Now picture the other version. The contractor has almost no questions. The owner calls to say it was the smoothest project they have run and offers you the next job before this one closes out.
You got there without losing your nights and weekends. Construction admin finished profitable.
That is what a complete, coordinated project manual does. Spesify writes specs that hold up.
24+ YEARS
ARCHITECTURE, SPECIFICATIONS, AND ESTIMATING.
$2 BILLION
HAWAII AND PACIFIC CONSTRUCTION ESTIMATES PRICED.
CLIENTS I'VE WORKED WITH:
INK ARCHITECTS • AM PARTNERS • BKF & ASSOCIATES • ARCAT
WHO YOU'RE WORKING WITH
Vinson Hiraoka
AIA, CSI, CCP
Aloha! I've been the architect who selected the products, the estimator who priced them, and now the specifier who writes them into the construction documents. I support public and private projects in Hawaii and the Pacific from $100K to $100M.
That combination is why the specs hold up when somebody prices them. I started Spesify because Hawaii architecture firms deserve professional spec writing without a full-time hire. Every engagement comes directly through me. Principal level. No juniors, no handoffs.
I also work with mainland firms on their Hawaii projects, bringing local knowledge on codes, construction methods, product availability, and which vendors are worth your time.
Ready to talk about your next project?
THE REAL COST OF DOING SPECS IN-HOUSE
Bad specs don't earn you praise. They send you RFIs and change orders.
Most Hawaii architecture firms don't have a dedicated spec writer. The principal or project architect ends up writing the specs at night or on weekends.
Under immovable deadline pressures, you squeak by using an old office master that has never been updated. Outdated references, missing sections, and standards that changed years ago. Nobody's had the time to fix it.
It's not a failure of effort, it's a structural problem. The firm is too small to justify a full-time spec writer and not generating enough work to keep one busy. So the specifications fall on the people who can least afford to spend their time on it.
You already know what good specs look like. You want them. You just do not have the time, the fee structure, or the updated templates to produce them consistently. This is the exact gap Spesify was built to close.
The Fee Problem
Architecture firms keep spec fees invisible to "stay competitive". No line item in the fee proposal. Just a few extra hours buried in drawings or project management. It feels like a smart way to win work, but it is actually a slow, invisible drain on the practice. The fee never covers the real effort and the specs suffer.
Weak specs generate RFIs and change orders, and those burn through the construction admin fee until there is nothing left. The project closes out unprofitable and the cycle repeats on the next one. Nobody wins a race to the bottom.
The Time Problem
Design drawings come first. Specs always get written last. Specs get whatever hours are left which means it's 8pm on a Sunday night before the Monday deadline. The principal opens a MasterFormat 95 master that hasn't been touched in 20 years. Products are obsolete and references are superseded. Nothing's coordinated with the drawings.
The only move is to copy from the last project and hope nothing critical is missed. And here's the part nobody says out loud. Architecture school teaches design. It doesn't teach specifications.
Most of us learned them on the job, in the gaps between deadlines, which is why the work falls to whoever has the most experience rather than the most training. That's the document that goes out for bid.
The Construction Problem
Hawaii's a small market and word travels fast. When a project drowns in RFIs and change orders, people notice.
Novice owners wonder what went wrong. Experienced owners already know to look at the documents.
It starts with gaps in the drawings and specs. Every poorly written and uncoordinated section generates more questions, more disputes, more delays. That's time, money, and frustration that could have been avoided.
Each RFI can be 30 minutes or more of valuable attention. Some take days or weeks to resolve. None of that time was in the fee. The project becomes massively unprofitable and your reputation takes the hit.
The next job goes to someone else.
A SOLUTION FOR YOUR SPECIFICATION PROBLEMS
Get a complete, coordinated project manual.
Ready for bid. Delivered on time.
I understand your pain points. Here's what your specs can look like:
A Thorough Drawing Review
Before starting, your entire drawing set is reviewed to understand the scope of work and requirements for the entire project. After that, architectural drawings are zeroed in on. Every sheet, every detail.
Division 00 Guide Specs
If the owner does not have Division 00 procurement documents, I can provide AIA MasterSpec guide specifications for customization.
Division 01 General Requirements
Division 01 sections edited for your specific project, delivery method, and owner requirements. These are generated from AIA MasterSpec guide specifications which are the leading industry standard.
Complete Architectural Specs
Each architectural spec section is based on AIA MasterSpec guide specs and customized for your project needs. If custom sections are required, I can create these following best practices.
Full Project Manual Compilation
I collect Divisions 00 and 01, architectural sections, and all consultant sections. These are compiled into one unified project manual delivered to you in PDF format for your review.
Industry Standards
All specs are coordinated, current, and formatted to MasterFormat 2020. Hawaii State and City projects are formatted using MasterFormat 95, their current legacy standard.
Drawing Coordination and Alerts
Every spec section is reviewed with your architectural drawings. If something doesn't line up, you hear about it before the submittal deadline, not during construction. That's another set of eyes on your set, from someone who has priced this kind of work and knows where the gaps show up.
Cloud-Based Review Workflow
All spec review comments are tracked through Autodesk Forma Build. Your team reviews, approves, and responds to each comment in one place. No lost emails. No version confusion.
In-Person or Online Meeting Support
If your team needs to walk through the specs and discuss issues in-person or online, I am available. Walking through the specs together is often where the real risk gets caught.
Quality Control Review
Technical peer review of drawings and specifications before bid, available to firms I already work with. A second read on the documents while there's still time to fix what turns up.
THE SPESIFY STANDARD
Every project manual I deliver is written to current standards, coordinated with your drawings, and ready for bid at final submittal. If something is missed on my end, I'll fix it. No arguments. No additional fees. This is the standard every deliverable is held to.
Easy to work with.
Accountability and Trust
Your success is my success. I take accountability for my performance seriously. Trust is earned every single day, not assumed at the start.
Relationships With Aloha
I know what local relationships, culture, and communication are worth here. Respect, responsibility, and humility are core beliefs, not a tagline.
No Aggravation Policy
TURNAROUND TIMES
Specs delivered on schedule, every time.
Two submittals are standard on every project. Prefinal specs at Design Development. Final specs at Construction Documents. Standard revisions are included at no additional fee. Here's an idea of delivery times.
REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE
2 to 4
weeks total
Full spec set across two submittals. Each submittal delivered in one to two weeks. Revisions from the first phase incorporated before the final delivery.
NEW CONSTRUCTION
4 to 8
weeks total
Full spec set across two submittals. Each submittal delivered in two to four weeks depending on project size. Larger, more complex projects may take longer.
QUESTIONS FIRMS ASK ME
Fair questions. Here are straight answers.
"I can't afford to add a spec consultant to my fee."
You are already paying for specs. The fee is buried in your drawings or PM hours right now, and it rarely covers the real work. Pull it out as its own line item, and the work gets done properly for close to what you are already spending. The difference is what you get back: your evenings and a document that holds up in construction.
"I'm already stretched thin. How does hiring someone help?"
That is the trap. Specs get written last, under deadline pressure, on nights and weekends. That is the worst possible condition for the document that governs how the whole project gets built. Bringing me in doesn't add to your workload. It removes the part that has been taking your weekends.
"I can write the specs myself. I've always done it that way."
Most principals can. The question is whether it is the best use of your hours. You are the most expensive person in your firm. Every hour on specs is an hour not spent on design, business development, or your family. That cost is real even when it never shows up on an invoice.
"Our specs have been good enough."
Good enough gets tested in construction. Every RFI, schedule delay, and cost dispute is the project telling you something was unclear in the documents. Getting through construction is not the same as running it well. The goal is finishing profitably, with the client relationship and your reputation intact.
GETTING STARTED IS EASY
Three simple steps and your specs are handled.
STEP 1
Contact Spesify.
Reach out to me using the web form below, email, phone call, or direct messaging on LinkedIn.
I'll respond to you within one business day or less.
STEP 2
Let's Get Acquainted.
I'll schedule a discovery meeting with you either in-person or online. Let's get to know each other, go over your company profile, project needs, and make sure Spesify is the right fit.
STEP 3