/rfi-drafter

name: rfi-drafter
description: >
  Draft RFIs and manage the ambient issue registry. Reviews issues surfaced
  by other skills, escalates to formal RFIs. Triggers: 'draft RFI', 'write
  RFI', 'drawing conflict', 'review issues', 'issue queue'.
argument-hint: "[issue id or description of the conflict]"
disable-model-invocation: true

RFI Drafter

Purpose

Two responsibilities: (1) draft formal RFIs from identified issues, and (2) manage the issue detection registry where potential problems surface during other skill workflows. Detection is ambient. Drafting is user- triggered. No RFI is ever created without explicit user instruction.

**Design**: RIGID output format and quality checks. GUIDED research sequence before drafting. FLEXIBLE across any trade, CSI division, or document conflict type.

Does NOT: autonomously discover issues and write RFIs, send RFIs without user review, or determine whether an issue is actually an error vs. intentional design.

Permitted Scripts

| Script | Location | Purpose | |--------|----------|---------| | `rfi_export.py` | `${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/rfi_export.py` | Populate firm's .docx template or generate generic RFI | | `issue_manager.py` | `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/issue_manager.py` | CRUD for issue registry (.construction/skills/issues/) | | `generate_rfi_pdf.py` | `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/rfi/generate_rfi_pdf.py` | Generate PDF RFI (alternative format) | | `rasterize_page.py` | `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/pdf/rasterize_page.py` | Rasterize drawing pages for vision reading | | `crop_region.py` | `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/pdf/crop_region.py` | Crop regions for targeted reading |

Run every script through `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/bin/construction-python`, which selects the toolkit's Python on Windows, macOS and Linux. Never call bare `python`.

Do NOT create custom scripts during execution. All output goes through the scripts above.

---

Mode 1: User-Initiated RFI Drafting

The user identifies an issue and instructs Claude to draft an RFI. This is the primary workflow — a 30-minute task compressed to minutes.

Step 0: Gather RFI Template (first RFI per project)

Before the first RFI, ask the user for their firm's RFI form template. Construction teams have a branded template they use for all official RFIs — the output MUST match their format exactly.

**If .docx template provided:** 1. Read with python-docx to identify field locations (table cells, placeholders like `[PROJECT NAME]`, content controls) 2. Build a field mapping JSON linking each RFI data field to its location in the template 3. Store mapping at `.construction/skills/rfi-drafter/rfi_template_map.json` 4. Store a SHA-256 hash of the template for change detection

**If PDF template provided:** 1. Rasterize each page at 200 DPI 2. Read with vision to understand field layout and structure 3. Build the mapping JSON from visual analysis 4. Store at `.construction/skills/rfi-drafter/rfi_template_map.json`

**If no template available:** Fall back to the generic format built into `rfi_export.py`. Inform the user that providing their template is recommended for production RFIs.

On subsequent RFIs, reuse the stored mapping. If the template file hash differs from the stored hash, re-map.

Step 1: Understand the Issue

Gather from the user (or from an issue registry record if escalating):

• **What**: the conflict, ambiguity, or missing information
• **Where**: sheet number(s), grid location, room/area, detail ref
• **Between what**: which documents disagree (plan vs detail, arch vs

structural, drawing vs spec, etc.)

If the user's description is vague, ask clarifying questions. Never draft from ambiguous input — an RFI that doesn't clearly state the problem wastes everyone's time.

Step 2: Research Context

Before drafting, systematically gather evidence. Read `references/research-checklist.md` for the full checklist.

**Minimum research before any RFI:** 1. Read the specific area on the source sheet(s) 2. Check related details/sections for the same condition 3. Check the relevant spec section for requirements 4. Check if general notes address the condition 5. Check addenda and ASIs for superseding changes 6. Check existing RFI log for duplicates (if available)

Read the sheet by rasterizing it and cropping to the conflict zone (the `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}` paths below are substituted only here in SKILL.md, not in the reference files):

mkdir -p ".construction/skills/rfi-drafter/pages"
"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/bin/construction-python" "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/pdf/rasterize_page.py" "{pdf}" {page} --dpi 200 --output ".construction/skills/rfi-drafter/pages/page.png"
"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/bin/construction-python" "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/pdf/crop_region.py" ".construction/skills/rfi-drafter/pages/page.png" --box x1,y1,x2,y2 --normalized --output ".construction/skills/rfi-drafter/pages/conflict_area.png"

Page images are working data: run these from the project folder and keep them under `.construction/skills/rfi-drafter/pages/`, never in the project root, never in `/tmp` or any other folder outside the project.

`{page}` is 1-based: `1` for a split sheet PDF, `page_index + 1` for a page in a bound set (sheet_index.yaml counts `page_index` from 0). The box is 0–1 fractions of the page.

First read `.construction/project.yaml`: present and readable means AgentCM manages the folder. A listing that shows the file does not decide it: read it. In AgentCM mode, read its files for cross-references to the affected area. See `references/research-checklist.md` for which files, and follow `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/reference/agentcm-mode.md` (which source wins, missing files, drawings through `crop.sh`, corrections of AgentCM's data).

If research reveals the issue is already resolved (by addendum, ASI, or existing RFI response), inform the user — no RFI needed.

Step 3: Draft the RFI

Use the format in `references/rfi-format.md`. Every RF