.
Related terms
- RFI: the question channel that often triggers an ASI.
- Change order: the instrument when cost or time changes.
- Construction administration: the service phase ASIs belong to.
Frequently asked questions
What does ASI stand for? Architect's Supplemental Instructions, the AIA term for a written minor-change instruction. The abbreviation is sometimes read as "architect's supplemental information"; the instrument is the same.
Does an ASI change the contract price? No, by definition. An ASI is only valid for changes with no adjustment to contract sum or time. If the contractor believes the instruction has cost or schedule impact, the item moves to the change order process.
Who can issue an ASI? The architect of record. The authority comes from the minor-changes clause of the general conditions and does not require the owner's or contractor's signature.
What is the difference between an ASI and a change order? Scale and signatures. An ASI is a unilateral architect's instruction for no-cost, no-time changes. A change order amends the contract, changes sum or schedule, and is signed by owner, contractor, and architect.
Is an ASI a contract document? An ASI modifies the work within the existing contract's intent. It becomes part of the project record and the as-built documentation, and contractors build from it as they do from the drawings.
Markdown version of this entry, for AI assistants and agents.